Budgets, something that might as well be a four-letter word at times. Everyone has one, big or small, and everyone in the aquatic industry has things they must spend money on. There are consumables; like chemicals and probes, parts – because something always fails at some point, upgrades – because technology is advancing at a phenomenal rate, or if you’re building a brand-new facility – everything. With that in mind let’s talk operational logistics.
Big ticket items
If you are planning a remodel, upgrade, or constructing a new facility, costs can be astronomical. Replacing the main equipment in the future can also be costly. You could prolong the life of your equipment if you maintain excellent water quality and routine maintenance items. However, you will eventually need to buy replacement pumps, heaters, cells, etc. Make sure your expectations of the life of the equipment is realistic and within the realm of manufacturer’s time frames and plan to budget replacements.
Small parts
We’ve covered big items, but when was the last time you gave thoughts of budgeting in the small parts? Fuses, circuit breakers, O-rings, filter baskets, bulbs, flow meters, etc. The cost for these items are not budget breaking but if you add enough of them up, it can still be a pretty penny.
Have you checked the condition of your equipment recently?
If the oil in your car needed to be changed you’d replace the filter and the oil, the same concept applies to your pool and pump room. If a repair has multiple parts, budget in all the steps and parts needed for the repair. You don’t want to go through changing a cell and realize you don’t have the O-ring, right?
Did you know reagents, probes, lamps and chemicals have a shelf life?
Make sure to check the expiration dates on all products that have one. If you do not know, contact your point of sale and see if they can help you out. Knowing that products have an end life and when that will be will help you to know the dates when you need to replace them. If you’re anything like me you’ll have a spread sheet with all the dates and costs of each item. If you’re like my coworker, you’ll just shove those dates into a calendar with a remind function.
Pool Area / Pump Room Checklists
Be sure to make sure to look at every aspect of your pump room and pool area. It’s a good idea when you are conducting maintenance on an item to just do a sweep of the entire area to see if any other maintenance/repair will need to be done in the near future. We recommend starting with a master pool/pump room checklist and then going over the checklist once a year to make sure you have all the parts, equipment and consumables needed to operate.
Regardless of what you are shopping for in the next fiscal year, having a list of items you need to fit into your budget will for sure come in handy.