Author: Sara May

Considering Bromine: A Chlorine Alternative for Pools and Spas

Bromine Tablets for Pools and Spas

It’s no secret that chlorine can be harsh on skin and irritate eyes.  Plus, the strong smell of chlorine is more than a little unpleasant to many swimmers.  For these reasons, bromine tablets are a desirable alternative for sanitizing pools and spas. 

Because bromine doesn’t have a harsh chemical odor, like chlorine, it is often used in indoor pools where chlorine odor can be overpowering.  Bromine is also preferred in spas and hot tubs because it is more stable in high temperature water than chlorine, making it a more effective spa sanitizer.

Using bromine in standard outdoor swimming pools is something to consider, too.  Bromine continues to kill bacteria even after the pool’s weekly shock treatment, unlike chlorine.  Because of this, the volume of bromine required to clean a pool is much less than the volume of chlorine required.  Using less chemical means that it needs to be purchased less often.

The downside is that bromine generally costs more than chlorine.  For many pool and spa owners, though, the advantages make it worth the extra expense.

The Time and Money-Saving Benefits of Pool Covers

In Ground Solar Pool Covers - 14 mil Clear   Mesh Safety Cover / Pool Size 12ft  x 27ft  Rectangle / 12 yr

Winter is finally over, and the winter pool cover will soon be stored away until next year.  Continuing to cover your pool throughout the swimming season is important, though.  Whether you use a solar pool cover or a safety cover, you can enjoy the following benefits from consistently covering your swimming pool when it is not in use:

  • A covered pool significantly reduces evaporation and retains the pool’s heat, thereby lowering expenses and extending the swimming season.
  • A covered pool requires fewer chemicals because evaporation is greatly reduced, and the water stays chemically balanced for longer periods of time.
  • A covered pool means a cleaner pool.  Dirt, leaves, and other debris stay out when a pool cover is on.

In addition to these advantages, solar pool covers and safety covers offer additional, unique benefits that should be considered.  Deciding which pool cover is best for your swimming pool will depend on your particular situation.

Solar pool covers are intended to draw the sun’s heat into the pool, keeping the water comfortably warm for longer periods of time.  This type of pool cover is perfect for pools that are not frequented by small children and pets.

Safety covers, on the other hand, are ideal for family pools where children and pets could potentially wander too close to the water.  Safety covers must be able to hold a minimum of 485 pounds per 5 square feet, according to standard F1346-91 set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Solar pool cover or safety cover — no matter which pool cover you choose, covering your pool regularly during the swimming season offers a number of time and money-saving benefits that should make the extra few minutes required to cover and uncover your pool worth the effort.

Pool Floats Offer Possibilities for Backyard Pools

Orca Squirting Pool Float  Croc Attack Squirting Pool Float

One of the many advantages of owning your own backyard swimming pool is having the freedom to use pool toys and floats to your heart’s content.  Most public pools don’t allow the use of toys or floats, which limits the number of ways the pool can be enjoyed.  Even the most creative kids can grow bored with the public pool when games of Marco Polo and underwater tea parties have been exhausted.  Luckily, no such limitations exist at home.

For kids, one of the best additions you can make to your home swimming pool is a pool float with personality. Pool floats come in all shapes and sizes, but the most fun comes with pool floats that double as interactive pool toys.  Once your child hops on the back of an orca whale or wrestles with an inflatable crocodile, he can use the attached water squirter to engage in a playtime water battle with friends.  Water squirters never need to be refilled because the water is supplied directly from the pool.

Keeping pool floats and pool toys on hand for your backyard swimming pool ensures that your kids can enjoy unlimited possibilities during pool time play — possibilities that are rarely available at the local public pool.

3 Reasons to Take a Second Look at Above Ground Pools

Above Ground Pool

Above ground pools have gained in popularity over the last few years, and even homeowners who would never before consider installing an above ground pool have taken a second look at today’s models.  Three main reasons can be attributed to the above ground pool’s appeal:

  1. Cost — Compare the cost of installing and maintaining an above ground pool versus the cost of an in ground pool.  The cost of an in ground pool amounts to an impossible luxury for a large number of homeowners.  Above ground pools, on the other hand, are an affordable alternative that many homeowners find easy to manage.
  2. Selection — More varieties of above ground pools are available today than ever before.  Contemporary above ground pools come in a wide range of sizes and can be found in different shapes, including ovals, rectangles, and circles.  The array of sizes and shapes available give homeowners the ability to choose the best style and fit for their particular situation.
  3. Appearance — One of the main criticisms of above ground pools in the past has been theirSemi-inground pool unattractive appearance.  Above ground pools have come a long way, though, in terms of how they look.  Many models come with decorative elements like wall panels made to look like weathered stone and vertical supports that are reminiscent of roman columns.  The appearance of above ground pools can be further enhanced by adding colorful landscaping and wooden pool decks.  Some above ground pools can even be installed partially or mostly into the ground, giving them the feel of an in ground pool.

Owning and enjoying a backyard swimming pool can be a reality for homeowners who are willing to give above ground pools a second look.  Thanks to the advances in quality, materials, selection, and design that have taken place in recent years, above ground pools have become an appealing and affordable alternative to in ground pools.

Ergonomic Chair Takes Pain Out of Poolside Lounging

Ergo Lounger Spa Chair

Enjoying a warm and relaxing afternoon lounging by the pool is impossible if you can’t get comfortable.  Unfortunately, not all lounge chairs are created equal.  Reclining fully on a typical lounge chair is uncomfortable, and even downright painful, for many people — especially when positioned face down.  Back pain and neck pain are the result of a lounge chair’s poor body support.

The Ergo Lounger Spa is a therapeutic lounge chair that can be enjoyed poolside or in any outdoor livingFace Pillow area.  The Ergo Lounger offers neck and back support so that your body is supported in any position, whether sitting straight up or fully reclined.  The comfortable head support doubles as a face pillow when you wish to lie face down.  The face pillow has a hole in the center, similar to that on a massage table, so you can enjoy reading or dozing without straining your neck.

The point of a lounge chair is to offer relaxation, but most lounge chairs aren’t designed to properly support the body.  As a result, they don’t provide adequate comfort and can actually exacerbate existing aches and pains.  Finding true relaxation in a lounge chair means finding the right lounge chair.  For many people, the Ergo Lounger Spa chair offers the ideal solution.