Why Choose a Waterpark?
While there are many tangible benefits obtained by installing a waterpark, it is often the intangible ones that often may play a crucial role in the buying decision.
There is a heightened level of excitement in children seen at an aquatic playground. Squeals of joy are the norm, as children race around both cooling off, and getting beneficial exercise.
If it is within your budget water parks provide maximum fun for your children. If you have ever watched children playing at a waterpark you likely have observed a level of excitement typically unseen in regular day to day play. Water parks are considered by many as the pinnacle of playground fun.
Additionally playing in an interactive play environment stimulates children’s minds and keeps them active.
Another point to consider is that water parks are extremely safe. As there is zero water accumulation there is no possibility of drowning. A waterpark will generally be less of an investment than a swimming pool, and require less overall care and maintenance.
Elements of a waterpark are flexible and can be adjusted to reflect the park size, shape and surroundings. Components can be above ground, such as in the case of arches, columns or water cannons, or below ground such as a “Liquid jail” or spray products.
If you are installing a spray park for a wide age range (from 2-14) you may want to create your park in 2 distinct areas. One area can be created with components suitable for younger children such as below ground sprays, and another area for older children containing the ever popular water cannons and taller columns.
When choosing a water park supplier or manufacturer make sure components are made from durable materials, carry a substantial warranty, and are compliant with ASTM, UL, and CSA standards.
You will also have to decide whether to install a recirculation system. Factors to consider are; local water availability, regulations and restrictions, and cost of water vs. ROI on installation of a recirculation system. Oftentimes a recirculation system can pay for itself in only a few years.
Installing an aquatic playground will typically also require approval from an engineer, and the services of a licensed plumber and electrician for the installation of the spray park.
Components can be controlled by an activator, controller and manifold, creating a sequenced preprogrammed release of water that can be controlled by the children. The sequence can be programmed to any number of configurations and is limited only by your imagination.
Water parks can be standalone units, or added to existing water elements such as wading or swimming pools.
If you are considering the installation of a park for your facility, do your kids a
favor and investigate a water park!!
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So you are Considering Purchasing a Waterpark…
So you have decided on the installation of a Water Park for your facility. Congratulations! Waterparks offer some of the most enjoyable summer fun of any activity. In fact studies have indicated kids play longer and are less prone to injury in a waterpark than in many other recreational activities.
To help you make the right decision we will cover several key features you should consider to help you make the right choice.
Pricing – Make sure to get several quotes from reputable suppliers before making your decision.
Warranty – What warranties does the manufacturer offer? Are they onsite warranties? Who handles any warranty claims?
Quality – Are high quality materials used such as stainless steel?
What materials are used in the bearings?
Compliance - Are the products you are considering ASTM, UL, and CSA compliant? There are waterpark industry standards as well as electrical standards to consider and all products should be manufactured under these guidelines.
Support – Does the supplier offer training and guidance throughout the sales process? Do they work with you after the installation process if assistance is needed in aspects of operations?
Operational Costs – How much will the costs be to maintain and operate the park on an annual basis? Water, electrical, maintenance, etc all must be considered.
Recirculation system? You have 2 choices when installing the water park. One is to install a recirculation system and treat and re-use the water. The other is to simply drain the water to the sewers. Depending on your municipal regulations you may be obligated to recirculate the water. Check beforehand and get quotes on a recirculation system and weigh it against the ROI vs the water costs simply draining to sewers
History – What is the companies history? Years in business, satisfied clients.
References – It is always wise to request a couple of references although a couple of good references does not mean the distributor is the best choice!!
Place all the information in a spreadsheet with a category for each as above. Once you have weighed all the options for your particular circumstance and budget, you should have the perfect choice for your aquatic playground!
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Water Park Manufacturers – All you ever Wanted to Know but were Afraid to Ask!
There is no question that a professionally installed water park can induce squeals of joy in even the most solemn of children. But before you take the plunge and select a water park manufacturer there are several technical aspects that must be considered to ensure a long term, trouble free installation.
Technical points that should be considered prior to the purchase;
If the companies sales materials don't list these statistics - ask!! It's your money make sure it is spent wisely.
