Longevity: One Key to Sustainability in Commercial Pools
For large projects, equipment that lasts is the efficiency linchpin
In the commercial pool industry, sustainability is often measured in kilowatt hours saved or gallons of water conserved. But for Ryan Scherr of Integrity Pools, the most powerful form of sustainability is longevity.
“Reliability, reliability,” Scherr says. “Customers want something that’s going to get in there and last, so they want a quality product.”
Efficiency under restriction
Commercial pool builders in southern Nevada face some of the toughest health department regulations and oversight in the country. These rules leave little room for creative efficiency, Scherr says.
“They’re just so pigeonholed with what the health department holds them to,” he says. “Everything’s got to run 24/7. There’s no downtime.”
For that reason, efficiency upgrades common on residential projects simply aren’t available on the commercial side. Instead, builders like Scherr focus on systems designed to last.
One of Scherr’s showcase projects is the Ellison, a rooftop pool in Las Vegas. Perched on the ninth floor, the project includes a spa and a sprawling equipment room.
“It’s a big, huge pool on a rooftop with a spa, and it’s a really cool area,” Scherr says.
For a build of that scale, durability isn’t optional — it’s essential. Oversized pipes reduce pump strain, and multiple pumps and filters balance flow rates so that no single piece of equipment is overworked. And when it came to selecting equipment, Scherr says his team relied on Jandy by Fluidra.
“These new 140-square-foot sand filters that Jandy has are amazing,” he says.
For Scherr, Jandy’s durability translates directly into sustainability. Equipment with long-term reliability means fewer replacements, less waste and reduced environmental impact over the facility’s lifespan.
The true cost of replacement
When clients hesitate over investing in quality equipment, Scherr points to the staggering replacement costs commercial properties face. Pump rooms may house eight or more filters, multiple pumps and several heaters. If those units fail prematurely, the expense can run into tens of thousands of dollars.
“They don’t like spending that unless they have to,” Scherr says. “And when they have to, they don’t even like spending it.”
Avoiding those early failures is at the heart of his sustainability philosophy. Every piece of equipment that lasts longer pushes off a massive financial outlay — and prevents perfectly good machinery from being scrapped and replaced.
The role of ventilation
Another overlooked factor in extending equipment life is ventilation. In rooftop equipment rooms like the Ellison’s, heat and chemical exposure can dramatically shorten the life of heaters and pumps.
“You must ensure the venting is correct because if the heaters don’t have the [proper] airflow, they run less efficient and they soot up faster,” Scherr says.
To counteract that, Scherr designs rooms with space between units to reduce heat buildup and always includes exhaust fans to move corrosive air out.
Sustainability through longevity
The Ellison project shows how commercial pool sustainability looks different than in the residential market. Scherr can’t cut operating hours or throttle back pumps, but he can design for durability.
By building with long-lasting equipment and thoughtful designs, projects like the Ellison can stand the test of time — and that, Scherr believes, is the greenest outcome possible.
