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
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
Do You Have An IPhone Or IPod?
Bring it to the store and we’ll plug it into the docking station of our Sundance Hot Tub. Chances are your music will sound it’s very best. I have a great inventory of Sundance Hot Tubs that have iPod Docking stations with JBL speakers and the sound quality is preposterously good. You need to experience it. Don’t have an iPod? We can demo it here at the store with our own units so that you can experience the most amazing sound system on the spa market. You may decide to get an iPod, or even better, a Sundance Spa. –Max
Max’s Big Bargain Spa Tent Sale
We’ve turned into Tent City here at Eastgate Pools & Spas. Not only do we have two outdoor tents featuring 1200 sq. ft. of outdoor casual furniture demos and special deals, we now have a third tent set up with some special spas that we need to move! These are special units. Several are last ones– one-of-a-kind demos. There are also a couple that have SMALL imperfections that are leading us to sell them off at BIG discounts. There is even one that I flat out just ordered wrong for a customer. They used it for a couple weeks while I got the correct spa in and then we switched them out. My error but some lucky customer will reap the benefits of my ‘oops’ moment.
Stop in on. Deals are to be had for the lucky that decide to visit. –Max
See Us At The Home And Garden Show . . . Get your Hot Tub!!
Eastgate Pools is prominently displayed at this year’s Fifth Third Bank Cincinnati Home and Garden Show at the Duke Energy Convention Center. There—did I get all the sponsor’s names in that sentence? Kind of like a NASCAR race. Anyway, our return features some great deals on Hot Tubs. Factory representatives will be there and we’ll have some incredible prices on quality first-run hot tubs. Why not stop on down and pick one out. Or just stop and say hi to me. I’ll be there for the entire show, which runs February 26-27, and March 2-6. It is closed on Monday February 28 and Tuesday March 1.
Want to attend for free? Well stop at the store and get a VIP pass for FREE admission on Wednesday March 2, Thursday March 3, or Friday March 4. I have a limited supply of these VIP passes so I’ve placed a limit of four per request or until they are gone. Just see any of our store sales phenoms for your free VIP passes. –Max
Don’t Worry Be Happy
We just had a customer in the store today who has had their hot tub for a total of three days and they came in for their very first water test as proud new owners of their hot tub. They were worried that they were doing something wrong and could potentially harm the tub. When I found out how long they have had their tub I decided to have a little fun with them, and told them that they needed to be careful or they could really mess it up. After I calmed them down I told them to relax, and that within the first month they will probably have to drain it and start over but that it won’t be their fault. People tend to over think a hot tub and forget that the chemicals they get when they buy the tub are there to make it as easy as possible. Stop worrying over your chemicals so much and enjoy your new toy. Come back and see me in about 2 weeks.
Thomas
Sundance Spa Advantage
Last December one of the premier lines of spas became available to us and we enthusiastically took them on. Sundance Spas offers a truly unique spa ownership experience. Sundance offers a combination of luxury performance and quality that is unrivaled in the spa industry. Around 5 years ago Sundance rolled out their Fluidix ST jets, a true game changer is spa technology. Jets on spas have always been the Achilles heel on a spa. Everyone likes a jet that gives movement to the water and in the past and still today spa manufactures accomplish this by putting ball bearings into a jet and the force of the water swivels the jet around. The problem with these type of jets is, ball bearing and water aren’t a recipe for a long lived product. The jets eventually get calcified and stop spinning or the bearings wear out and the jets pops out spitting ball bearing into the tub. In either outcome, the customer needs to replace the jet (and there are lots of jets on a spa). The Fluidix ST jet from Sundance has done away with all moving parts of a jet and gives the bather an unparalleled massage experience far better then your typical jet with bearings. I personally sold these jet in Cleveland at a retail store I once worked for and since I’ve been around them, I haven’t seen one jet malfunction. Most spas offer a one year warranty on jets, due to the fact that they don’t last very long. Sundance offers in industry leading 5 year non prorated warranty on their jets!
“The Duke” And Hot Tubs
I’ve recently written a few blogs where I brought up some movies and characters in movies. It got me thinking about one of life’s great questions:
“What would John Wayne think about Hot Tubs?”
I never met the Duke but he was always one of my favorites. The only thing better than a John Wayne movie was a John Wayne AND Jimmy Stewart movie. But back to the question: What would he think about a hot tub?
