Does Your Chlorine Jug Have a Yellow Cap? Liquid chlorine may have a label that says it was packaged at 12.5%, but what has it degraded down to by the time it gets to you? Per major liquid chlorine packagers: “This product degrades with age”. So…we ask you… how stale is your chlorine? Sodium hypochlorite, liquid chlorine, is a very popular method of sanitizing recreational water like swimming pools. While it is the same chemical compound as common household bleach, swimming pool chlorine is initially packaged around twice the strength of common household bleach. While one of the most popular and common methods of sanitizing and shocking your pool, even at its strongest, liquid chlorine is the weakest form of chlorine sanitizer you can use in a swimming pool. To make it worse, liquid chlorine degrades with age, so make sure you are getting the freshest chlorine possible from the nearest local packager. When choosing to purchase liquid chlorine, do your research on how far and long of a commute that container has had to make from its packager to you. There are packagers that are in other regions of the country which ship their chlorine to distribution centers first, which then redirect them to local dealers who finally have it in stock for you to purchase. As one example, Buckman’s packages liquid chlorine near Philadelphia, transports to distributors outside of Hartford and Boston which then finally ship to local dealers. How long has this chlorine been sitting on loading docks, on transport trucks, on more loading docks and storage and finally then delivered locally? And after all this time, how much potency is really left? Is that chlorine so much cheaper at the national chain? Regional discount store? Even another specialty store? How come? Where was it packaged and how long has it been degrading and decaying before it got on that shelf? Read the label and know where your chlorine is packaged! We choose to purchase our liquid chlorine from a much more local packager within Rhode Island. Accu-Care Supply, which packages and ship their chlorine directly to us, allows us to provide the strongest, freshest liquid chlorine available! Buckman's Yellow Cap from Pennsylvania vs. Accu-Care's Pool Clear Local From Rhode Island!
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Would you like to diminish the effect of sanitizer (chlorine) in your pool, or render it almost useless at doing its job to keep your pool clean? Unfortunately, this is where many people will be headed if they don’t pay attention to the labels and types of pool shock that will be commonly available this year! There’s no question that over the COVID years, supply chains for virtually every industry were disrupted, and the pool and spa industry were one for sure when factoring in many simultaneous disturbances in the same timeframe. Unfortunately, the shortages for multiple forms of pool sanitizers--like chlorine--were dramatically affected; and as we gear up for a new 2022 pool season, new items are being added to that list, specifically granular calcium hypochlorite (Cal-Hypo), arguably one of the best and most popular forms of pool shock available. “Cal-Hypo” shock is packaged under MANY labels and the benefits of this formula of shock are it’s very fast acting, and it slightly raises the calcium levels of the pool water – which has several benefits and helps prolong the life your pool surface and equipment. It’s also the shock preferred to be paired with one of the most popular forms of chlorine sanitizer, 3” tabs (Trichlor), which separately have gone through their own shortages over the past year. The primary reason it is the perfect pairing is because Cal-Hypo shock is NOT STABILIZED, while Trichlor tabs are. Ideally, if your primary form of sanitizer is stabilized chlorine tabs, you should NOT use a stabilized form of shock. If stabilized shock is paired with a stabilized primary chlorine, your stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid) can increase rapidly past the recommended range. Cyanuric Acid, labeled as various names such as chlorine stabilizer or pool water conditioner, is very good for your pool water--to a point. It acts as “sunscreen” for chlorine, preventing it from degrading and “burning off” in the sun. Many popular forms of pool chlorine have stabilizer inherently built into them, so they are more stable and efficient at sanitizing your pool water. Unfortunately, if the stabilizer level in the water exceeds recommended levels, it has very negative effects on pool water. As the stabilizer level increases, the effectiveness of chlorine’s ability to sanitize the water decreases, so ultimately the higher the stabilizer level is, the MORE chlorine your pool requires to be properly sanitized. Pools that are over-stabilized may require two to three times the recommended sanitizer (chlorine) level than normal! With recent costs of chlorine, who wants that? One of the easiest ways to prevent over-stabilization is to make sure you pair a non-stabilized shock (such as Cal-Hypo) with your stabilized sanitizer (such as tabs). Unfortunately, with upcoming shortages now predicted in the supply chain for Cal-Hypo, we’re seeing STABILIZED GRANULAR SHOCK flood the market. This stabilized granular shock is commonly referred to as Dichlor, and pairing Dichlor shock with Trichlor tabs is a recipe for the fast-track to overstabilization. Dichlor shock has its use, and has some benefits when used in specific instances; however, it should NEVER be used in large amounts or routinely paired with Trichlor tabs. Always make sure you are using Cal-Hypo shock to open your pool, to clear up a “swamp” or dirty pool, or for routine shocking when paired with chlorine tab usage. Many times, Dichlor shock is masked and marketed as “multipurpose”, all-in-one, quick-swim or “smarter” types of shocks. Unfortunately, homeowners need to be aware--now more than ever with predicted Cal-Hypo shortages, Thankfully, Pool & Patio Center has planned for such and will have a tremendous supply of the right shock for your pool! Poolife TURBOSHOCK The Strongest Shock on Earth! 