Engineering Standard
The Swim-Safe Circulation System: Built Without a Main Drain.
A proprietary drainless design that reduces operating costs by up to 78% and eliminates the single most common cause of pool drain entrapment. Standard on every pool we build.
78%
Lower Operating Costs
0
Main Drains Installed
25+
Years Refining This System
How It Works
Three Changes. A Fundamentally Different Pool.
Swim-Safe Circulation System | Diagram
No Main Drain
The pool floor has no suction opening during normal operation. A hydrostatic valve handles drainage for maintenance needs. No entrapment risk. No suction source to cover.
Dual Skimmers
Two skimmers instead of the conventional one. Double the surface debris capture rate, double the redundancy. Better water quality with less pump work and fewer chemical adjustments.
Fan Returns
Wide, flat distribution pattern replaces conventional bullet-nose stream jets. More even water temperature, more even chemical mixing, better circulation with less pump effort.
Operating Cost Efficiency
Up to 78% Lower Operating Costs.
The pump does not need to work against the suction resistance of a main drain. Fan returns distribute water more efficiently, requiring less pump cycling. The dual skimmer system captures debris before it reaches the filter, reducing maintenance frequency and chemical load.
A pool pump running less frequently and at lower resistance is the single largest variable cost reduction in pool operation. Better circulation also means more even chemical distribution - less chemical waste, more consistent water quality, fewer adjustments over time.
In practical terms: a conventional Florida pool with a single-speed pump costs approximately $150 to $250 per month in electricity and chemicals. A Swim Inc. pool with the Swim-Safe system operates closer to $50 to $90 per month depending on usage and energy rates.
78%
Lower Energy Costs
2x
Surface Capture
Less
Chemical Waste
Safety Standards
We Don’t Meet the Regulation. We Engineer Past It.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires anti-entrapment drain covers on all residential pools. This federal law exists because main drain suction is a documented cause of child injury and drowning. Swim Inc. does not meet this standard with a cover. We exceed it by eliminating the component the regulation addresses entirely.
Conventional main drains create suction strong enough to pin a small child against the drain cover. Drain cover defects or dislodgement turn this from a risk into a tragedy. The Swim-Safe system eliminates the suction source. There is nothing to cover. This is not compliance with pool safety regulations in Florida. It is engineering past the compliance threshold.
The origin of the Swim-Safe system is personal. Read the founding story
How We Build Differently
Every conventional pool uses a main drain. Swim Inc. does not. Here is what that difference means for the pool you live in.
Swim-Safe System
Conventional Pool
Swim-Safe
2 skimmers — double debris capture rate
Conventional
1 skimmer — standard surface capture
Swim-Safe
Fan returns — wide, even distribution pattern
Conventional
Bullet-nose returns — directional stream
Swim-Safe
No main drain — hydrostatic valve for drainage only
Conventional
Main drain on pool floor — suction at pool bottom
Swim-Safe
Pump efficiency improved by absence of floor suction resistance
Conventional
Pump works against drain resistance — higher energy use
Swim-Safe
No entrapment risk — no suction source to cover
Conventional
Anti-entrapment cover required (Virginia Graeme Baker Act compliance)
Engineering Philosophy
Most pool builders build the way they learned. Dan Johnson asked whether each assumption was right.
The Swim-Safe system is the most visible result of that questioning. The person who founded Swim Inc. co-authored ANSI/APSP-5, the national pool construction standards that every other builder in the country is required to follow. He examined pool construction at its foundations. When a Swim Inc. pool is built, the builder is someone who has thought carefully about why each component exists and whether it is the right approach.
The engineering depth that produced the Swim-Safe system is not reserved for the circulation system. It is the philosophy applied to every pool we design.
Built Into Every Pool We Build
The Swim-Safe System Is Standard. Not an Upgrade.
Schedule a private consultation to see how the Swim-Safe system and our 3D design process work together to build a pool that costs less to run and lasts longer.
Commitment and Pressure Free. Just a Conversation about Your Backyard's Potential.