Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Best in Swimming Pool Lights


Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 63628

The Best in Swimming Pool Lights


 
Swimming pool lights have come a long way over the years and now there are far more choices in swimming pool lights that are also far more reliable.

There are many things to consider when choosing just what type of lighting that you are going to choose for your pool because for instance fiber optics technology is even available for your swimming pool lights that completely eliminate the need for electrical wiring. Having the correct wattage in your swimming pool lighting is crucial because having swimming pool lights that are too bright can make it uncomfortable for people that are swimming at night. At the same time, swimming pool lights that are too dim can also create their own set of problems and inconveniences.

One popular brand of swimming pool light that is available for smaller pools is called the Spa Brite because they make a wide variety of lower wattage swimming pool lights. Still one more thing to consider, is that swimming pool designers have become far more creative with swimming pool lights in recent years and more and more people are choosing more then just one big light in the deep end in favor of smaller lights arranged creatively around their pool.

What ever you chose however with regards to swimming pool lights though, it is important that you get it right the first time around because after your pool is installed your options for changes will be minimal at best. This means that the best thing that you can do is to talk to an expert and make yourself familiar with all of the various types of swimming pool lights that are currently available on the market.

Remember, that the sun will showcase your pool during the daytime but at night it is the job of your swimming pool lights to light up and show off your pool.

Written by Joesph Wey. Find the latest information on Swimming pool lights as well as Outdoor lighting

Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 63628

 

 
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Thursday, March 17, 2016

Test, Shock, and Save


Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 63628
 

Test, Shock, and Save - How to Enjoy Your Swimming Pool and Spend Less Time and Money
Rob Coxworth
Level: Platinum

Mr. Coxworth is a long time pool industry veteran having held posts as CEO, consultant, Manufacturers Rep and Sales manager for various swimming pool firms. ...
A family swimming pool can be a great addition to any household A gathering place for friends and family, for relaxation, for exercise, parties and more. Unfortunately many prospective pool owners and even those lucky enough to own a pool are put off by the maintenance involved and confused about how to do it properly.

Pay now or pay later.
Like your automobile and so much else, doing the right things a few minutes each day will make your pool a joy to own, avoid problems and save time and money. Pool care can be reduced to two key elements test and shock. Swimming pools contain water (duh) and water is a very complex substance. It is THE universal solvent, which means most anything likely to come in contact with your pool water will dissolve.

Swimming pool water also needs to maintain certain key characteristics to be attractive and safe for swimming. In many ways keeping a swimming pool in top condition is like hitting a constantly moving target. The water changes almost daily as it absorbs products of the environment and pool owners attempt to maintain a happy medium with chemicals and filtration. Yikes! Fortunately there are ways to put yourself in charge and keep it that way.

TEST-THE FIRST BIG ONE
Given the complex nature of pool water and environmental contaminants the only way to find out about your water is to test regularly. Regularly is a minimum of 4-5 times each week. In the past testing could be tedious and inaccurate due to the type of test kits generally available. For many years the standard test kits were based on liquid reagents added to pool water and a resulting color change indicating the results of the test. Given the inaccuracy of counting reagent drops and the characteristics of the reagents results for the average pool owner were often inaccurate and led to problems.

A giant step forward was made in the late 1980's with the introduction of the pool water test strip by Environmental Test Systems of Elkhart, Indiana. Called Aquachek, these slim plastic strips had three paper pads that were impregnated with a reagent specific to the testing that is most important to keep a pool in good shape free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Dipping the strip into the pool water produced a color change that could be compared to a color chart on the test strip container. If the color was in the correct color range for that test everything was good, if not the test let you know which way to go to correct the problem. Now made by a number of companies since the expiration of the ETS patent test strips have made pool water testing quick, easy and accurate. No excuses! You can test your pool in under a minute.

TESTING FOR WHAT AND WHY?
Let's introduce the big three: free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Many years of research and practical experience has shown that these three components of pool water have the most influence on water quality. If free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity are in the proper range no swimming pool is likely to have problems with water. Let's discuss each one in some detail.

