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This project is about making a custom pool lift for a child with tracheostomy tube attached to her and to a ventilator. The family has previously been supported by the TEK program with a deck that allowed accessibility to the pool and several attempts on making a pool lift. Our group and another group have been tasked into working together to finalize a design and build a pool lift that fits the needs of the child. While designing this pool lift we need to make sure it is durable to outdoor elements and be able to safely lower and lift the child out of the water while the ventilator is safe from water damage. With working with the family and professionals we can build a perfect pool lift for the child.
A child with a tracheostomy who has a ventilator wants to use their swimming pool but due to the ventilator and the tracheostomy they have restrictions in physical activity. We were tasked to build them a pool lift that would be mounted to the deck that a previous group has built to help with the child’s accessibility with the pool. A custom pool lift with TEK will be cheaper than market options. This way we can make a lift that is specific to the needs of the family. The pool lift will allow the child to be lowered into the water and out of the water safely where the trach and ventilator will be safe from water. Also allowing the child to have fun in the water while also being safe. Navigating her physical limitations will be the biggest part of this project with the child not being able to be submerged lower than 12 inches. Making the goal to stay above 10 inches will sure her safety and she will be able to have fun.
Design a Pool Lift with specific parameters:
Options to use electric or hydraulic systems. The family prefers to use electrical so they can have a switch to move the lift. However we have to make sure the electrical box is waterproof so no damage will happen.
We need an comfortable and secured chair. A chair that has some attachments like footrest, armrest, seatbelt, and possibly a table to fold down for toys. Also it needs to support the child’s weight and handle weathering overtime.
The lift itself is very complex. We need to be confident in our structural analysis so the lift doesn’t break. It must support the deck, the arms, the weight of the child, rotation, lifting and lowering while the arm is stretched out.
Need to learn on different ways to mount the lift to the deck. Either sandwiching two plates together and grounding the bottom plate to the ground or figuring out how to connect the two plates. This adds a tough challenge since most pool lifts are mounted to concrete, and this one is mounted to a wooden deck.
With Concept design one we plan on using the past project that made and adding some significant modifications to accommodate the bigger lift. The current lift is made from 4×4 tubing and is pretty hefty. To make this work we would add metal plates on the bottom of the foundation to do a sandwich method and mount the two plates together on the deck via bolting to the joist. Then we would use turnbuckle connected to steel wires and connect one end to a wind anchor screwed into the ground with the other end connected to the bottom plate.
This would help secure the lift from disconnecting from the deck and strengthen our load bearing analysis. With addition to the old lift, we would add a carabiner mounted to the lift allowing the family to place the ventilator in a safe spot. We also plan to upgrade the linear actuator to be stronger and allow the chair to swivel side to side.
Concept design two brings all of these same ideas above together with a slight change. We would downsize to 2×2 piping with changes the amount of support system needs to withstand the loads. It would make the lift lighter and the mounting easier. With a smaller piping we will be able to save money and use the old actuator, however will would need to purchase brand new material for 2×2 piping. There are many pros and cons with this decision, and we will look into the most cost-effective, safe, efficient design.
Our third design is more expensive than the rest. We want to buy a used pool lift and modify it to fit the wants of the family. While pool lifts are expensive it will allow us to focus more on the mounting side of the lift which the previous group had problems with. Adding electrical components using the previous groups electrical box and how they made the lift move.