78% Calcium Hypochlorite Examples of DICHLOR Stabilized Shock Products and Brands - Remember, DO NOT USE in large doses or pair with Tabs! You’ll hear the ads, you’ll see the social media posts, and there’ll be that familiar man’s low voice of urgency on the radio or local TV station… “HURRY HURRY HURRY! Don’t miss OOOOUUUT! This weekend ONLY!” But let’s be honest here, is a pop-up hot tub expo really the best place to buy a hot tub? Well, here’s four reasons we don’t think so: Only ONE Company Will Be There.Sure, you’ll hear the advertisement that there will be all major brands on display, dozens of tubs all competing for your business, so you get the best deal! Well, that will NOT be the case if you show up. Just as a note, some of the brands you WILL NOT see at any pop-up expo… Bullfrog Spas, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, American Whirlpool, Dimension One, Sundance, or Vita… However, ALL these major quality brands CAN be found at your local brick and mortar dealers. If you want to browse a true selection of great quality hot tubs, visit your local dealers. Local Service & RepresentationThe hot tub and spa industry’s best brands will ALWAYS and ONLY be sold by LOCAL dealers and brick and mortar stores. Travelling sales or pop-up shows are like the here-today gone-tomorrow Halloween shops and the Fourth of July firework tents. They “pop-up” in regions BECAUSE they don’t have local representation or a dealer to support them. Once a pop-up event is over, the sale team has moved on to a different city in a different region, their focus throughout the entire process is NOT you -- the customer -- Their focus is to sell as many as they can, get them dropped and delivered as quick as they can and move on to the next city. They Gave Me a GREAT Deal at the Hot Tub Expo! But did they really? Travelling pop-up expos live and die by their sales team. These professionals must rely on high pressure tactics, the illusion of a “great deal”, and are highly trained to sell ON THE SPOT. However, in many cases, you can find a much better “deal” at a local brick and mortar store. Pop-up expos come with a HUGE overhead for the cost of their floor space in the convention center, fair grounds or show event. They must recoup tens of THOUSANDS of dollars for booth space the short 3-4 days they’re there. You can be assured, it’s their JOB to make it sound like you got one GREAT deal, but it is NOT the best deal you can find. See our previous post regarding some of the tactics and claims that are used: are-you-buying-a-hot-tub-from-a-dealeror-the-electric-company.html Is a pop-up show the best place to get a QUALITY tub? You can’t TEST the spas at an expo; however, you can make appointments to do so at your local brick and mortar showroom. Would you buy a car on the spot, without test driving it? There are numerous factors that go into the overall quality of construction of a hot tub, many are beneath the skin of the fancy shell with flashing color LED lights that you see. Take the time to educate yourself on how tubs are built as the cost of ownership can fluctuate dramatically between the major high-end brands and some of the pop-up shows that offer discount brands or tubs sold from warehouses. Again, see one of our previous posts that goes further into the differences in quality and cost of ownership of the different types of spas: are-you-buying-a-hot-tub-from-a-dealeror-the-electric-company.html Are you still going to the pop-up expo? Then try and get some answers to these questions while you’re there:
The Best Hot Tub JetsOne of the best things about having a hot tub is the therapy it can provide for your aching muscles. In addition to the overall soothing effect of a great spa, hot tub jets can be specially designed to massage trouble areas, from the neck and shoulders down to the calves and feet. To get the most out of your spa, it helps to know what are the best hot tub jets. This guide will help you learn more about hot tub jets and what will work best for you. How Do Hot Tub Jets Work?First off, knowing how hot tub jets work can help you know what to look for when ordering your hot tub. The jets have water piped to them through the hot tub’s plumbing. The water is then infused with air to get the right mix of the two. The pipes then narrow to increase the pressure. The air-filled water exits the pipes through a jet nozzle into the hot tub’s reservoir of soothing hot water. Types of Hot Tub JetsThere is a surprising variety of hot tub jets available. They offer different sizes, pressure, pulsing actions, and locations. Each is designed to sooth in a unique way. Rotating single-pulse jets offer a slow and steady pulse designed to massage a single spot, like shoulder knots. Meanwhile, rapid double pulse jets work two close areas, like the muscles along the sides of the spine. Shower jets use a series of smaller jets that work over a large area for a relaxing effect. They can gently work the entire back. Kneading oscillator jets take it a step further by moving to deeply work a large area like the lower back. To really work the trouble areas, powerful deep relief jets provide intense tissue massage. They are the most powerful type of hot tub jets. For a balance between powerful deep tissue and relaxation, relaxing firm relief jets are a good option. Target therapy jets are another option. They are placed in strategic spots to reach key areas from the shoulders to the calves. There are also mini target therapy jets for smaller muscles in the hands and forearms. You can also target both feet with dual pulse foot therapy jets. All-in-One JetPaksTo get the best of all these worlds, you can opt for a built-in arrangement of jets like Bullfrog Spas JetPaks. They can be placed in the seat, and the pressure and configuration customized to hit all the right spots for the perfect hot tub massage therapy. What Hot Tub Has the Most Jets?The hot tub with the most jets actually depends on you! You can equip your hot tub with multiple JetPaks to get hundreds of jets in your tub. The ideal number of jets is probably under a hundred, though. Just work with your hot tub dealer to get the right configuration for you. What are the Most Powerful Hot Tub Jets?The most powerful hot tub jets largely depend on the design of the hot tub and its jets. To get the most powerful jets, you need the best design. This includes using less piping so the water doesn’t have to travel as far, getting the right mixture of air and water, and having quality narrow openings. A variety of jets helps with power as does having strong pumps with extra horsepower.
Getting the best hot tub for you involves getting the hot tub accessories that meet your unique needs. Talk with your local hot tub dealer to find the right options for the spa you have always wanted! Charcoal makes a big mess! Who has time for that?
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