Free Chlorine-who captured it anyway?
When chlorine is added to pool water in any form, liquid, granular or tablet, it forms hypochlorous acid or free chlorine. Fear not, the concentration is typically well below 10 parts per million. Hypochlorous acid is pretty interesting stuff. It reacts with just about anything organic like all that stuff nature and swimmers put in your pool. Use your imagination and you can believe there is plenty of organic material to work with. When free chlorine reacts with organic junk it "attaches" to it and breaks it up like a fire burning wood. Technically it "oxidizes" the offending material. Burned up by the free chlorine the offending material becomes inoffensive and no problem. The chorine does not escape unscathed however.

Once chlorine attaches itself to and destroys contaminants it is no longer free chlorine but a chloramine. Chloramines are used up and useless for any further clean up work in a pool. They have to be replaced with more free chlorine. It's clear that knowing the amount of free chlorine in your pool is very important. When you buy a test kit be sure it tests for free chlorine. Liquid test kits using a chemical called DPD and all test strips measure free chlorine.

pH-why capitalize the second letter?
pH is the most important component. pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of water. A low pH is acidic and corrosive, a high pH is alkaline or basic and causes mineral buildup and irritation. Swimming pool water should be kept at a pH of between 7.2 and 7.8. Keep in mind that pH is measured on a logarithmic scale so the difference between a pool water pH of 7.2 and 7.3 is not one-tenth more but 100 times more! The seemingly narrow pH range is not so narrow after all and being "just a bit over or under" is important.

The mysterious Total Alkalinity
Total alkalinity measures the dissolved carbonates in your water. All water has a natural level of these dissolved carbonates and they play an important role in swimming pools. Total alkalinity acts as a buffer to pH. At the proper level alkalinity "locks" pH into a range and keeps it there. Very soft water has low alkalinity and pH tends to bounce around quite a bit. Keeping the alkalinity in the proper range of 80-160 ppm keeps pH in line too.

There it is. Regular testing of your pool water lets you know if the BIG 3, free chlorine, pH and Total Alkalinity are in the proper range so your pool stays clear and inviting. You will also know right away if the water is out of whack and can take action before it goes bad. Testing and adding any necessary chemicals might take as much as fifteen minutes 4-5 times a week. Not too shabby!

SHOCK-THE SECOND BIG ONE
Using your pool is what it's all about. After using your pool determines how soon you might get to use it again.

Up in the testing section we talked about contaminants from nature and swimmers and how chlorine deals with them. After a long afternoon in the pool your free chlorine is completely exhausted. If you don't replace it in a hurry .......bad things! Do your own test on your next pool afternoon with family and friends. Once everyone is out and enjoying dinner or perhaps adult beverages stand near the pool. You'll smell "that chlorine smell" good and strong. What your nose is picking up is the smell of chloramines, used up chlorine! Free chlorine in pool water is virtually odorless. A heavy chlorine smell means you're low on chlorine not that you have too much.

Adding more chlorine to your floater or feeder is great but it won't get around the whole pool in time to prevent a potential breakdown. That's where shocking comes in. We pool types differentiate between shocking and superchlorination. Super chlorination raises the level of free chlorine from the normal 1.5-3 ppm to at least 5 ppm. Shocking raises free chlorine to at least 10ppm. Raising the chlorine level in this way ensures that contaminants are completely burned out or oxidized and that enough free chlorine is available to re-establish the normal level of sanitizer in your pool.

When the pool clears out after use just add 1 lb. of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water your pool holds and call it a day. Calcium hypochlorite is the most popular shock. It does the job and quickly breaks down in sunlight so you can swim again. Sodium dichlor products are gaining popularity as are non-chlorine shocks. If you use a non-chlorine shock remember that by itself it's not much good. Non-chlorine shock needs some chlorine in the water to work.

QUICK AND EASY
Remember the dynamic duo test and shock. If you do these faithfully your pool will reward the your few minutes each day with great looking, inviting water all season long. And it will cost you less! It's a win-win baby!

