Well the holidays are over now what?

www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

Well the holidays are over now what?


It back to reality and the tasks at hand, paying off the credit cards and getting back to some normal life and responsibilities. 


Now for those of you that have a spa and love using it over the winter now is a great time to get back to monitoring the water chemistry and since there most likely were a lot of users over the holidays it probably needs close attention right now.


This will be the time you need to give that filter or filters a good filter soak as to get rid of all the body oils and things that have built up over the last month or so.


Just hosing the filter off will not do it, you need to get a filter cleaning solution such as Filter Perfect made by natural chemistry. Take the filter out and place in a bucket of water, be sure that the water covers the filter. Remove the filter from the water and add the filter cleaning solution and mix, then place the filter back in the bucket and soak over night.


The next day remove from the solution and lightly hose off the grids. Re-install the filters into the spa and you should be back in business for another couple of months. Those of you who have a back up filter are in great shape as you can take your time and just swap out the dirty filter for a clean one and then soak that one at your leisure.


Be sure to test the water to see where everything is at now, usually the PH will be low after a heavy bather load so be prepared to add PH and or Alkalinity to get the water back in shape, REMEMBER to add the products one at a time at a rate of no more than 2 tablespoons per 500 gallons of water and allow water to circulate for 20 minutes then retest and add more as necessary.


Always adjust the Alkalinity first then the PH and then the Calcium Hardness, get those levels good BEFORE you start the chlorine or Bromine treatment.  If these chemicals are off the sanitizer will not work effectively and you will find it a pain to get the water back in balance.


If you take your time and do it one step at a time you will have the water back in shape in no time at all and can get back to enjoying the spa for yourself again.


Until Next Time...

23 Years with the love of my life

Rick the Spa Guy

Today is my anniversary, 23 years with the love of my life. We have 2 great kids and I could not be prouder of my family.


I feel like I need to give thanks to everyone I know that has come into my life and given me inspiration and advise. I truly love you all. 


This holiday season I want to send a shout out to all the lonely people out there that may be by themselves this Christmas and to tell them you are never truly alone if you love someone. If you have family out there but just cant visit them this year due to finances or work schedule why not get your computer and Skype with them, it is almost as good as being there, you get to see there faces and hear their voices and that can mean a great deal to a lonely person.


Why not go out and just visit a neighbor that also may be alone this holiday. Volunteer at a homeless shelter and bring a smile onto the faces of people that feel there is no one out there for them, this could just change there life and yours.


The main thing is to just get outside and meet people and don't just sit in your rooms by yourself. There is a great big world out there with people just like you go find them and make this Christmas a great one for you and someone else.


Until Next Time...

10 Great christmas gifts for the spa owner



Rick the Spa Guy

  10 great christmas gifts for the spa owner

Do you have a spa or know someone that does and are having trouble deciding on what to get them for christmas this year?

Look no further as I will show you some of the nice accessories out there that would make a great gift this christmas. I know every year I rack my brain trying to think of a good present for family members and friends, so this year I have decided to find gifts that they can use to accesorize things they already have.


First of all decide what things they might need, like steps, new pillows, Do they like fragrences? There are a lot of great things out there. You can click on the link on the right for "In the swim" to see some of them.  

1. Pillows- Understand that most if not all spa manufacturers have there own version of pillows attached to the spa. This would mean that you would need to go to a local dealer of that spa to get the pillows to fit. that being said you can get generic pillows with weights that just flop over the spa edge and allow you to place the pillows anywhere in the spa you would like.
2. Fragrences- Spazaz offers a great selection of fragrances for the spa, they have Crystals that are anti-inflamatory as well as a liquid, I reccomend that you use both to get the best overal expierience. The more you put in the stronger the scent. You only need 2 oz to have a nice arouma, and it will filter out within 24 hrs.
3. LED Light- There is a replaceable light bulb that you can remove the old white bayonet style lightbulb and insert this Starburst light into the same socket and convert the regular light into a color changing LED light, they usually have 5-6 different colors to rotate through. You will use the light button on the spa controls to change the colors.
4. Towel Rack- There are several versions out there but I like the wooden towel racks. They are easy to assemble, usually in 10 minutes, you can set the hooks for the towels at what ever height and placement you like. These are usually a stained cedar wood they come in several color options usually a grey, redwood, and natural wood color. This is a must if you ask me as you need a place for your towels and or robe in the winter when you go outside to get into the spa.
5. New Steps- Maybe your family or friends need a new set of steps. Years ago all the spa steps were made from real wood and by now they have rotted away, the new steps today are made from a plastic polymer that needs no maintenance. You can get them in various widths from 30"- 60" most popular is the 48", these also come in several different color options to match almost any color cabinet out there.
6. Spa Handrail- Maybe you have some older relatives that will be visiting and you should have a handrail to assist them getting into and out of the spa. These can be screwed into the spa cabinet or some models have a flat plate that goes under the spa for stability although with this version the spa will need to be emptied to install but definatly worth the effort.
7. Spa Umbrella- Is the spa in the direct sunlight all day? Then get an umbrella to give you some shade relief. These two have several installation methods, a "T" shape base that you must stabilize with block, you can bolt them down to your wooden deck or patio, and they also have ones that have a spa base, which is a flat plate to go under the spa.
8. Spa Vacuum- Everyone needs one of these. You will always track some type of dirt or debris into the spa and with a vacuum you can easilly remove it. they come in a hand pump style that sucks up the debris into a chamber then you can easily remove the debris every week. They also come battery operated.
9. Submersible Pump- Tired of waiting that hour or two for the gravity spa drain to empty the spa? Then get an electric submersible pump and connect a garden hose to the pump drop it in the spa and within 30 minutes it's empty. They range from 70 gallons per minute to 1700 gallons per minute. This will make quick work of it.
10. Booster Seat- You made be a little  height deprived and some of the seats in the spa drown you. Not any more, just pick up a booster seat and it will allow you to enjoy all the seats and benefits of the spa. These come in weighted versions that will sink on there own, some you leave in the spa for 10 minutes and they saturate then sink and some you fill with water or sand to weight it down.

So there you have it the 10 Christmas gifts to get your spa owner this year. I know that any of these items will thrill the spa owner in your life as I am sure they have thought of getting every one of these items. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year.

Until Next Time...