1.What material are the components themselves made from? (Components can include water cannons, liquid arches, drop buckets and can be various shapes and sizes both below or above ground) Typically the best quality Spray Structures are constructed using stainless steel pipe, Type 304/304L, Sch10 or superior. All edges are burr free and all welds water and air tight.
2. What are the Nozzles made from? Many manufacturers use brass or bronze, both of which contain lead. If you want lead free nozzles, they should be made up of material such as stainless steel or plastic. Nozzles should be recessed to ensure that there are no safety hazards.
3. Hardware. All hardware should be temper resistant. If you are in a seasonal climate such as Canada or the Northern USA does your water park manufacturer include winterization covers?
4. Paint and finishes. The industry "gold standard" is an electrostatically applied, oven cured, lead-free, UV resistant polyester powder coating. This provides a durable protective finish on all metal surfaces.
There are several other advantages of powder coating over conventional liquid coatings:
A) Powder coatings emit zero or near zero volatile organic compounds (VOC).
B) Powder coatings can produce much thicker coatings than conventional liquid coatings without running or sagging.
C) Powder coating over spray can be recycled and thus it is possible to achieve nearly 100% use of the coating.
D) Powder coating production lines produce less hazardous waste than conventional liquid coatings.
E) Powder coated items generally have fewer appearance differences between horizontally coated surfaces and vertically coated surfaces than liquid coated items.
5. All spray products are designed in accordance with the latest American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM F1487) and Canadian Standards Association (CASZ614) standards.
5. What type of controller is included? Is it simply a basic on/off or a completely programmable computerized system? (A programmable water park can save you money in the long term) Beyond a simple On/Off switch some nice to have components include a touch screen user friendly interface which controls spray park sequences and spray park durations, and a real time clock to adjust auto start/stop times. All electrical components should be UL and CSA approved.
6. Another very important component is the water park manifold. As this component is subjected to high and constant water pressure scrimping on a manifold will likely create headaches down the line. A burst manifold will shut down your waterpark for days or weeks while you await a replacement. To avoid this make sure the manifold is made of stainless steel in 3.5 or 4.5 diameter. If the manifold is further powder coated, even better. For easy maintenance in the future all solenoid valve lines should have a union fitting on both ends. Pipes, fittings and valves should be Thick Wall (Schedule 80 NOT 40) dark gray PVC.
7. If you decide on a recirculation system (ask your waterpark representative to help you with a ROI calculation to see if a recirculation system makes financial sense) make sure that all components are made of Thick -Wall (Schedule 80) Dark Gray PVC Pipe Fittings and Flanges. Fittings made up of thicker walls give these PVC fittings more strength than standard-wall PVC fittings to handle higher pressures. PVC is the most widely used plastic material for plumbing applications, offering rigidity and corrosion resistance.
8. Activators are the "nerve center" of your water park. There have been many complaints in the past regarding push button type activators which can become jammed or stuck increasing your water consumption costs, and causing your aquatic playground to malfunction. Proximity sensors (similar to the touch free taps you may have seen in washrooms) are a high quality, virtually maintenance free alternative. As there are no moving mechanical components the life cycles of these activators are much longer than its mechanical counterpart.
9. Warranties are very important. Different elements of the water playgrounds are typically covered by varying durations. Ask when the warranty starts, from date of shipment or installation date? What is covered? How long of a wait is expected for replacement parts?
Most manufacturers’ warranties should be more or less along the guidelines below;
Spray Features Stainless Steel Structures – Twenty five years.
Nozzles - Two years
Plastic Parts - Two years
Bearings - Two years
Water Filtration and Recirculation System – 18 Months
Controller and Motor Starter – 18 Months
Water Tank - Ten Year
All Other Products – One Year
Installing an aquatic playground will typically also require approval from an engineer, and the services of a licensed plumber and electrician for the installation of the spray park. The rule of thumb regarding costs is that your spray park components will approximately double including installation materials and labor. A great way to save on these costs is to recruit volunteers from the community, which is also wonderful exposure for the contractors as your facility gets press and media attention while being built.
Don't be afraid to ask questions, get references, and pay attention to turnaround time of getting quotes and questions answered. If the company drags its feet getting to you BEFORE the sale, how good will the service be after??
I hope that helped clarify some of your waterpark questions, please see my other articles for further details.
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