eastgatepoolsspas.com » max

Heat Pumps—there is no downside!

max — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:40:16 +0000

I’ve been working at Eastgate Pools for a very long time and when I first started, there were two constants.

Dinosaurs were present on the earth.
When people wanted a pool heater, they purchased a gas-fired heater (natural gas or propane).

While dinosaurs are now extinct (are they really?), gas-fired heaters are approaching the same status. Heat pumps have become the rage and for good reason. Even though they cost more up front, they offer several advantages.

They cost less to run. For example, if you had a 200,000 Btu propane heater, you would burn over two gallons of propane every hour it is on. At $2.75/gallon, that 200,000 Btu heater would cost you approximately $6.00 EVERY hour it is fired up. (1 gallon of propane generates approximately 91,500 Btu). A quality heat pump will operate for about 10-15% of that. Natural gas costs are not as high, but the estimated savings are still well over half.
A gas-fired heater operating in a pool with low pH will quickly get damaged or destroyed by the acidic water, and the copper that etches out of the heater can stain your pool’s liner. Remember that big rainstorm that dropped your pool’s pH from 7.4 to 6.7 seemingly overnight? That’s a doubly-whammy! Hello heat pump! Low pH will not affect the heat pump in the same way. While we always recommend keeping your pool in balance, heat pumps are a lot more ‘forgiving’.
Environmentally, the heat pump will have a less significant impact and is considered a ‘green’ product. Mother Earth will appreciate your consideration.

We are proud to sell Aqua Pro heat pumps. We’ll stack them up against any system on the market and our customers seem to agree as our sales on these double every year.

Now…about the dinosaurs. Yes…they still are around. They are called ‘birds’ and scientists generally agree that birds are indeed ‘living aviary dinosaurs’. As Casey Stengel said, “you can look it up.” Now there’s another old-timer. –Max

Thank You !!!

max — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:12:50 +0000

Wow—another Anniversary Sale has come and gone. Many thanks to all of those that came out to see us and braved some less than perfect weather! It may sound a little corny, but every year we look forward to seeing many of our old friends that stop in once a year to get all their supplies for the season. Some go back to the early 80’s when we were just getting started. But for most, we will see you again this season. As always, we appreciate your business and your trust, along with your friendship. –Max

Hot Tub Alert!

max — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:44:23 +0000

We bought more hot tubs! You’ve seen our ads touting our “7 truckloads of Liquidation specials”. Well, the response has been so good that we couldn’t stop so we bought more! Three more loads and this time there is a twist. Not only did we buy more liquidation models, we also had the manufacturer make us two custom models—7’ hot tubs with either one or two pumps. At the prices we have on these, that would be enough for most as the prices are just ridiculous. But we finagled (and that is a real word!) a couple of special ‘add-ons’ that make the deal even sweeter. Each of these custom models has an iPod docking station AND specialty color lighting.

This is a limited buy and when they are gone, they’re gone. Check them out. But check back soon as I have a couple other irons in the fire and there may be some more specials coming! –Max

Lengths We Go To . . .

max — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:30:47 +0000

We get a lot of calls from people out of state, looking to buy product from us. Sometime they are WAY out of state. We service Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, as well as Southwest Ohio. Some of our Internet customers inquire about us building a pool for them in New York or California. Simply put, we don’t do it. But if you need an aboveground pool, we can ship it. We just can’t build it. But for most products, we cannot ship because of the likelihood of damages in transit. My recommendation is this: If you are interested in a particular product, email me at max@eastgatepools.com. I can tell you if it is something we can ship and if it is not, I may be able to direct you to a dealer in your area. We are a member of the SPARCO buying group and have members located throughout the eastern United States. If we can’t help, perhaps they can. But no matter what, we do appreciate your considering Eastgate Pools & Spas for that special item. –Max

Recent Storms

max — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:11:13 +0000

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling guilty for being lucky. The deadly storms and tornados that passed through our region were tragic and we all experienced different feelings. Here at the store, we followed the path closely and eventually closed our front gate and took shelter. We were lucky here as it missed the Eastgate area. I then personally continued to watch the storm path and it was projected to move through Williamsburg and then on into southern Highland County. These two communities represent where I now live and also where I grew up. My sister still lives there and the weather map looked like an arrow pointed right through those two areas. Then something happened. The storm ‘turned’ and missed both places. I was relieved, but then I learned of the utter devastation and loss of live in other communities. Again, a feeling of relief mixed with guilt for being one of the lucky ones to be spared.