He’d obviously like ours! They are American made. They enhance family time. They soothe aching muscles after riding the range or chasing cattle rustlers. They’re romantic rendezvous escapes. So I have no doubt that he’d approve of hot tubs and I’ll bet he had one.
Now…what would Kevin Costner think? —Max
Hot Tubs! Hot Deals! Hot Times!
One of my responsibilities here at Eastgate Pools & Spas is the ‘Spas’ part of the name. I simply love hot tubs and over the last twenty-four years I’ve owned three. As such, I know them pretty well and I know what makes them tick. We currently have 22 models on display. That’s a lot to choose from. I also know that for many, there isn’t quite as much liquidity as there was a few years ago and that’s one reason I have brought in quite a few models that are designed to sell for under $4000. With our Winter Clearance sale in progress, I actually have 10 models that go for $3999 OR LESS!
Keeping Your Spa Jets Working Properly
Many spas have adjustable jets that allow you to control how much water goes through the jet. These are referred to as ‘turn-down’ jets. You simply rotate the jets open and closed. I recommend that about once a month, while using the spa, open and close each jet one at a time. If you don’t, calcium can build up and make them difficult to open or close. The once-a-month program insures that you can adjust them with ease when you really want to. I also recommend adding our Stain and Scale Remover once a month. It keeps calcium from building up inside the element or the jet nozzles. This keeps the spinning jets spinning and the pulsating jets pulsating. – Max
SWIM SPAS – GROWING IN POPULARITY
Our clients love their pools and they love their hot tubs. Now they can have both contained in the same vessel. 
We started selling swim spas a couple of years ago and didn’t know what to expect as far as sales. While we had done our research we were still surprised to see that the market for swim spas is growing rapidly. While it used to be ‘get a spa and sit there’ or get ‘get a pool and float around’, people are demanding more. Our Swim Spas allow you to have a small pool where you can do resistance swimming against a water current generated by special jets that move about 270 gallons a minute through them. Want to relax? Just turn off the jets and you have a traditional pool, albeit smaller. Then again, the entire swim spa is over sixteen feet long so it’s really not that small. One end is equipped with a standard hot tub so it truly is the best of both worlds. For those of you out there that have a swim spa, I’d like to hear what you like the best about it. –Max
ALL HOT TUB FILTERS ARE NOT THE SAME
There is a common misconception that all spas use the same filter cartridge. Turns out there are several HUNDRED different ones. A hot tub manufacturer might even have one cartridge on a particular model and a completely different cartridge on another so it’s not good enough just to know the hot tub’s manufacturer. But there is a way we can help. We try to stock about thirty of the most common filters. If you got your hot tub from us, we almost always have what you need in stock. If you got your tub elsewhere (boo!) we are still able to help. Simply measure the old filter. We need the height, diameter of the entire cartridge and diameter of the hole. We also need to know if it is closed on the top and if it screws in at the base. Better yet, bring us the old filter and we will do the measuring for you. We might have it in-stock and if not, we will be happy to order it for you. -Stacey
The Insulation Bamboozle
Speaking of hot tubs…people always ask me how much insulation is needed to hold heat. There’s evidence that an R-30 factor is enough to thoroughly insulate the shell. One inch of foam gets you to about R-7 so just a little over four inches is enough in most cases. I get a kick from some spa experts that talk about ‘their spa’ having 12-20 inches of foam at some places and ‘isn’t that great!’. Personally, I’ve always wanted to ask that salesperson how they explain the 4-inch thick cover on top of their spa. Heat rises so the cover is far more important than being solidly encased with foam. How much foam is in your attic?
—Max
Worried about a Frozen Spa? Don’t Panic!!!
Recent snow and ice storms knocked out power for many of our customers and led to a boatload of calls for people wanting to know if their hot tub would freeze up and what they should do. In most cases, you will have at least 2-3 days before you have to worry about damages from freezing. Rule #1 is: LEAVE THE LID ON! Don’t keep opening and closing it. This lets heat out and hurries the freeze process. It’s kind of like your refrigerator. Leave the door closed and keep the food cold. Leave the cover on and keep the water warm. I definitely don’t recommend draining the hot tub as there will always be water left in the pipes and it will definitely freeze faster if there is no water in the vessel.
– Max
