Swimming pool designer builder Paolo Benedetti discusses U-Tunes, Underwater swimming pool speakers Santa Barbara, Montecito, Santa Ynez

Internationally acclaimed swimming pool designer and builder Paolo Benedetti of Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa discusses U- Tunes! Under water swimming pool speakers & sound.

Ancient Technology

Socially there has been a marked increase in the desire to have one's personal music collection available anywhere one might be. While underwater music has always been available, the quality of the speakers had left something to be desired.

Early speaker designs were mechanical, and though these ancient designs are still available, they are prone to constant failure. They oftentimes also require the use of a proprietary niche (a speaker manufacturer supplied plastic or metal pocket that is cast into the pool wall to house the speaker fixture). This requirement trapped the owner into keeping these deficient design speakers, so when they fail nothing else will fit into the niche.

Additionally, the physical design of the speakers are hideous. They are bulbous and protrude from the pool wall, drawing attention to themselves. Add to that, the fact that they are only available in white or blue, not harmonious with every designer finish. Absolutely no thought went into the aesthetics of the speaker itself.

But, they are inexpensive, so these are what most designers and pool builder specify or install. Remember what my grandpa used to say (translated from Italian)? "Cheap isn't good and good isn't cheap" Basically, You get what you pay for! With underwater speakers, this could not be any truer!

Those antiquated designs contained metallic components that require electrical bonding, magnets that rust, parts that promoted galvanic corrosion, are not of a sealed design (the plastic bulb housing eventually cracks and leaks), or do not have the ability to handle the high wattage input from modern music systems (they are usually limited to 35 - 200 watts @ 8 ohms).

And the biggest complaint... their sound fidelity is rotten! Rule of thumb: "If they sound like crap out of the water, they will sound like a truck load of crap underwater!"

U-Tunes

With the decades of advancements in electronic technology, so has the technology of underwater speakers, as I call them "U-Tunes!"

Gone are the days of expensive and potentially corrosive stainless steel niches. Metallic components have been removed. The advent of piezo speaker technology has eliminated the need for moving parts.

The best underwater speakers utilize any readily available standard sized swimming pool light niche, making swapping out to another brand at a later date feasible. I personally specify the full sized American Products PVC light niche, as it reduces the potential for leaks where a threaded conduit would thread into a stainless steel niche. The niche is still required to be bonded to the pool's bonding grid, as it contains a bonding straps & a stainless steel mounting rim (the speaker retention screws tie into this stainless steel ring). And, if anyone ever removes the speaker & desires to place a light in it's place, it is already properly prepared for the conversion.

The modern speakers sit flat in the niche, protruding only 1/2-1" from the wall. Most are black in color, but a few manufacturer's offer custom epoxy painting to match the pool finish color.

The sound fidelity? It is remarkable. High quality speakers can handle upwards of 400 watts @ 8 ohms! Be sure that your speaker is protected by an isolation transformer! It'll keep the speaker from being over powered. Some manufacturers will even build custom configured systems.

How many speakers?

Most residential swimming pools will only require one speaker. Because water molecules are touching each other, sound travels better underwater than in the ambient air. Also, all of the background noise in the backyard is muffled when you are underwater. Most pools up to 800 square feet can get away with a single speaker.

Preference

Everyone always asks... so here is my personal preference: OCEANEARS SP-8 SONIC BULB SPEAKER (http://www.oceanears.com/2002spk2page.html). Yes, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for.

The customer service alone is worth the extra money. I have had customers blow out a Oceanears speaker & they sent a replacement transformer at no cost. When the customer blew it out a second time, they sent a more powerful replacement transformer at no charge! Even when they determined that the client was over powering the speaker, they took care of business! My kind of folks!

I have never used or specified anything except Oceanears Speakers. I even have one in my personal pool (and I paid full price for it too!). I have a dozen of them in use dating back 10+ years.

The only problem that we've ever had what that one client who over amp'd the transformer. That client has been told do it again & be prepared to open your wallet, WIDE!

U-Tunes - excellent for parties, daily exercise, or recreational swimming.

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

"Water in Transit" Edge Details... Choices, choices...

Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
Paolo Benedetti

Infinity edge pool, vanishing edge pool, knife edge pool, perimeter overflow pool, wet edge, zero edge, flooded deck pool, slot overflow pool, elevated perimeter overflow pool, disappearing edge pool... what ever you call them, they all have something in common - water flows over the top of at least one wall of the pool.

Imagine a bowl of water overflowing it's rim, or if the top is not exactly level - the water overflows in the lower area. This brings us to the various types of edge details available.

The "hottest" detail and most difficult to construct is a perimeter overflow detail called a "knife edge." The knife edge perimeter overflow pool has the water raised right up to the level of the coping. But instead of any water flowing over the coping, the water drops into a diagonal slot that meets the top inside edge of the coping. The water is right at the top edge of the coping, but then it falls into the slot that is under the coping. This is the most complex design, due to the difficulty in constructing the gutter & "knife edge." The edge must be dead-on level. Additionally, because the coping covers the entire gutter, there is no opportunity to go back & rework or waterproof the gutter, without breaking out coping stones.

The second most popular edge detail, goes by many names: "wet deck," "flooded deck," & "slot overflow." As it's name implies, the water flows over the top of a portion of the coping stones, before dropping into a gutter or slot. Amateurish designers & builders rely on garish plastic or metal grating atop an open gutter. This is a very industrial and archaic method of building this style of pool. These plastic grate gutter systems are still very popular in Europe & some developing countries, due to their ease of installation.

A more refined appearance for a perimeter overflow pool, can be achieved by overlapping the coping & decking stones over the gutter, leaving no more than a 1/2" gap - thus the "slot overflow" name. A gap wider than 1/2" is in violation of the ADA. It just asking for a toe/high heel to get stuck or torn off. This method also requires that the portion of stone that is to be underwater be durable, submersible, and installed absolutely level.

One of the most striking designs is one of my personal favorites, the elevated perimeter overflow pool. As the name implies, the walls of the pool are elevated above the grade & the water flows over the top of the wall. The raised portion can vary from a few inches in height to as high as 18". Any higher than 18" and the pool becomes difficult to enter. It also poses a safety issue for those standing on top of the wall, if it is any higher than 18".

Though I will never publish it, my personal pool is of this elevated overflow style. The face of the 18" elevated walls are clad with polished absolute black granite. The top surface (that spans the thickness of the wall), was treated to provide slip resistance. The surface of the granite was "flamed," resulting in a natural sanded type of texture. The interior is lined with a custom blend of black, gray, and deep purple mosaic glass tiles from Bisazza Mosaico, Vicenza, Italy.

The most familiar and common edge detail is the "vanishing edge," "infinity edge," or "disappearing edge" pool. These pools usually have one side of the pool lowered to meet the operating elevation of the water. The water spills over this wall(s) and into either a catch basin, or a gutter. Where a gutter is used, the water is transported to a remote holding tank, from where the edge effects pump draws it's water.

Adding to the complexity of all of these choices, is the myriad of combinations of the various effects. The most complex pool that my firm has ever designed & constructed (though not the most expensive), combined a staggered vanishing edge, knife edge, perimeter overflow, and collection gutters. Executed flawlessly, the final results are absolutely breathtaking. To review an in depth article about this project, visit the following link:

http://www.aquatictechnology.com/articles/t_cubed.htm


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