The Role of Technology in a Better Bathing Experience

It’s a valid question: For those of us in the aquatics industry, what are we really and truly selling? The answer, ultimately, comes down to: An experience!

When you break it all down, aquatic professionals of all types are ultimately selling the aquatic experience, which includes a variety of enjoyable and beneficial aspects. It’s the experience of recreation, health, aesthetic beauty, architectural art, pride of ownership, and togetherness with family and friends. We’re selling nothing less than the joy of summer, the thrill of fitness, and cherished memories of family.

Whether it’s a small portable spa, residential pool, or a commercial aquatics center, consumers are always buying some variant or combination of those experiences.

But there are several levels to the experience factor, all of which speak to what we as a company are selling; what sets us apart from others in the business — and that is all about the experience of ease and convenience. Over the years, we’ve developed methods and the application of technology to bring the benefits of aquatic ownership to our customers with the greatest level of convenience, control, comfort, and efficiency. In that sense, we are selling the experience of elevated expectations.

It is a crucial aspect of what we do because part of the ownership experience is the challenge of maintenance. It’s perhaps the biggest knock against pools and spas — the fact that all bodies of water require careful and consistent care. Otherwise, all of those primary benefits of aquatic ownership mentioned above are replaced with the burden and abiding negativity of having to spend inordinate time and money taking care of the darn thing. And that’s something nobody, in truth, wants to do.

The Hassle Factor of Testing Water

I know this because as someone who is passionate about water treatment and someone who has devoted most of his career to mastering it, even I can’t stand the hassle of water testing, calculating dosages, adding the chemicals, and then rechecking the water to make sure it all worked. Fact is, servicing pools is a genuine drag on homeowner enthusiasm, and it’s not all that much fun for us professionals either.

What people really want, I’m convinced, is to be able to forget about their pools except for knowing that every time they go to use them, the water will be in perfect condition. They want to have their expectations for the luxury, pleasure, and invigoration associated with getting in the water to be met in full all the time, each and every time.

In saying all this, I realize that achieving a maintenance-free system is a tall order, even one that many people have deemed impossible. All bodies of water require maintenance, which is true, and that hard fact is the mountain those of us in the business seek to climb. Some might even say working to achieve the experience of ultimate convenience is something of a fool’s errand, a quixotic quest, of sorts, the impossible dream.

Finding the Solution

The good news is that we now have technology that when deployed in the right set of ways, can, in fact, make for pool and spa operation that is very close to maintenance free. It requires a combination of testing, monitoring, and control technologies that have been with us for quite a long time now. But it’s how those modern marvels are applied that gets us and our clients where we hope to go — to a place of convenient experience.

For our company, that approach is represented by our own brand of treatment system, known as SRK HydroZone 3®. It’s a “smart pool” system that uses different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information, which is then used to manage assets and resources efficiently, all from remote locations. The system and the pools themselves are designed to create consistent water quality, safety, and, ultimately, the experience our clients seek.

HydroZone 3 includes automatic oxidation, sanitation, water balance, and control of filter cycles, as well as features such as automatic pool covers. It provides constant chemistry testing, reporting and logging, interface with smartphones, pads, and personal computers. It controls pump speed, heaters, and lights, all of which works to provide professional oversight and response when needed.

Practicing what I preach, I use a HydroZone 3 on my personal hot tub and pool — it’s amazing how the system is always several steps ahead of me. I truly believe it’s smarter than I am. No human being can constantly monitor any body of water. It’s impossible. Now we have a system that does that for you, making programmable adjustments and heading off trouble before it starts.

Ultimately, that’s what control technology does, it responds in real time and enables us to address issues before they turn into big problems. When it comes to maintaining resilient water quality, that constancy of control not only provides ultimate convenience, but it also ensures ultimate consumer satisfaction.

That’s what the selling experience is all about!