H2O Dectective Series: The Case Of The Haze
It was a cold day in December. A day right after Christmas and the store was quiet. The change from Christmas music to the standard Muzek 1980′s hit parade was an unexpected welcome to the employees swapping jokes around the front counter.
The day was cold, but not cold enough to turn the slight moisture falling from the sky into snow. A man of about 50 walked through the sliding doors and removed his over sized hat and walked toward the front counter. “I need to speak to the water expert.” he exclaimed as he reached into his coat pocket to remove his water sample.
“I can help you.” Said a voice reaching out over the counter. Harold Osborne II was an old hand in the pool and spa business. He had been in the business his whole life and had literally forgotten more then what most in the business would ever learn. Harold didn’t take any particular pride in this point. He understood that he gained this knowledge from a lifetime of retail sales and at the end of the day, he had become a solid retail sales associate in a niche market and that was about it.
“What kind of problems are you having Mr. Hamilton?”, asked Harold as he noticed the customers name on the test bottle.
“My spa was crystal clear and I adjusted my chemicals and it turned cloudy instantly.”
Harold led him back to the water test station and did the standard run up of chemical tests that every customer expects. The tests were not really needed, as Jeff had a good hunch what the problem was before running the tests.
The tests came back and everything was in the exact range they were supposed to be in. Harold asked, “Let me guess, did you add PH increaser to your hot tub right before it went cloudy?”
“Well, yes I did.” mentioned Mr. Hamilton.
“That’s just what I expected. The problem with the water is the PH was increased too quickly. Tap water from the faucet has a lot of calcium and other dissolved solids that are in the water. When you increase your PH too quickly, it takes the calcium out of this dissolved state and makes it a solid again and that’s what the haze is from.”
“What do I have to do to fix it? Is it time to drain the spa? I just drained it a few weeks ago.” Complained Mr. Hamilton.
“You shouldn’t have to drain the spa. Add about 10 ounces of Stain and Scale Remover and that should convert the calcium back into a liquid and by doing so, remove the haze from the water after a day or so. After doing this, it’s a good idea to follow up with the weekly maintenance dose of the Stain and Scale Remover. It’s a good product and will prevent you from having excessive build of calcium in your plumbing and on your heater.” Harold was starting to get in his preaching mode. This is what he was good at and often went on far too long, to the point of boring the customers with information beyond their general need.
Harold went and showed the customer the Stain and Scale Remover on the shelf and the customer left. Another problem solved. But, Harold knew that there would always be another case to solve. Not many problems were too difficult for Harold, but he was looking forward to the challenge.
Looking For A Holiday Deal?
Dos recommends this 8′ Ashford Pool Table. She thinks it is just right for family fun. Happy Holidays!
Toying With Decorations
Dos As filmed by Charles, a sales professional here at Eastgate.
The Great Eastgate Music Debate
We have a little satellite radio tuner here that we play in the store. In my time here we have played stations with steel drums and Jimmy Buffett, 80’s tunes, adult contemporary, and 70’s hits…which is really just a bunch of Disco music. I guess I’m just one of those people that cannot block out background noise, but I wish we could find a station for customers to appreciate while not driving those of us that are here five days a week insane. Christmas music is here, which means I will have a reprieve from the mundane, but that station tends to be even more repetitive. Anyhow, I suppose I’m just venting a bit, but ultimately I’m curious as to what our “audience” here at Eastgate Pools & Spas would find most pleasing. I know you never what to play music that is too risqué, but I’m always wondering what our patrons really would enjoy. Let me know what you think and it might your own personal soundtrack playing next time you stop by!
Craig
The Stock Market, Gold, and Silver
Like most people I have followed the ups and downs of the stock market with great interest. Equally interesting is what has happened to gold and silver prices. New highs almost every week on gold, and the stock market itself reminds me of a roller coaster at Kings Island. So how do you make sense of it all and what can you do to help secure your financial stability for the future. Well, I have an idea.
