Outdoor Entertaining, Pool Accessories, Pool Fun

Create an At-Home Water Park to Save Money and Hassle

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Crowded Water Park

Water parks may be fun for kids, but parents often cringe when water park season comes along.  Admission fees, locker rental, food costs, long lines, and that marathon of a walk to and from the car make a day at the water park feel like a wallet-emptying hassle.

More and more, homeowners are choosing to create their own water park in the backyard swimming pool.  The first place most people start is with a water park-worthy slide.  Pool Slides come in all shapes and sizes, but finding the right one for your family is simply a matter of knowing what they like.  Does your family prefer a water slide with twists and turns?  Or, do they like one that shoots them straight down like a rocket into the water?  Once you determine their preferences, selecting a slide should be easy.

At-home water parks are great fun for everyone.  Parents can relax at the poolside without shelling out lots of money for the privilege to do so, and kids can enjoy hours of fun and excitement without having to wait in long lines.  It’s a completely win/win situation.

G-Force 360 Degree Pool Slide   Aqua Blast Slide

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Innovative Solutions, Pool Accessories, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Maintenance

50 Hottest Pool Products of the Season List Released

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Pool and Spa News has released their annual list of the 50 hottest products this season for your pool and spa. Below is an excerpt of their list. 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting season for pool and spa owners! You won’t want to wait to get your hands on these!

  • Insta-Link Home Advanced Iphone App – This water quality program allows Iphone users to photo scan test strips to prevent questions about variations in color. The program returns customized chemical recommendations in seconds, helping pool owners get their pool chemicals balanced in almost no time.
  • Eco-Friendly floats – Several companies are producing floats that are made from reprocessed vinyl and packaged in recycled cardboard. This is a great product for environmentally friendly pool owners who are looking for a product with less impact on the environment.
  • Direct Command Pool Cleaner – As one of the few robotic pool cleaners to make the list, the Direct Command is a breakthrough.  It comes with a hand-held remote, which makes it easy for pool owners to spot clean their pool quickly and efficiently. It is also more affordable than comparable robotic cleaners, making it a great buy for any pool owner. Both its cleaning path and debris bag are larger than most robotic cleaners on the market. This lightweight new addition to the market is already claiming its place as an industry leader.
  • Natural Pools – Chemical-free pools have taken a new turn with in ground pools that are being filtered through plants rooted in the system and other biological filters. These pools are eco-friendly and completely safe for swimmers. The “organic watershapes” are cleaner and clearer than lakes or ponds, but do not use the traditional harsh chemicals or filters of swimming pools, making them more efficient.
  • Solar Powered Pool Filter – Many people already harness the sun’s power to heat their pools. Now, you can use solar power to CLEAN your pool. It is 100% natural and efficient, using no electricity. As the cleaner floats freely around the pool, water is filtered through cartridges to purify water. They are lightweight and easy to remove from the pool for swimming. Since some pool filters can cost up to $100 a month to operate, these filters can save you hundreds of dollars each pool season.
Holidays and Gift Ideas, Outdoor Entertaining, Pool Fun

Throw Easy Summer Pool Parties with Pool Games

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Summer birthdays and holidays make perfect opportunities to entertain friends and family in the backyard swimming pool.  The pool is the only entertainment needed, so be sure to have plenty of pool toys and games available.  Two favorites among kids and adults alike are the Water Arcade Pool Float and the 3 in 1 Pool Game Set.

Reminiscent of carnival-style water shooting games, the Water Arcade Pool Float challenges three players at a time to a ball-squirting water race.   Thanks to the constant-supply water squirters that come with the float, kids will never run out of water during the race.  Water is supplied directly from the pool.

The 3 in 1 Pool Game Set combines ladder ball, ring toss, and bag toss games in one unit.  These popular pool party games can be played in the pool or at poolside.  Adults and kids can have fun demonstrating their skills or playing for prizes.

When you have a backyard swimming pool, summer birthday parties and holiday celebrations are a snap to host.  Toss in some fun and unique pool games, and you’ll easily keep the crowd entertained.

   Arcade Shooter Pool Float

Innovative Solutions, Pool Opening

Fill Your Pool and Support Your Local Fire Department

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Tanker Truck

Looking for an easy way to fill your swimming pool this season and support your local firefighters at the same time?  Creative thinkers in Jackson, New Jersey, developed a unique fundraising idea that would allow homeowners to fill their backyard pools quickly with clean water by paying the local fire department a small fee to do the job. 

For only $200, fire fighters from the Cassville Volunteer Fire Company drive their tanker truck filled with clean water to local residents’ homes.  The $200 buys 7,000 gallons of water, so filling a newly installed pool would cost more, but it’s a win/win situation.  Backyard swimming pools can be filled much more quickly this way, and the fire department raises funds which can be used for necessities like training and equipment.

Community fire departments across the country could certainly benefit from a similar partnership with pool-owning citizens.  The Cassville Volunteer Fire Company and the residents of Jackson, New Jersey, have proven that creative fundraising can work in everyone’s favor.

* Photo source: http://www.cassvillefire.org/pool.html

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment

Heating Your Pool in Tough Economic Times

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People come up with unique solutions to all of their problems when the economy is bad. Many two car families have started car pooling and eliminated the payment and gas for a second car. Most people are eating out less often and almost everyone has stopped impulse shopping. One of the wildest stories to come out of the recession comes from the city of Redditch in Britain. Sharp spending cuts have forced the city to consider alternate ways to heat their community swimming pool. Their solution? Diverting waste heat from the local crematory to the next door leisure center, where the pool is located! It’s a very innovative solution, to say the least!

Fortunately, you don’t have to rely on a crematorium to save you money when heating your pool. Pool heaters are more affordable than ever before. Whether you choose gas, propane, heat pumps, or solar, you will be able to find a money saving option that will allow your family to swim earlier in the beginning of the season and longer at the end of the season. You can maintain the perfect water temperature no matter what season.

Source: Burns, John F. “Britain: Crematory to Heat Swimming Pool.” The New York Times Online. 9 Feb. 2011. Web. 15 April 2011.