The Battle Of The Scum Line
A constant complaint we hear from our spa customers is the issue of the never-ending battle against scum lines on their tub. The dirty truth is that YOU are creating that scum. Oils off your body, makeup, lotions…you name it, they all contribute to that beautiful scum line. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can prevent it. First of all, shower off before you soak in the spa. By washing away many of the days dirt and grime, along with a lot of the oils on your skin, you can help reduce the amount of “scum” introduced in your spa. Second, check your weekly chemical routine for a clarifier. Oftentimes, clarifiers can actually make that scum line worse because of their oily consistency. If those two tips still don’t work then we have a couple products on our shelves that can help you out. The first thing is our SunSorb. This is a foam cutout of a sun that you can float in your spa. It will do a great job absorbing a lot of the oils in the water that create the scum. You can simply set it on the side when your tub is in use so it does not get in your way. The best thing about this particular item is that you can actually reuse it! Rinse it out really well with running water and throw it back in the spa for another use. Our other product you can use is called Spa Pizazz. This is a natural enzyme that, when added weekly, will do wonders for your spa water. Not only will it cut back on the scum line, it will actually keep your water clearer. A small amount added once a week will work miracles. Just remember not to add too much! A little will go a long way, and in this instance, too much can have the opposite effect that you want. Any of these tips should greatly help you win the frustrating battle against your scum line. -Stacey
How To Spot Quality
It’s that time of year where game tables become a hot commodity once again. I would say our biggest seller, other than a pool table, is the infamous air hockey table. The tricky thing about game tables is that often times it is difficult to spot quality. Sure, you want a table to look pretty, but if you want your table to last you’ll need to look for more than just aesthetics. First and foremost you want a good, durable playing surface. Tables with a smooth, thick surface will allow for your optimal game experience. The smooth surface will allow the puck to glide easier across the table, while the thick top will provide a more durable table with less chance of warping. Air distribution is also a very important factor to consider. A table with air channels will provide the most even distribution of the air through the holes in the surface. This will help keep the puck from getting stuck in bad spots on the table, allowing it to glide even easier across the surface. Finally, you want to make sure the structure of the table itself is sturdy enough to sustain hours of vigorous play! We have plenty of quality options here at Eastgate Pools at many different price points. Please feel free to stop in and ask for our help in picking out the right table for your family. We’ll even let you test it out for free! -Stacey
Re-filling Your Hottub
Procrastinators rejoice, for those that are just like me and try to put things off until the absolute last minute, that time may be approaching. We still are getting a few days, here and there of warm weather. With that being said is it time to drain and re-fill your spa? At Eastgate Pools we recommend that this be done every 3-4 months depending on usage. If you are within or approaching this window now would be a good time to take care of this before the harsh portion of the winter. Just remember if you are draining it make sure to re-fill and re-start it immediately as to not run the risk of running into adverse weather and having to deal with frozen pipe problems.
Leaves On Your Winter Cover?
Here is a money saving idea for all pool customers. I know that this is not the time of year that you typically look at your pool but here is an idea that may save you some money in the long run. With the leaves off of the trees and if the weather is being co-operative, take a few minutes to remove the leaves from the cover. If you purchased a leaf cover this would be a good time to pull it back and get the lions share of this seasons leaves off of the cover. If there is no leaf cover on the pool you will need to use your leaf net. The advantage of taking the leaves off of the cover right now is that you will remove a significant amount of weight, and stress from the winter cover. By reducing the weight and stress you will lengthen the tensile strength of the cover, in the same fashion as removing the excess water from the cover surface. – Chris
Pool ARE What They Are All Quacked Up To Be!
Several years ago we had a mother duck that decided our pool lot would make a great home for her and her little ducklings-to-be. It was a lot of fun checking on the nest every day and then the blessed day occurred—the hatching of eight cute little ducklings. The trouble was it naturally happened on a busy Saturday and when they mistook our in-ground pool for a pond, we had ducks everywhere that couldn’t get out of the pool. We ended up building a ramp from a couple 2 by 4’s but one of the poor little guys actually drowned before we got the ramp done. Since then we’ve told the story many times and found many of our customers have had the same experience with ducks, dogs, cats, rabbits, and a host of other small critters. Somebody came up with an invention called the Skamper Ramp and it can save your pet’s life. If you want to see one in person, let us know and we’ll set one up for you here at the store. If you check out our earlier post about this seasons ducklings you will notice that we had no fatalities. We did use a Skamper Ramp and it was successful.
