Heat Pumps—there is no downside!
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
The Urge for the Immediate Pool Install
One thing that has always confused me is the tendency of our society to seek instant gratification even if that means making major compromises. As the economy appears to be turning a corner and business is picking up I have run into this very situation with some of my potential inground customers. Some of these customers have chosen an opposing company simply because that company can install the pool a few weeks sooner. In most of these situations the other companies have that luxury because they don’t have as many pool sales…and I’m willing to bet there are reasons for that. I never try to speak ill of our competition, but I encourage anyone looking for a pool to think long term. If you would have chosen company A over company B because of quality, service, and reputation why would you give all of that up for a few extra weeks? I can tell you with our pool you will have it for a lifetime and I hate to see anyone sacrifice what they want for the short-term effects of an earlier install. If you happen to be looking for a pool I hope you will consider the long-term advantages of a company like Eastgate Pools over “Bill’s Pools” just because he can start your pool tomorrow. The costs are certainly likely to outweigh the benefits.
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.
The Blame Game
It was a spring day and the store was starting to more frequent water tests with customer trying to get their pool balanced for the season. The doors were wide open to allow the breeze to flow through the store to reduce the humidity from the spas on the floor on a warm day.
A lady walks back to the water test center and Harold Osborne II (AKA H2O detective), follows her to help diagnose her water. Harold asks, “What seems to be the problem?”
“I started my pool up and I have a salt system. I’ve added 4 bags of salt and I still can’t get my chlorine level up. The pools a little green and I am running the system at 100% production and I am not making any progress.”, the customer states.
“Well, your salt level is a little high.”, says Harold.
“That’s what I am talking about! I think there is something wrong with the system. I think I should get a tech. out to take a look.” she says in an exasperated manner.
“Hold on for a minute. Let’s walk through this first. First of all, one shouldn’t add salt just because the chlorine level is low and adding salt will not necessarily raise your chlorine level. You need a proper amount of salt, not more or less. You see, what salt systems do, is run at a constant rate putting a small steady amount of chlorine into the pool. When one has an issue, like a little algae like one would expect when starting a pool for the season, a salt system is not intended to handle this type of situation. One needs a lot of chlorine all at one time to get enough chlorine in the pool to kill all the algae. Your salt system is probably working, but the chlorine is being used up trying to kill the algae and it can’t get to a high enough level to make any progress. What you need to do is shock the pool with liquid chlorine and put a dose in of Eliminator and that will kill your algae and allow your salt system to catch up and get an established level.”, Harold knew the customer would be skeptical. He’s given this speech many times before and the customer is always skeptical in this situation.
“I really don’t think that my system is working, I’ve been running it at 100% production 24 hours a day. It hard for me to believe that it still doesn’t show chlorine if it’s working”, says the customer with a doubtful look.
“Please give my recommendation a try. If it doesn’t work then you can always have service come out. If it works it will save you a service call for no reason.”, Harold was resolute with his answer and the customer grudgingly agreed to give it a go.
Two weeks passed and Harold saw her in the store at the water test station. This time he wasn’t testing the water. The customer said that her pool was clear now and that the chlorine was holding and all is well. The salt system was doing exactly what it was supposed to do and no service call was needed.
This was not news to Harold. He’s seen it countless times before.
Pool Filters and Their Relationship to Water Chemistry
There are two main things to keep in mind with pool season coming around the corner. Filtration and proper water chemistry. As a new season begins we are faced with algae, waste, calcium buildup and numerous metal inhabitants. The greatest thing pool-owners need to keep in mind is that without proper filtration, water’s chemistry can be improperly balanced. These two work hand in hand like the crank-shaft of a bicycle and its chain. If the chain is off, the gears can turn all day but will not get you anywhere. With pools we find that you can add all the eliminators, algicides and balancers you want but without an adequately functioning filter you will never see the desired results. Whether you are using a diatomaceous earth filter, sand filter or cartridge filter you must assure yourself that the system is functioning correctly.
Some ways to test your filters performance are:
- Check your pumps lid. If your pump lid is full of water yet has a small amount of air, this can be a cavitation problem. Cavitation is the presence of air in a liquid line. Air is a sign of pump cavitation and thereby is showing an air leak on the suction side of the system. If you find a leak contact us here at the store and we can offer you ideas on how to check and fix this leak.
- Look at the water flow returning into the pool. If the water flow is not returning with force there is some sort of obstruction in the line. Some possible obstructions are leaves or debris in the pump or skimmer basket. These things impede water flow.
- A dirty filtration system is another very common issue.
- With sand systems the filter can be backwashed.