Inflatable pool floats and toys. Talk about the investment potential! No, I’m not talking about investing in the companies that make them. I’m talking about what we sell—what’s right here on my shelf. For example, I have an inflatable raft that normally sells for $12.99 that is on sale for $7.00. WOW! The great savings is overshadowed only by the investment possibilities. Personally, I’d recommend buying all of them I have. Like gold bullion, plastic might be the next goldmine. Imagine their value when plastic prices start to soar like silver has. Buy everything I have and you may be setting on a fortune down the road. I smell early retirement.
Don’t miss out on what I am sure is the next market boom. –Max
One of the Possible Attractions you Might See at Eastgate…
I don’t know that anyone has ever brought up one of the frequent visitors here in the store, but several times during the pool season you might stop in and see a spider monkey named Nikki wearing a diaper. While the monkey never buys anything she does hang around and provide us and all the other patrons with the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a pretty entertaining creature. She is over twenty years old and has been with the family for nearly her entire life. She has a little bit of belly on her and generally spends here time in the store sitting down with her arms resting on top of it. Last time she was in the store I loaded a case of liquid chlorine for the customer and I’m pretty sure Nikki laughed at me. Her handlers said it was a chirp, but I think she just thought I was funny looking. It is always fun to see her, but we have to make sure that Dos, the store cat, isn’t around because they don’t seem to get along too well. There you go, just one more reason Eastgate Pools & Spas is a great place to visit.
Craig
The Alphabet, As Seen Through the Eyes of a Pool & Hot Tub Veteran
Above ground pools. Started building them in the summer of 1974.
Black Diamond. Cartridge filters that don’t collapse and last longer.
Cyanuric Acid. Better known as chlorine stabilizer, it gives life to chlorine.
Diatomaceous Earth. An alternative to sand or cartridge filters. Ugh!
E-Z Drain above ground winter covers. GREAT innovation!
Floats. Hey, what is a pool without some floats!
Golf. A floating game for the pool. No dirt involved!
Hydromatic. Above ground cartridge filter that saves you time, water, and money!
Innovation=pool lighting, chlorine generators, ionizers, spa sound systems.
Jets. My first spa had 4. My next 26. My current one has 80. Rock on!
Kreepy Krauly. Great automatic pool cleaner. Many customer name theirs!
Lazy Lounge. In-ground pool step and seat, all in one.
Mira. One of our hot tub lines. Made in America by trained craftsmen.
Natural Enzymes. Used on pools and spas to break down oils & reduce work!
Oxidizer. Potassium Monopersulfate. Removes organics from pools & spas.
Pools. Nuff said!
Quality. Products, service, history. Eastgate Pools & Spas
Robotic cleaners. Aquabot, Pool Rover, Nitro. One will fit your budget!
Service Department. Ours is professionally trained & as good as it gets!
Testing. Service and sales are tested for knowledge and procedure.
Umbrellas. Around the pool, on the deck.
Versatility. Not your same old hot tub. Jet, heat, sensory therapy.
Water. 2/3rds of the planet is water and we have your share!
Xylophone. Skip the lessons. Get a pool!
Young. How a hot tub makes you feel. Seriously.
Zeosand. Alternative to filter sand, filters much finer particles with less changing.
Time Flies!
As I was sitting at a family wedding recently, I started to think back to my wedding and couldn’t believe that Megan and I will be married for 10 years in August. A lot has changed in our lives since then, like moving from a 1 bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom house in Anderson or probably the best thing that has happened is the birth our son Brady. Nothing better than being a parent!! We have enjoyed every minute of it!! He is now 17 months and walking everywhere. We find ourselves asking where time has gone!! Can the clock please slow down a little bit so he doesn’t grow up to fast?? Is it me or does each year seem to get faster and faster?? Next thing I will be writing about will be he has started school!! Kind of scary but also so much fun!! – Tim
Happy Retirement to David ‘Pappy’ Lyle!
