Pencil jets are a great way to add a stunning water feature to your pool. Pencil jets are a popular option for pool owners looking to add elegance, dramatic visual effects, and a soothing sound.
Pencil Jets: A Unique Experience
Blake Swanson of Premier Pools & Spas, South Bay, CA, was kind enough to sit down with us and explain the benefits of these pencil jets.
Swanson has years of experience as a pool builder, instructor and designer. He is known for his innovative designs. Swanson says that pencil jets can be a great option for pool owners looking to improve the aesthetics and functionality. He gave his insight on how this water feature can enhance the pool and provide a unique experience to swimmers.
It’s an awesome design feature that we offer to our customers who want a simple, zero-level swimming pool without raised walls or water features. When you have a zero level pool, your options for water features are limited. We try to be creative by adding arch descents under the coping and deck jets.
“Typically, coping overhangs are about an inch and half or an inch. Pencil Jets are essentially small cylinders that have a hole in them at a 45 degree angle to create an attractive water feature. It’s basically a deck jet, but it fits under the coping. This makes it a bit more discreet. “They’re fantastic because you don’t have to walk across a deckjet or see a hole cut in your deck for the water feature,” said Swanson.
Subtle and Sophisticated
Swanson shared a video of a finished project on Facebook’s ” Ask The Masters group, where pool contractors share their new techniques, show off their work and get answers from veteran pool experts.
“I am a fan of subtle additions to a zero-level swimming pool, such as a spa. You want a clean, clear sheet of water in this type of pool. The pencil jets work best here, because they are visible when on and not when off,” Swanson said.
“Whenever I build a zero-level swimming pool, I offer it to the homeowners, particularly if they have children. Swanson explained that this type of water feature adds a bit of character to the pool, but it is more an aesthetic choice.
A simple water feature for pool contractors to install
Installation is one of the reasons they are becoming more popular. Swanson explains that retrofitting a pencil jet into an existing swimming pool is incredibly easy if you know how.
Swanson said that if you are planning to renovate your swimming pool, this would be a great feature to add. This is especially true if you plan to redo the coping and any plumbing.
You can use either three-quarter or one-inch pipe, depending on your preference. It’s the same as plumbing new return lines. You don’t even need to make any holes.
Builders like Swanson are increasingly using pencil jets because of their ease of installation. Swanson claims that installing this type of water feature can be done easily.
Installation is simple and should only take one or two days. The plumbers will run the pipe. They’ll stub it, then when the tilers and coping men are working, they should cut the pipe. The pencil jets only show past the coping. It’s best to leave a little space between the jets and the coping, so it won’t be enough to break off if someone steps on it. When it is embedded under the coping, make sure you can unthread it when you are installing it.
“Imagine if you turned a soda bottle on its side, drilled a hole on the top at a 45 degree angle and then poured water into it. It would only come out of that point. Just adjust the flow depending on how far you want it to spray. Swanson said that the amount of water you spray into that pencil jet will determine how far it travels.
Pebble Technology Leading the Way
Swanson recommends Arched Pencil Jets. Swanson explained that “our rep brought this product to us very early and we have stuck with it ever since.” “I believe it’s about three to five gallons a minute required,” he said. You can add a lot of water features to a pool depending on its size and the type of pump. “Pencil jets are a great addition to other water features.”
I will tell you this, though: always read the documentation and manual. I would never recommend installing anything without checking the installation manual and rating. You should know how many gallons of water per minute the water feature you are installing requires. Also, make sure that your pump and piping can accommodate this.
Want to know more about pencil jets? Listen to our full conversation with Blake Swanson, Premier Pools & Spas in the Pool Magazine Podcast.
The post Create a Dramatic Water Feature with Pencil Jets in Your Pool first appeared on PoolMagazine.com – Get The Latest Pool News.