- With diatomaceous earth systems you can “bump” the filter. Bumping is a process where you knock the diatomaceous earth off of the internal fingers or grids. This dirty diatomaceous earth falls to the bottom of the filter and the usable diatomaceous earth is recycled through the system. If too much of the diatomaceous earth is filthy with dirt and grime you will need to drain the entire system, clean it and introduce new diatomaceous earth to the system to regain proper flow.
- Cartridge systems can sometimes be cleaned as simply as removing the filter and spraying it with a water hose. From time to time a cartridge will need a chemical cleaning. For these chemical cleanings we suggest FC-5 cleaner which is a detergent and acid based chemical that will cleanse dirt and break down solidified materials in the cartridge.
*NOTE* Cartridges need to be replaced periodically.
Once you have diagnosed your filter you can begin to start balancing your pool’s water chemistry. As always, we can check your water in-store. This enables us the ability to enter you into our system or update your file to cater to your needs. We can then offer you suggestions for chemicals and proper application. Always keep in mind, a clean pool begins with the filter.
Lengths We Go To . . .
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
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 Detective: The Case of the Mistaken Diagnosis
It was a hot day at the beginning of August and the store was finally starting to slow down a little after a long summer of extremely heavy customer volume. Harold Osborne II, A.K.A. H2O detective, had just finished up a standard water test and the next customer came up to the test station and held over her bottle. She was a rather small lady of about 5′ tall and in her mid thirties. She was wearing squared eye glasses and had short brown hair. She had a rather smart look to her and for some reason Harold imagined her in a college library studying for an exam.
“I am at my wits end. I am hoping that you can help me out. I’ve been taking my water sample to a different pool store and I have dumped over $100 in Phosphate remover to try and get my pool to hold chlorine and get rid of the algae and nothing seems to work. The phosphates have come down some, but I can’t get completely rid of them. I have a friend that brings her water here and she says that you guys are the best.” She said with a tone of exasperation.
“Tell your friend thanks for speaking so highly of us. I hope we can live up to the hype.” Harold started filling the sample tubes with water then reagents. By the time the reagents were dissolved there really was no need to run it though the machine, because after testing thousands of waters he knew what the results were by color. The tests were always nonetheless run through the machine and recorded into the store data base for future reference. He proceeded to type the customers information into the computer and run the test.
“It does show that there is zero chlorine in your pool, your PH is fine and your phosphate are a little high at 1300 parts per billion. How much chlorine have you been putting in and how often?” asked Harold.
“That’s exactly what I am talking about. This has been going on for over two weeks. I’ve put three treatments of phosphate remover in and I’ve been putting about two gallons of chlorine in the pool nearly every day for the last week and about once every two days prior to that and the problem doesn’t go away. I just can’t seem to get the phosphates down low enough to have the chlorine stay in the water.” She responded, rather despondently.
“Well, in my opinion you are treating one of the potential causes rather then treating the problem itself. The phosphates are not eating the chlorine, it is actually the chlorine is spending itself oxidizing the algae. The problem is, you have 20,000 gallons of water in your pool. If everything is going great and you just need a weekly shock, two gallons is the perfect amount. You, however do not have a perfect situation. You have a mildly bad situation and you need to treat it as such. I would recommend that you put in 8 bags of shock and some Eliminator to completely wipe out the algae.” Suggested Harold.
“8 bags of shock? That sounds like a lot.” Exclaimed the customer. “Can I try less? What about the Phosphates? They are still high!”
“The problem is…” retorted Harold, “this is science, and if you do the math, less just isn’t going to give you a positive outcome. One molecule of chlorine will go and kill one algae cell, the problem is, if you don’t kill them all off, they multiple at and incredible rate. If you don’t kill them all off at one time, the money you’ve spent on half measures are a complete waste of time and money, because by the time you do your next application the algae has multiplied back to the same level you were at the day prior. It’s better to take care of the problem once and for all. As far as the phosphates go, reducing phosphates is a tool, not an end all solution to fixing a problem or preventing a new problem from occurring. There are other weapons we can use to prevent algae, rather then phosphate removers. The problem with phosphate removers are, phosphates are naturally reoccurring and you will be constantly chasing after that ‘White Whale’ with little success.”
With a look of surrender the customer agreed to take Harold’s advice. She bought her chemicals and promised to follow up with a report and another water test in three days. There is very little Harold hasn’t seen in his line of work and this was no exception. As expected he had to really sell the answer he was suggesting, because it was going against what the customer believed and was told at a different establishment. He was confident that his solution would work and she would be in a lot better frame of mind the next time he saw her.
