It’s that time of season again!
Pool opening time. Is it your first time opening your pool or do you simply need your pool water tested? Here at
Eastgate Pools and Spas we are glad to test your pool water. All you need to do is bring in a water sample in one of our Eastgate pools sample
bottles and one of our educated testing technicians will test your water. You may ask what do we test for? We test your water for: Chlorine, pH,
Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer), Calcium Hardness, Copper and Iron. Once the test is over, one of our water experts will assist you in getting the
proper chemicals you need to get your pool in proper swimming condition. Make sure if there are unusual water conditions such as algae or staining
you make sure to let the person testing the water know, so that we can recommend the proper chemicals to resolve any issues.
Hot Tub Alert!
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
Marquis Spas, DM/Reflections Tub Owners
Do you have one of these hot tubs? Are you having trouble finding parts? We can help!! We do not carry the line of either company but we are able to get parts from them. Normal lead time is about 7-10 days for parts in stock or 10-14 for non stock items. Please feel free to call out Service department for any parts you are looking for. Service department hours are M-F 8am to 5pm and Sat 8-12
- Tim
Need a New Hot Tub Cover?
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
So How’s The Economy?
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
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.
Debunking A Spa Myth
I will fully admit to not remembering everything I have said on this blog over the years, but just the other day I was faced with a spa request that is always tricky to explain. I had a customer walk in and say they wanted a small spa with lots of jets. Now, I understand that people are wanting more than just a couple of jets in a spa, but I think there is confusion out there that more jets equals better therapy and that simply is not the case. Jet count is important, but effective movement of water through those jets is even more important. All spas mix air with water and the air mixture is equal to every jet. Because of this smaller jets tend to have a higher psi and aren’t quite as effective at delivering the heat and massaging benefits of true hydrotherapy. Many manufacturers take advantage of consumers just looking for a high jet count by using a great deal of these small jets that may look impressive but fail to truly deliver the therapy they are supposed to provide. Since very few people actually wet test the spas they don’t really get a fair comparison of a spa that does things the right way and one that uses smoke and mirrors (or excessive jet counts). Hopefully that all makes good sense, if not stop in and I will be happy to show just what I mean…and I will be sure to show you exactly why the products we carry do things the right way.
Craig
What Spa Mode To Operate On
Customers often ask which spa mode they should operate their spa on for peak energy efficiency. The two most common modes are “standard” and “economy”. The standard mode operates much like setting the thermostat on your home HVAC unit, one places the temperature where they would like it and the spa will stay there all the time.
Super Hot Tub Deals!
If you’ve been considering a hot tub purchase, you should stop in as soon as possible. We just made a special purchase of hot tubs from Four Winds Manufacturing. These are display tubs from Home Shows and State fairs. They are all brand new and carry full manufacturer warranty. There may be some small cosmetic scratches on the cabinet or a mark or two on the shells, but these are some great deals and you can save thousands on some models. Priced in lower to mid-range price points, these are pretty much upper-end spas—big, with lots of options such as backlit jets, digital perimeter lighting, stereos, iPod connections, and water show fountains and waterfalls. Each is unique and each is a one-of-a-kind.
Stop in before your neighbor stops in and gets your hot tub! –Max
Winterizing Your Spa
First of all, I don’t understand why anyone would want to winterize a spa. Most of our customers find that using “their spa on a cold winters day, is just the thing their body needs to warm up the bones and take care of all of their aches and pains. The tough part of using the spa in the winter, is getting to the spa in the cold. Once you are in a spa, one could care less if there is a blizzard raging! Getting out is easy as well, the entire body is warm to the core and one barely feels the cold on the way back to the house. For those that are resolute on winterizing their spa, here are some tips.
Super Hot Hot Tub News
If you’ve been considering a hot tub purchase, you should stop in as soon as possible. We just made a special purchase of hot tubs from Four Winds Manufacturing. These are display tubs from Home Shows and State fairs. They are all brand new and carry full manufacturer warranty. There may be some small cosmetic scratches on the cabinet or a mark or two on the shells, but these are some great deals and you can save thousands on some models. Priced in lower to mid-range price points, these are pretty much upper-end spas—big, with lots of options such as backlit jets, digital perimeter lighting, stereos, iPod connections, and water show fountains and waterfalls. Each is unique and each is a one-of-a-kind.
Stop in before your neighbor stops in and gets your hot tub! –Max
Time To Change The Hot Tub Water
Why not? The fall season is upon us and after that comes winter. The last thing you want to do is try and change it in the heart of the winter when it is bitter cold. So let’s do the math. If you change it NOW, the next change would be due in late December to mid January while the weather and temperature is still manageable. After that comes the spring change—April to early May.
If you wait another month from now to change the water, the following change falls smack dab in the middle of February. Can you say five below zero! Plan now to avoid the February cold and freeze.
A little advance planning will allow you to enjoy the tub in water that still is fresh and balanced. –Max
Spa Pillow Maintenance
In a word, don’t remove your spa pillow unless it is absolutely necessary. We get quite a few people walk through the door with pillows that are torn apart or destroyed from having the plastic nodes broken off. These are the plastic pieces that snap into a receiver in the spa shell. Generally, manufacturers give little or no warranty because they are easy to damage, so any warranty you get is generally through the good will of the retailers. But if you MUST remove the pillow, do this:
- Gently slide your hands in behind the pillow and exert even pressure outward. Try to get as close to the nodes as possible.
- Do NOT simply grab the pillow and yank from the corner. The nodes will not release from the receiver and the pillow will either tear or the nodes will rip out of the back.
The only reason pillows are removable is for when they discolor or wear out. Let them die a natural death. Don’t assist. –Max
