As most of the industry will be now know 1st-Direct is moving forward in its growth and part of this journey includes forming a united group of online swimming pool retailers to offer protection and information to customers on accredited and trustworthy online pool retailers.

The online pool retailers have still yet to deicde on an official name for its united group of online pool retailers but we hope to have a presence in 2010.

If you have any suggestions on what to call it then please comment below.

1st Direct are very happy to announce this morning that we are cementing deals to supply new one piece pools from Leisure Pools in Australia.

These pools will be available to end users and trade customers alike.

A new website will be launched soon to offer these fantastic pools to the UK & Europe.

I talked a few weeks ago about the New Heat Perfector heat pump and I am pleased to say that we have now seen the unit on display at the European swimming pool show in Barcelona.

The unit has various improvement to make a very good contender in this ever more competitive market. The new Heat Perfector comes in a more subtle black colour, has digital easy to use controls, better insulated components for almost unrivaled low sound output and also solid removeable casing which better protects the sensitive fins making in nearly impossible to damage in transit and every day use.

This model will not be available to the UK until 2011 but we look forward to welcoming a new and improved big brother to the already fantastic Heat Perfector heat pump.

Images and technical spec to follow….

As from next year 1st Direct are please to announce that we will be launching a new product to the market in the way of a Calorex ground source heat pump.

Similar in principle to an air source heat pump, these Calorex units will be true to brand and display high quality build and efficientcies. The units source their heat from pipe laid in the ground and convert it into a very effective heat source all year round.

When it comes to ground source and air source heat pumps Calorex is the UK name that you want to strive for.

1st Direct is also in conversations to be in a position next year whereby we can offer government back grants to people who plan on installing ground source heat pumps reducing the cost significantly!

To find out more or to register interest in Calorex ground source heat pumps please email groundsource@1st-direct.com

Calorex heat pumps have been around for years and always known for their quality and efficientcy. Here at 1st Direct we have always supported the Calorex brand and explained to our customers that it is the Rolls-Royce of heat pumps but recently the Calorex has seen massive decrease in its market share as a result of imported products from other countries.

Calorex units have always been made in the UK despite attempts to move some of the Calorex manufacture to eastern Europe but with maintaining UK production comes high costs. We are wondering here at 1st Direct what the future will hold for Calorex, particularly in these troubled economic times.

How does a brand such as Calorex survive against progressing modern technology / advancements, cheap foreign labour, falling value of sterling and market saturation?

Calorex need to act quick in order to sustain a market in the UK and we wish them the best of luck and support. We have always pushed the Calorex units for the strengths and hope that we can continue to offer these units for years to come.

If you would like some advice on which heat pump to go for then please do give our technical team a call on 0844 247 0047 and we are always more than happy to help correctly spec a heat pump to your pool size.

World swimming pool giant Pool Corp which owns UK company SCP (UK) Ltd has just acquired another American swimming pool company called General Pool & Spa Supply Inc.

General Pool & Spa Supply Inc has a turnover of around $40 million and will help to continue the domination of this world super company who’s shares have dropped in value by over 75% in the past two years.

Wow – hasn’t the weather been lovely recently?!

It’s a shame that the weather was a couple of months late in coming but we are all enjoying it!

As such not very many of you have shut down your swimming pools yet trying to squeeze the last ounces of summer out of them. In order to help you through the winter we have decided to extend our winter debris cover offer through until the 31st October 2009.

Please use our online bespoke calculator or call for a winter debris cover quote on 0800 999 5050

In a swimming pool in denver recently a large 1,000lbs 12-point deer fell into the swimming pool and got stuck!

The family quickly decided to cut through their expensive automatic swimming pool cover with knives in order to free the trapped stag and encourage it back to shallower waters with a broom.

Having sat in the shallow end of the swimming pool for half an hour it made its own way out and ran off back to where it came from!

Image Courtesy Doug Talley

At 1st-Direct our leading swimming pool heat pump is the American made Heat Perfector range.

The Heat Perfector is already a superb unit but we’ve decided to make it that little bit better! From now our Heat Perfector heat pumps are coming complete with a pre-fitted insulator blanket over the compressor and heat exchange making it even quieter when running next to your swimming pool.

We have also had a meeting this week with the European distributor and manufacturers about the launch of a new updated version of the heat perfector provisionally due to us in 2011. Updates will include LCD display, full compliance with international ratings standards creating a level playing field for sizing your pump, new more effecient refridgerant, new more protective outer casing and some internal changes to make it even more reliable and efficient amongst others.

For more information on swimming pool heat pumps or if you would like us to accurately size a heat pump for your pool then please contact our sales team on 0800 999 5050.

Winter debris covers are starting to be ordered by those who think summer is drawing to an end.

At 1st-Direct we have managed to bring you the lowest swimming pool winter debris covers that you will find ANYWHERE in the UK.

Starting from today until 30th September we are offering the Deluxe Criss-Cross winter debris cover for the same price as the standard (economy) winter debris cover! That’s a free upgrade to a cover which normally costs around 20% more!

To get a quote for your cover please contact us on 0800 999 5050 or alternatively if your swimming pool is of a standard size you can simply buy online by viewing the covers.