Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act

Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
Paolo Benedetti

Graeme Baker Safety Act (GMSA) is quickly becoming the trojan horse for more pork barrel legislation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is set to begin hearings on the Graeme Baker Safety Act.

If passed as it is currently written, you will be required to use a SVRS device (Vac Alert, Stingl Switch, etc.), dual drains (which should always be done anyway), and other MANDATED precautions. This will result in an more expensive swimming pool.

Because the swimming pool industry has been lead by morons for so long, the government is stepping in and mandating that we incorporate devices for the public safety.

Special Interests (people out to make a buck) have seized upon these unfortunate series of events, to utilize impending legislation as their "TROJAN HORSE." They are sneaking in the back door, having their company's devices MANDATED upon us.

The morons that run the largest swimming pool trade associations, were not bright enough to see this coming. Nor did they possess the intellect to counter these special interest arguments with one very simple irrefutable fact...

SUCTION ENTRAPMENT CAN BE AVOIDED THROUGH THE USE OF LOWER LINE VELOCITIES.

Larger pipes, smaller pumps, and balanced dual suctions will solve the issue FOREVER. No special devices needed. What should be mandated, is lower line velocities... PERIOD! And as a side benefit, the consumers will benefit through lower energy use and less pump noise. Additionally, this will assist in meeting all of the new wave of energy legislation, such as CA's new title 24 energy regulations.

By the way, no mention was made of line velocities in the new Title 24 regulations either. So, I bet that some builder will jump at the chance to use 1" pipe on a 3/4 HP pump. "It's a smaller pump, so why not use a smaller pipe too?"

Safe & Green... hmm, wonder if we can get Al Gore to claim this as his bright idea and shout it from the international podium!

This is why the Genesis 3 Design Group was founded.... smarter pool designers & builders, doing it smarter. This is why I am a ardent supporter of Genesis 3, am one of the Platinum members, am one of the first to receive certification from the Society of Water Shape Designers, and why I teach at their construction courses. This is also why I am blamed for using "over-sized pipes."

It is time to place pressure upon your state legislator, trade association, industry lobby, & ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers - of which, I also happen to be a member).

I was very disappointed to see an organization such as ASME, not stand up to these special interest groups when they were writing the standards. The ASME standards were later adopted by the UBC (Uniform Building Code), and will find themselves into many local & state building departments (if they have not already). The ASME guys are mechanicals engineers, and there is NO MENTION of line velocities. Makes you wonder if there was a pay-off somewhere... to keep the ASME M.E.'s from even mentioning what they spent 4 years learning about in college! Engineers forgetting the basics of their education....

You can read about the testing they performed to validate their premises.... such as 3 H.P. pumps on 2 inch lines, to illustrate the dangers of improper mechanical design. Go to:
http://www.vac-alert.com/building_health.html

Read the dual drain/vent limitation testing. You can read about how they fabricated such outrageous tests (like the 3 HP/2" pipe) to validate their products and defeat alternatives. These were fabricated tests, utilized to falsely justify the need for special interest SVRS devices.

You will notice that in none of the standards, impending legislation, or in their "PAID FOR TESTS," did anyone have the brains to say:

"WHY DON'T WE JUST LEGISLATE LOWER LINE VELOCITIES?"

The line velocity could be so low that even if the drain cover was missing... guess what? Maybe a stubbed toe, but NO ENTRAPMENT HAZARD!

Come on everyone, it's time for the SMART & SILENT MAJORITY GET PISSED OFF AND TO SPEAK UP!


Paolo Benedetti - Aquatic Artist
"Creating water as art."™
Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
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