KEY WORDS -
Spa ozone ultra violet pH chlorine acid redox water filter
cynauric bromine calcium hypochlorite HTH sodium chloramine
combined pump multiport valve sand chemical hydrochloric muriatic
liner skimmer level deck tile grout plastic weld electronic
computer software probes electrode ioniser copper silver fichlor
dichlor trichlor dihalo aquabrome algae bacteria filtration
survey health safety pseudomonas aeroginosa e coli We design and
produce a range of COMPUTER SOFTWARE programs specifically for
Swimming Pool Engineers.
Our Computer
Software section has been producing computer software for
many years for our own use, and we are now making
suitable programs available for sale. However, in the
beginning . . . . . . .
One of the
first programs we produced commercially we called
"Flowmaster". The original code for this
program was created using a Sinclair Spectrum 48K Home
Computer and Sinclair Basic Code. The need for this type
of program was generated by much of our work being
Specification and Design. We found that it was taking
longer and longer to perform all the many calculations
necessary to accurately design and specify for a swimming
pool circulation and filtration system. Many other
swimming pool related programs were written on the
Sinclair, which was later upgraded to the
"128K" version.
Our first PC
was a '386 SX unit, and this was closely followed by what
was then a "Top-of-the Range" 486 SX25 using
DOS 6 and Windows 3.1. We then set about
"converting" many of our Sinclair based
software to run on the PC, using Microsoft Quick Basic.
This was no small task if you consider the box loads of
tape cassetts, the Microdrives, and of course the later
3" diskettes - none of which were directly readable
by the PC. Many of our software programs were succesfully
converted. The rest were preserved by printing out the
code.
Our clients
began to notice that whenever they telephoned us with a
calculation problem, we could give them accurate answers
within seconds of us being given the data.. "Where
did you get your computer program?" they would ask.
When they were told that we wrote it ourselves, almost
everybody wanted to purchase a copy from us.
So began our
entry into Swimming Pool Software creation. The first
programs were sold to existing clients of ours, and in
comparison to our present day software, the programs were
"Basic" in very many senses. We did not have
the luxury of colour printers - they were still far too
expensive, so the packaging and instructions were fairly
crude. However our programs were sold to a number of of
clients, and this gave us the encouragement to add to and
improve the software. Various other programs were
"tidied up" and sold to a select few pool
engineers who recieved them with great interest. At last,
the complicated calculation associated with swimming pool
design were being speeded up
The first
major improvement was to completely rewrite the code so
that the programs would run directly in Microsoft
Windows, not as previously, using Microsoft Quick Basic.
The few existing users of the original code soon snapped
up the offer of an "improved versions", and
then the word began to spread. Soon pool installers and
engineers would be telephoning us to enquire exactly what
this software did, that they had heard about.
After just
over a year of this, and with only positive comments from
our customers, we approached one of the pool trade
distributers and asked if they would be interested in
promoting our software to their customers. Although they
had no experience at all in the sales of computer
software, they welcomed the addition to their product
range and actively promoted all our programs.
We were now
reaching a much wider customer base, and the
"Want's" and "Wish List" began to
increase. Other small programs of ours were converted to
"Windows" and added to the range of tools
available in our most popular programs. We began to
organize the upgrades better - waiting until the begining
of each year to release the latest version which
incorporated as many as possible of the
"Wishes" and "Want's" that had been
sent to us over the previous year.
In 1999 we
changed the name of our flagship program to POOLMASTER,
and then in January 2000 it became POOLMASTER
2000 . This program now bears almost no
resemblance even to the first 'Windows' verion, and is
now an extremely powerful package that enables the
Swimming Pool Engineer quickly perform almost all the
necessary circulation and filtration calculations, for
any type or size of commercial and private pool, or spa
using Sand, DE or Cartridge filters, in either Imperial,
US or Metric units. Both Level Deck and Freeboard
(skimmer) pools can be designed, and there are a number
of additional tools for calculating water velocity,
balance tank size, sump grill size, air scour blower
size, etc., plus a comprehensive Pool Volume calculator
which will determine the volume and surface area of
almost any size or shape of pool.
To
compliment POOLMASTER 2000 we have
now introduced the POOL ANALYSER for POOLMASTER
2000 This "Plug-In" for POOLMASTER
2000 is used to accurately calculate all
the various flowrates and water velocity in an EXISTING
pool installation. While POOLMASTER 2000 will tell
you what is required in a NEW
installation, the POOL ANALYSER will
instantly determine whether or not an EXISTING
pool or spa circulation and filtration system is
functioning efficiently, correctly, and safely.
Another of
our early programs was HEATMASTER, which
rapidly calculates the size of heater required by almost
any pool or spa. Again, the original code was written for
the Sinclair computer and then "converted" for
use on the PC. We are currently offering HEATMASTER
2 which now has a comprehensive pool
volume calculator, and calculates initial heating
requirements plus heat losses once the pool is up to
temperature. There are also tables to determine the
correct size of supply pipe required for gas heaters
Now a firmly
established and popular program TILEMASTER,
although very simple, is extremly
powerful, and is used to calculated the individual
surface areas of almost any pool shell. There are only
three steps to using TILEMASTER. First
select the basic shape of pool from a standard range.
Second, enter the dimensions on the diagram on the
screen. Third, press the CALCULATE button to see an
"Exploded" view of the pool shell with each
individual surface area sized, including a separate tile
band if necessary, plus the overall plain and tile-band
areas totalled.
TILEMASTER is used
not only for tile calculations, but also for any
calculation or estimate involving work on the pool shell
- ie grout, adhiesive, screed, tanking material, concrete
and cement, building blocks, reinforcing rods, and paint
etc,etc.
More
specialist software is due to be released soon.
Caromal
Software runs in Windows 95/98, 2000,
Windows NT, Vista and Windows 7. The software is
distributed on CD.
The Swimming Pool Operators
