AquaStar Pool Products Inc., has been making equipment for pools, spas, water features and water parks since 2003 and is continuously striving for innovation. The vertically integrated company is capable of doing everything from designing initial engineering concepts to finishing and producing in-house, says Todd Pieri, chief operating officer.
“We always listen to the industry’s needs to develop unique solutions to common problems,” Pieri says. For AquaStar’s newest product, Pieri says the No. 1 goal was safety, followed closely by improving efficiency.
Through a five-year collaborative effort with Steve Barnes, the company’s director of science and compliance, its top-tier engineering group and input from experienced pool pros in the field, AquaStar is introducing the AquaStar Pipeline Cartridge Filter this month. The filters have been meticulously and continuously tested to ensure trouble free operation for years to come, Pieri says, with several patents now attached. AquaStar also used an entirely new patented approach to streamline cartridge filter manufacturing for this product.
The Pipeline Filters are designed to improve efficiency, Pieri says, with new hydraulics, ease-of-use and accessibility for the service professional. The filter comes in two models: the PLF27000 that filters pools up to 27,000 gallons and the PLF35000 for pools up to 35,000 gallons.
“Our team is bringing value to our customers, saving them time, which in turn, saves them money,” Pieri says.
“These models service public-size pools while applying residential swimming pool energy efficiency standards,” Barnes says.
AquaStar went through rigorous customer-focused engineering, from napkin sketches to 3D solid modeling to testing prototypes in their ISO 17025 certified test lab. “[The research and development process] prioritizes safety, performance, energy efficiency, quality and serviceability into everything we design,” Barnes says. “The new filter is a great example of this process, resulting in patented safety features that remove human error as the most common risk factor.”
Designed with the service pro’s time, safety and personal comfort in mind, the patented double-locking system automatically opens the O-ring seal while the lid remains fully locked, Barnes explains. “This innovation prevents the buildup of pressure until the filter is fully unlocked,” he says. “At the same time, it makes opening and closing the housing quick and easy.”
Barnes says the Pipeline Filter’s uniquely oriented pleats are a time-saving feature, too, providing “superior cleanability” that allows pool pros to fully clean a Pipeline Filter in 10 to 15 minutes.
The filter housing utilizes high-pressure pipeline technology for enhanced structural integrity that requires less space than many larger filters with equivalent or lesser flow ratings, Barnes says. A bigger filter may not always be a better filter: The smaller footprint and patented linking capabilities allow for optimal alignment of multiple filters and pipes, resulting in a high-end, smaller equipment pad with ease of installation and filter cleaning, he adds.
“This filter delivers top notch hydraulic efficiency along with best-in-class filtration performance, approaching that of DE filters,” Barnes says, adding that these claims are backed by NSF International Certification test results.
As opposed to clamps, the AquaStar Pipeline Filter uses a safe-release collar for lid removal or replacement. Being able to release the filter’s pressure in this way is another in-the-field time saver. The double-locking ring mechanically compresses and decompresses the O-ring seal using four large handles, eliminating issues that servicers may deal with like hugging filter tops or bumping the pump to open filter tanks.
Made in Ventura, California, both Barnes and Pieri are confident in the AquaStar Pipeline Filter’s competitive positioning. Pieri also reiterates the enthusiasm that comes with the release of the new filter.
“[AquaStar’s] commitment to quality is second to none,” he says. “We are really excited to share this industry-changing technology with our customer base.”
