eastgatepoolsspas.com » eastgate pools & spas

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

Billiard Cloth

craig — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:28:57 +0000

When it comes to picking a color and type of cloth for your pool table it can sometimes be a struggle. If you are selecting a color for your new table or for recovering you existing table, I suggest selecting a color that is more of an accent color in your room. With such a big splash of color you don’t want your area to be too monochromatic. I know I’m no designer, but I always seem to find customers agree with that perspective. We carry tons of different colors so I’m sure we will have something that will work in your rec room. Everything we carry is also Teflon protected for easy clean up and durability. We also carry blended cloth to ensure the longest possible life for your cloth. Some higher wool cloth might play slightly faster and have less resistance, but they tend to wear more quickly while actually costing more. If you are in need of some new cloth be sure to stop and check out our selection of colors…and if you don’t want to change it yourself you can always have our service department do it for you. Hope to see you soon!

Craig

Darts, Darts, Darts

craig — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:46:53 +0000

I’m not sure everyone is even aware that we have darts here at Eastgate Pools, but we not only have darts (steel tip and soft tip), we also have boards, cabinets, and most other accessories you might need. I played a lot of darts in college and really came to enjoy the game and I think it is a game that more people would enjoy if more people set up a board in their house. One of the best things about darts is that it is a game where you can really develop some skill…and you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to get started. For me steel tip darts is the way to go, but we have plenty of soft tip options for younger players along with several electronic boards that will keep score for you. I encourage you all to consider giving darts a try. I’m sure you will like it.

Craig

Last Minute Gift Idea!

kathy — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:52:42 +0000

Dos thinks this Ashford Pool Table is a great deal for that special someone in your life.

What Spa Mode To Operate On

scott — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:22:14 +0000

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.

The economy mode will allow the spa to drop 20 degrees off of the set temperate, (if it’s set at 102 it will drop the temp. to 82). To most, it sounds like this would be the most efficient method to heat the spa. It might be, but it all depends on the usage. If one uses the spa once a week or less, then the economy mode would absolutely be the best and most efficient mode for the hot tub. Most spa owner’s however, use the spa more frequently then this. So, in this instance, let’s say the spa is at 82 degrees and we want it at 102, then the spa would have to run for roughly 4 hours straight to get to the desired temperature. This alone loses any savings that one would hope to benefit from by setting it on economy (unless there is a big gap between uses, like a vacation).

If one is looking to save money on their energy consumption, then adjusting the filter cycle would be a good place to look. One can set the filter cycles down to as low as 4 hours a day on most spas, and this will keep an already efficient low cost system running at its lowest cost to the home owner.

Winterizing Your Spa

scott — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:07:32 +0000

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.

1. Turn of the power to your spa.

2. Drain the spa using your floor drain or a submersible pump.

3. Using a shop vac on “blow”, starting at the top jets and working down blow out all the excess water in the plumbing.

4. Disconnect the spa pumps and take out the drain plug.

5. Remove any excess water in the foot area using shop vac.

6. (This step is completely optional. Some people suggest it others do not.) Using a funnel or turkey baster, pour roughly 2 gallons of swimming pool antifreeze into the jets. The reason I like this step is that invariably, not all of the water is going to get removed. Every spring there is a parade of customers with Frankenstein reconstruction plumbing jobs because a spa was not winterized properly. I would rather be safe and do too much then risk damaging the spa and undertaking a very difficult and expensive repair. If you opt for step 6, you will need to fill your spa up in the spring, drain it, then refill to expel the antifreeze. (you’ll be out a few dollars in water)

One of the Possible Attractions you Might See at Eastgate…

craig — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:45:40 +0000

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

Pool Tables At Absurd Prices . . .

craig — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:09:48 +0000

I know people don’t necessarily think of pool tables as a seasonal item, but we tend to sell the majority of our pool tables when the temperatures start to drop. Currently we have some unbelievable prices on many of our tables. Nearly every table is at “Price Blowout” pricing, which means you are getting the table below even the lowest sale prices we have offered. If you are thinking about getting a table for your home or have thought about it in the past there has literally never been a better time than now in the nearly eight years I’ve worked here. Please stop and see what great values we have for you…I’m sure you won’t regret it. Hope to see you soon!

Craig

The Alphabet, As Seen Through the Eyes of a Pool & Hot Tub Veteran

max — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:12:42 +0000

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. 2/3^rds 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.

Christmas In September????

david — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:12:42 +0000

Well, it is official. It is Christmas in September time. What am I talking about? Well, the other night, the 18^th of September, I needed a part for my lawn mower. Being Sunday evening, I visited my nearest big box store to see if they had it. Obviously, NO ONE cuts grass in September as the remaining stock of parts was all thrown into unrecognizable piles on the bottom of a few shelves. Further examination showed why. The former home for merchandise such as mower parts was now occupied by Christmas light sets. Ho, Ho, Ho! Need some casual furniture to enjoy these late summer days and the upcoming beautiful fall days? Good luck here as well. I predict Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen will be in this presently empty space by later this week.

Thank heavens there is no grass at the North Pole for Santa to cut and luckily he is too busy making toys to worry about enjoying beautiful weather sitting out on his deck, patio or porch. But, should he need some outdoor casual furniture, he can always shop Eastgate Pools & Spas as we have a huge selection even when others are making it look a lot like Christmas. In summary, if you need Christmas light sets in September, you are in luck at the Big Box stores, but if you want to enjoy the remaining warm weather, head over to Eastgate Pools and actually have lots of choices.