Inground Liner Rehangs
Not sure if you should get a new liner this year or next? You might want to think about doing it this year. Liner prices will most likely go up about 10-15%, so by buying now you will be saving some pretty good money. As for installs, we can try and install it this year but we could also hold off until next spring if you would like. All that we ask for is a deposit in the amount of the liner. Once it is is ordered it CAN’T be cancelled but we will make sure to hold you a spot this year or next, depending on weather!! Stop in and see one of our great sales staff today and you might find a set of patio furniture or pool table you have been looking for!!
Closing The Pool For The Season
Three recommendations:
1. Get any leaves out that are on the bottom. Some people say the heck with a few leaves in the pool. The fluids in the leaves can stain the liner. This is difficult to clean in the spring.
2. If you have an algae bloom, kill it before closing. Brush the liner real good, attack the algae with proper chemicals to kill it, and then close it up. You can always vac out the dead algae in the spring, but live algae will stain the liner too.
3. Do NOT winterize using strong doses of chlorine shock. A better choice is a specialty winterizing kit that does the work without hurting your cover. The problem with using shock to close is the elevated chlorine levels ‘gas-off’, weakening the seams of your cover and greatly reducing the life of the cover.
We will be glad to answer any questions you might have about winterizing your pool. Just call or stop in. –Max
New Item . . . EZ Drain Covers
New for us this year is the EZ Drain cover. This cover takes the aboveground pool cover to the next level. Traditionally aboveground pool covers take a beating when there is too much water on top of the cover. The opposite can be just as much of an issue when the wind whips the cover up and down. With the EZ Drain cover you have a mesh center that allows water to pass through a drain that is connected to your pool return fitting. The cover maintains just the right amount of water on the cover and saves you the unnecessary waste of dropping your pool water level for winter. In addition to these great features, the cover also boasts the highest thread count of any of our winter cover options at 15 strands by 15 strands per square inch. All of these features will help extend the life of the cover and save you the hassle of draining water from your cover during those cold and miserable days.
Craig
Clean Your Skimmer Basket And Save Yourself Some $!
It’s simple. Leaves drop from the trees and the wind carries them to your pool. The filter does its job and sucks the leaves into the skimmer basket. They build and build, and water flow is reduced. The pressure from the motor cracks the skimmer basket and the leaves travel on their merry way to the basket on the front of the motor. The pressure re-builds and that basket cracks, allowing the leaves to get pulled into the impeller housing where they clog it. Now no water is going through the system and the motor continues to run.
What are you out? At the minimum, a basket or two. Pretty minor expense, but if the motor is allowed to run with little or no water going through it, you may burn out the motor. Big problem and big expense!
The solution: When leaves begin to drop, check your basket every morning and every evening and empty it. It only takes a minute but it could save you hundreds of dollars. –Max
We Are Still Booking Installs!
We are closing in on the end of the traditional swim season, but there are still plenty of reasons to go ahead and buy an inground or aboveground pool. We are still running great promotions, including 10% off all of our inground package specials. With material costs seemingly always on the rise it is next to impossible to predict where pricing will go next year, but we are currently offering running at pricing comparable to 2006 prices. With aboveground pools there are a number of closeouts available on special purchase Horizons and Ultra 8s. These are both durable and high quality pools with very inclusive package specials. If you want it installed there are deals there too, but you can always choose to do your own install…and no it won’t affect your warranty in the least. So if you are thinking about a pool for next year it might just be worth your time to look into doing something sooner rather than later. Stop in and we would be happy to tell you about any of these great late season promotions.
Craig
Safety Cover Patches And Parts
Do you have small hole in your safety cover? If so we can help you out. We carry patch kits that will help from making that small hole into a giant one. The patches are made of the same material that your cover is. It is not recommended for patching anything over 3”. They come in Solid blue, green or green mesh. We also carry extra grommets and springs. We also carry the installation bar, which is used to take on and off the springs. Stop in and see us for any of your safety cover parts today. – Tim
Service Area
Regrettably I have run a few inground pool appointments this year where the customer opted to go with someone closer to them for fear that Eastgate wouldn’t be able to prioritize them with an install or for potential service down the road. Obviously this was a disappointment to me, but more importantly it got me to thinking that belief might be something that keeps others from calling us. Let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Eastgate Pools services a very wide area from Maysville to Batesville and if we felt we couldn’t provide the level of service that we pride ourselves on we would absolutely say so. The fact of the matter is that we probably cover a wider area than another other pool builder in the tri-state area. Couple that with the fact that our service department is here 12 months out of the year and I have no reservations in saying that you can expect the highest level of service available anytime you choose us for your pool, spa, and casual furniture needs. Service is a big part of why we have been honored with the Aqua 100 award eight times. So if you find yourself on the West side or in Indiana don’t hesitate to give us a call. I can promise you no one is more eager to earn your business than Eastgate Pools and you won’t regret your decision. Hope to see you soon!
Craig