I lost a few shingles and a couple of branches. Others lost everything. I don’t pretend to understand how and why these things happen, but for those that experienced tragedy, you are in our thoughts and prayers. –Max

Need a New Hot Tub Cover?

max — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:34:34 +0000

Some covers just wear out. When you look outside and see water pooling up or steam escaping out the sides, you know it is time. We can help. We special-order a couple hundred spa covers each year and about half of these come from people that bought their hot tub elsewhere. Just bring us the dimensions of the hot tub, along with how you want the fold (if the spa is rectangular). We also need the dimensions of the corners. Simply put a piece of paper over the old cover and draw the corners. If you prefer, we have a template on our website that you can use. Go to the ‘tips’ section, then scroll down to ‘spas’ and print it out.

If your hot tub came from us, we have about 95% of all covers on file so you probably won’t need to do anything. Just stop in or give us a call and we can let you know if it is in our file. –Max

The Changing Face of Shopping

max — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:37:23 +0000

I started selling pools 17 years ago, after building them for 12 years. (Kind of gives away my age a little, doesn’t it?) In that time, I have seen a major shift in how people shop for the products we sell—hot tubs, pools, casual furniture…just about everything. It’s called the Internet. Hey—it’s where you are now so I must be onto something here. I’d like to invite you to check EVERYTHING out while you visit our site. We strive to provide you with enough information to make your search fruitful and we even link you to many of the manufacturer’s sites. But remember that pictures and words don’t replace putting your hands on the spa or pool table you are considering, and until you actually experience the high-flow motors we put on both our above ground and in-ground pools, pictures just aren’t adequate. Plus, our expert sales staff can answer any questions you might have while you are here.

So look over our web site, pick out some goodies, then come in and see them in person. –Max

So How’s The Economy?

max — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:09:13 +0000

Judging from our recent sales, things are looking up. We’ve had the best year EVER in early hot tub sales. Maybe it is because of the 50+ specials we bought direct from a manufacturer. As these are model closeouts, home show demos, and factory specials, the pricing is very low. Maybe it is just people capitalizing on a unique opportunity for enormous savings, but I hope it is really a sign that the good times are returning.

And above grounds? Very strong too! I am very confident that we are going to have a substantial backlog of pools to build once the weather breaks. If you are considering an above ground pool for this year, I’d recommend picking one out and getting on ‘the list’. This is a good list to be on, as these people will not miss real swimming time this year while awaiting an installation date. –Max

EdenPURE or Infinity Heater?

max — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:47:34 +0000

What one should you choose?

It’s pretty simple—take your pick. They are both great heaters. Lets look at the similarities.

Both are infrared heaters. They don’t rob your home of moisture like traditional coil heaters.
Both are totally safe to use and cannot start fires.
Both are lightweight, allowing you to easily move them from one room to another.
Both are economical and operate for about 6-8 cents per hour (depends on your supplier’s rate).
Both are easy to use.

So what are the differences?

Infinity offers a digital read-out
Infinity offers a ‘sleep-timer’ feature, where the heater will automatically shut off after a length of time you determine.
EdenPURE Gen 3 is manually controlled and the USA1000 units have a remote. Infinity has a remote.
EdenPURE has a black, plastic, molded frame. Infinity has a furniture grade wooden cabinet.
EdenPURE warranty work must be performed at the factory. Save the box and send it back to them. Trained Eastgate Pools Service department personnel service Infinity heaters, in-store.

I own one EdenPURE and I love it. I’ve had it five years and it still works great. I have since purchase two Infinity heaters and they both work great. I chose Infinity because I really like the digital read-out. Ultimately, it’s your call but I don’t think you can go wrong with either heater. –Max

Pool Cues And Supplies

max — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:00:10 +0000

You may not think of Eastgate Pools when you think of pool cues and billiard playing accessories . . . but you should! We have a great selection of pool cues from such well-known manufacturers as McDermott, Dufferin, Viper and Mikerak, and Minnesota Fats, as well as, several others. We even have a very nice selection of NCAA approved college logo cues. So whether you need a cue for under $10 or are looking for one that costs several hundred dollars, we have a wide variety to choose from. And we’ve got all the goodies that go with them, from soft and hard cases for your cues to tip sharpeners and chalk in just about any color you can imagine.

- Max