Posted on 18/06/09, filed under General | No Comments

Who doesn’t dream of owning their own swimming pool?  It’s like having your own tropical resort and vacation destination right outside the back door—an instant private escape from the stress of daily life.  But there are plenty of reasons besides these for owning your own pool.  Consider these:

It’s fun for the whole family.  What other gift is so universally pleasing?  A pool makes everyone happy and provides year after year of pure enjoyment.  Vacations come to an end but your own pool will be there 24/7/365.
You’ll spend more quality time together as a family.  A pool acts like a magnet—the whole family will want to spend time there.  This means that you’ll all spend more time together bonding and having fun.

The kids will want to stick around.  A pool makes staying at home a lot more appealing to youngsters and teens who always complain that being at home is so boring.  And grandparents, take note: a pool is a wonderful incentive for the grandkids to come visit.

Stay fit and look great!  Swimming and aquatic exercise are excellent fitness activities for people of all ages and abilities.  Whether you’re looking to balance a workout, recovering from an injury or have a rheumatologic condition like arthritis, water exercise is fantastic because it can be adapted to individual needs.  And in addition to achieving a better swimsuit body you’ll also be rewarded with a gorgeous tan.

It’s a great way to keep cool in summer.  Nothing is more refreshing than a dip in the pool after mowing the lawn, playing tennis or a long day’s work.  It beats staying cooped up in an air-conditioned house any day.

You’ll enjoy a private, crowd-free atmosphere.  Gained some weight over the winter?  Now you don’t need to parade your less-than-perfect swimsuit body around the local swim club.  You’ll also avoid the noisy, crowded atmosphere of swim clubs and resorts.

It’s an incredibly romantic rendezvous in the moonlight.  Turn every night into a hot date or mini-vacation with your spouse, right in your own backyard.  There aren’t many other places where you can go skinny dipping under the stars…

Everyone loves a pool party.  A pool is the perfect place for entertaining guests of all ages.

It’s a wise investment.  A pool increases the value of your home and improves your lifestyle without having to relocate.  Plus, with a pool at home you’ll be able to reduce the amount you spend on entertainment and vacations.

It will beautify your home.  The clear, sparkling water makes for a beautiful garden centrepiece.

Once you’ve made the decision to buy a pool, in order to ensure it’s a source of safe fun for everyone there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind.  Keep children safe by following these guidelines at all times:

• Never leave children alone in or near the pool.  Always be within arm’s length of children aged five and younger.  Remember: flotation devices and the fact that a child knows how to swim are no substitute for adult supervision.
• Learn CPR and how to swim.  Know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Keep rescue equipment and a phone with emergency numbers handy next to the pool.
• If you have an in-ground pool, put up a four-foot fence around it with a self-closing and self-latching gate.  If your house is adjacent to the pool, equip doors leading to the pool area with alarms to notify you when they’re opened unexpectedly.  If you have an above-ground pool, secure or remove steps and ladders when it’s not in use.
• Never use a pool or spa with broken drain covers.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first.

It’s also important that your pool is kept clean and well-maintained.  After all, crystal-clear water with only a mild chlorine aroma isn’t only pleasing to the senses—it’s good for your health.  Follow the cleaning and maintenance guidelines specific to your pool in order to avoid these problems:

• Contamination with algae and bacteria – The chemical balance of the water must be controlled to avoid the proliferation of these organisms, which can give the water a repulsive odour and appearance.
• The harbouring of pathogens – The concentration of pool disinfectant must be closely monitored in order to create an environment antagonistic to the survival of viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms.
• Debris accumulation – Clean your pool regularly and keep the surrounding area clear of debris to avoid this.
• Strong chlorine smell and burning eyes – This is indicative of a problem with the water’s chemistry.
• Pool staining – To avoid this problem, the water chemistry should be periodically tested.

Posted on 09/06/09, filed under General | No Comments

Swimming pool owners will understand all too well that whilst family and friends are all enjoying the benefits, keeping the swimming pool maintained and running from season to season can create a noticeable dent in one’s finances. Here are some suggestions to help fight the summer credit crunch.

Heating

Heating the pool is a necessity,  if the pool isn’t warm no one is going to use it. The latest generation of heat pumps harness the free heat in the air and the sun doesn’t need to shine for the heat pump to work! They are super efficient with COP (co-efficiency of performance) of up to 5:1, this means every £1 electricity spend gives you up to £5 worth of heat to the pool. On a 30′ x 15 ‘ pool with typical 6 month use you could enjoy savings of up to £1400/year over normal electric heating.

If you are using gas, then you can invest in the efficiency of a condensing boiler which can reduce running costs by up to 30%.

Solar Covers

Once you’ve tackled the source of heat, you can make further savings by ‘keeping the heat in’. A good swimming pool solar cover allows the sun’s heat rays to pass through the cover into the pool water. The cover will help in the prevention of heat loss by allowing some of the sun’s rays to be reflected back into the pool water and also by preventing heat loss through evaporation. A low cost, effective way to help you save money.

Swimming pool chemicals

Switch your chemical supplier! We all know the importance of keeping the pool clean and levels balanced. Find out just how much you can save by visting our pool chemicals section today, we have some of the lowest prices in the UK. You can also enjoy the added benefit of free delivery on orders over £50.

So…there you have it…3 cost saving measures, keeping you and your wallet happy whilst your family and friends enjoy the pool all summer long.

Posted on 09/06/09, filed under General | No Comments

Following continued growth this year, we at 1st Direct are pleased to announce a further two members to our team:

Andy Bumby is a new addition to the warehouse staff assisting our warehouse manager, Chris Worth, and other staff in our dispatch department helping to control our stock across five warehouses. Andy will be key in the expansion plans of the company as we prepare to take over an additional 30,000 sq ft of warehousing on our West Stour site at the end of this year.

Claire Rydall joins our expert sales and technical team which has received such positive response again this year. Claire comes from a hands-on background in swimming pools managing pools from commercial leisure centre levels down to local family pools. She comes with full qualifications in plant room and swimming pool management which will prove a true strength to us and our customers during her time with us.

If you feel that you have something to offer the 1st Direct team then we always welcome you to contact us with your CV. Either call us on 01747 839601 or email us at jobs@1st-direct.com