Rob Coxworth is President and CEO of Webfoot Leisure.com [http://www.webfootleisure.com], an online retailer of swimming pools, supplies and equipment.
Rob has been in the swimming pool industry since 1985 and involved in water chemistry and chemicals since first joining the swimming pool industry.
The good Dr. has held senior positions in sales, manufacturing consulting and marketing and worked with many major companies in the pool water chemical marketplace. [http://www.webfootleisure.com]

Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 63628
 

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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Swimming Pool Slides For In-Ground Pools


Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 6362

Swimming Pool Slides For In-Ground Pools

 
 
Make a splash this summer by enhancing your in-ground swimming pool with a super-fun pool slide. In-ground swimming pool slides provide an easy way to bring the thrills and excitement of a water park right to your very own backyard so you can make the most of your pool all season long. With rushing water and twists and turns, swimming pool slides offer great fun for the entire family. With a wide variety of styles and designs to choose from, you can easily find a pool slide that will provide the exact type of sliding excitement that you're looking for. Simply by adding a slide to your in-ground swimming pool, you can make your pool the most popular one in the neighborhood and can enjoy endless hours of sliding fun with friends and family.

When you're looking for the perfect slide for your in-ground swimming pool, you will have many different options to weigh and consider. There are numerous different models of in-ground swimming pool solutions that have been designed and constructed by many different manufacturers. One of the main variables between these different models is the slide height. Pool slides for in-ground swimming pools are available in many different heights, with the majority of products standing somewhere between three feet high and eight feet high. The height that you choose will typically depend upon the age of your swimmers and the speed of sliding that you want your swimmers to enjoy. Once you know the approximate height you want, you will have narrowed down your options, making your ultimate choice easier.

The second main way that various models of in-ground pool slides differ from each other is in the shape and design of the actual slide component. The standard shape of in-ground swimming pool slide features a gentle curve, sometimes with a slight twist at the top or bottom. However, there are also in-ground swimming pool products available with more twists and turns and with 360 degree corkscrew designs. When combined with a fast water delivery system, such as the Zoom Flume water delivery system which provides water flow at 35 gallons per minute, these pool slides can truly mimic the speed and thrills of water park fun.

The various available models of pool slides for in-ground swimming pools also provide you with the option of choosing between built-in swimming pool and inflatable pool slides. If you want your new slide to be a permanent fixture of your swimming pool, investing in a built in slide is the way to go. On the other hand, if you're looking for a less permanent or simply a more economical option, inflatable swimming pool solutionss provide an excellent way to add some water slide fun to your pool without any installation and without the higher cost of built-in pool slides for in-ground swimming pools.

Inflatable pool slides are also one of the best options for young swimmers. These pool accessories typically only stand two or three feet above the pool deck, the perfect height for young children. Inflatable swimming pool slides typically use a standard garden hose to provide the water flow and are constructed from durable vinyl so they can withstand energetic play season after season.

If you have young swimmers in your family but would like to install a built-in slide, there are also permanent in-ground pool slides that are ideal for such circumstances. For example, some pool slides for in-ground swimming pools stand only three or four feet off the ground and feature a gently curving slide with high sides for extra safety. Some specific slides that meet these criteria include the Cyclone Fun Pool Slide and the Zoomerang Pool Slide. These pool slides will allow your youngsters to enjoy the thrills of fast sliding action at a level that is fully safe and appropriate for them.

With so many different types and styles of swimming pool slides available for in-ground pools, you will have a great selection of top quality choices. Whether you're looking for a standard design, a thrilling corkscrew design or a slide that is ideal for youngsters, you can find exactly the right slide for you and your pool. Perhaps best of all, the many different models of in-ground swimming pool slides cover a range of different prices, allowing pool owners with many different budgets to be able to enjoy the excitement and adventure of swimming and sliding. So no matter what your budget and preferences might be, forget long lines and entry fees this summer. Instead, bring the spirited fun and excitement of a water park right to your home with a swimming pool slide and make a splash with your entire family and your entire neighborhood.

Michael Peterson is an experienced specialist in pool accessories and products. He shows how swimming pool slides for inground pools could provide endless hours of sliding fun with friends and family. Learn about different types and models of pool slides to make a right choice for your swimming pool. http://www.intheswim.com

Wideman Pools
636-931-7665
2565 US Hwy 67 South
Festus, MO 63628

 

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