One of our own has finally reached that stage of life called easy street. Dave ‘Pappy’ Lyle retired September 18 and everyone here at Eastgate Pools wishes him and his family nothing but the best. Dave gave us thirteen years of quality customer service, sales expertise, and more importantly, friendship. We all got a little emotional when the last day turned to goodbyes and hugs.
Dave – enjoy the retirement that you have earned and stop back in any time you feel like it. You’re always welcome. –The Associates of Eastgate Pools & Spas
More Markdowns!
We just recently marked down many of our toys and inflatables from 35% to 80% off! There are also a number of whimsical decorative figurines that have been further reduced. I know it has been really hot out so people are still using their pools to catch a moment of relief, but we are beginning to think about stocking the shelves for next year. That gives you an opportunity to take advantage of some extra discounts on items that still have plenty of use this season. If you haven’t seen our “Singing Gondolier” then you are in for a real treat! Might as well get the most for your dollar. Stop in as soon as you can to catch some of these great deals.
My recent vacation…
My youngest son and I just returned from Belize and Guatemala. I saw some old friends, some old sights, and renewed my faith that every place is special, with some more special that others. I first went to Belize in 1976 and back then, it was pretty ‘wild west-like’. And Guatemala was even wilder. Now, the tourists have invaded (I am a traveler, not a tourist), but by knowing where to go and what you want to look for, you can find it without all the tourist trappings. I climbed a mountain in southern Belize (sort of) and went snorkeling in northern Belize at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. I did great until some guy from Oklahoma swam past and clipped my goggles with his flipper. Go Longhorns! I swallowed a few hundred gallons of very salty Caribbean water and then got some help to keep going. We also did some fishing and cleaned the entire Caribbean out of Snapper. Well…there might be a few left for the next guy. But there is something special about catching, cleaning them on shore, then carrying them about fifty feet to a restaurant that cooked them up right there for me.
And Guatemala? If you have ever wanted to visit Maya ruins, there is no place like Tikal. And getting there is half the fun (work). We booked seats on a small plane out of Belize to Flores, Guatemala. We were the only passengers. And our ride from the airport to Tikal was over roads loaded with major potholes. Some were so deep they didn’t have bottoms! The driver never hit one over the fifty or so miles we traveled. Let’s see a NASCAR driver top that one.
If you are thinking of traveling to Belize or the northern region of Guatemala, give me a call. I would be happy to give you some places to visit. More importantly, I can give you names of good people that are honorable and trustworthy. It’s not just a vacation. It’s an adventure. –Max
Eastgate Pools and Spas Fun Facts
- Our first Inground Pool was installed in 1981
- We have installed over 3,200 Inground pools
- Our Aboveground Pool sales are over 10,000
- Our Spa sales are over 6,000
- We have been at our current location on Old State Route 74 since 1991, which was an old Furrows building
- The first store was located on Rust Lane, where a Midas is currently located
- We have 5 employees who have worked here for 20+ years
- Maxx West wrote a book titled Tayasal, which can be found on Amazon
- Some of our employees have served in the armed forces
Just some fun facts that I thought were interesting, look for more Eastgate fun facts later in the year!!
- Tim
What’s A Pool Without The Toys?
Okay—so you have a pool. But what about the goodies that go inside? You know—TOYS! Eastgate Pools has a complete line of pool toys, floats, lounge chairs, and mats. But these are the ‘common’ things. How about pool golf? Got it! Underwater skateboard. Yep—we have that too. In fact, we have a really nice selection of uncommon things that go perfectly with pool fun. How about a remote-control Water Soaker or an inflatable pool slide? Maybe you are an aerial acrobat. So how about a small plane that does loop-d-loops—underwater!
These are just a few of the fun items that can keep the kids happy and entertained—and you too. –Max
Guard Cat??
Never let it be said that our Watch-cat, Dos the Cat, is lazy. Here she is ‘guarding’ our inventory of pool motors. Keep up the good work Dos and there will be a little something extra in your check. Or your food bowl
