Blue Haven Pools

SPASA SPOTLIGHT

BLUE HAVEN POOLS

At Blue Haven, we understand that building a new pool involves making many decisions, so we help you choose a pool that fits your budget, lifestyle and architecture. Our refined process sees to it that every project is completed within the set timeframe and budget. We are extremely passionate about delivering functional pool designs that suit YOUR home, YOUR backyard and YOUR needs.

This build was difficult, with many obstructions to overcome. Easement, underground detention tank, pipes running all through the yard, drains and slope... this site had it all and created a design challenge that we met with a clever innovative solution. P: 02 9728 0444 E: SALES@BLUEHAVEN.COM.AU W: BLUEHAVEN.COM.AU

THE GREAT RETAIL REVIVAL

Supporting your local pool store

Daena Bougoure-Latchford

THE PANDEMIC HAS PRESENTED COUNTLESS CHALLENGES FOR POOL AND SPA RETAILERS, INCLUDING FORCED CLOSURES AND A TEMPORARY HALT ON SERVICE VISITS. WITH THE WARMER WEATHER UPON US, IT’S TIME TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL POOL STORE.

© Stock.Adobe.com/au/Rawpixel.com Ongoing extended lockdowns in many parts of Australia over the last two years led SPASA Australia to successfully campaign for pool stores to be recognised as an essential service in the interest of public health and safety. Those same efforts also resulted in service technicians being permitted to carry out onsite client visits, ensuring pools and spas were adequately maintained in the interest of public health.

While most lockdown periods occurred over winter, as a pool owner, you know that it’s just as important to keep an eye on things in the off-season. Your local pool store can offer expert advice and a wide range of in-store product choices that make regular maintenance and monitoring a breeze.

As a result of the pandemic, there are now more options on offer to help keep your water sparkling clean and safe for swimming. Here’s some of the services you can expect to see from your local pool store retailer.

CHANGING SERVICE MODELS

Some of the changes arising from two years of social distancing and retail limits will probably continue long beyond the pandemic — for both retailers and pool owners. For instance, the days of standing in a long queue on a Saturday morning waiting for water testing will probably become a thing of the past, with most retailers now offering ‘click and collect’ services.

Some pool stores have taken this one step further, with on-road service technicians covering local areas and offering ‘letterbox testing’. Simply leave a water sample in your letterbox and it will be collected and tested. When the results are available, you’ll be contacted with advice on exactly what your pool needs... too easy!

According to Serana McNicol of Victoria’s Poolside Melton, the contactless model offers clients everything they need while ensuring everyone remains safe.

“Our role is to keep water sanitised, balanced and healthy, and this has been just as important during lockdown. We have been busier than ever, packing orders, taking water samples and delivering analysis outcomes and guidance through contactless ways,” she said.

POOL STORES INVEST... AND YOU REAP THE BENEFIT

Savvy retailers have taken the time to invest and improve their online capability, upgrading e-commerce platforms to facilitate easy ordering and delivery for customers. It’s also been a time to focus on what’s new and exciting, so your local pool store team has been busy keeping up to date on product developments that will not only deliver a healthy swimming experience, but will save you time and money as well.

PREMIUM TECHNOLOGIES

What’s on offer?

Your local pool store can offer expert advice on all things pool and spa, along with servicing, spare parts and all of the latest technologies designed to make pool ownership easy: • Chemicals • Chlorinators • Cleaners and accessories • Filters • Pumps • Pool safety • Pool toys

enjoyment and create a true backyard sanctuary. For some, this means focusing on health and wellness, for others it’s all about poolscaping, furniture or garden design. And for another group, it’s as simple as taking the work out of pool ownership.

Mineral pools use magnesium salt to soften the water and provide additional health and wellness benefits, making them an increasingly popular choice for families looking for alternatives to traditional sanitation methods… particularly during a time when health and wellness has been the order of the day.

Pool automation systems take the hassle out of water chemistry, with continuing advances delivering self-dosing and remote monitoring options designed to make pool ownership easier and give you more time to enjoy your pool.

For those with environmental concerns, look out for products that are Climate Care Certified. These are the industry gold standard, delivering efficiencies in water and energy use, noise reduction and sustainable designs that will minimise your environmental footprint and save you money.

If you need expert advice and access to the latest premium technologies on offer, look no further than your local pool store.

RETAIL IN A NEW WORLD

The ‘new normal’ puts increased responsibility on businesses, requiring adherence to governmentmandated procedures and protocols to ensure that retail stores are safe for both workers and customers. These protocols include QR code check-ins, in-store social distancing, maintaining a high level of hygiene and checking the vaccination status of both staff and customers.

While the extra requirements can be a little frustrating for retail customers, we all need to play our part in order to minimise further disruption. Supporting your local pool store is a positive step that will help in the recovery of retail and ensure you have access to the expert advice and equipment needed to keep your pool in tip top condition.

It’s been a difficult time for everyone, with customers keen to get back into the world and pool store staff more than happy to see them.

“The support from our customers has been overwhelming, with positive feedback being a main driver keeping our team’s spirits high during this incredibly difficult time. We can’t wait to welcome our customers back into our store,” Serana said.

To connect with your nearest SPASA Australia member and get retail back on the road to recovery this summer, visit our website to find your local supplier: www.poolspalife. com.au/find-a-provider.

Daisy has quality covered for Aussie pool owners

As Aussie pool owners embrace another summer, we’re working to meet demand across the country. And while that demand continues to grow, so does our commitment to product innovation and quality.

Launched as the original Australian pool cover back in 1983, our products are the result of decades of scientific research and product development. We knew we had to do it, as the harsh Australian climate exposes pool covers to tough seasonal conditions.

From the outset, we’ve valued quality assurance as an important part of the process. Not just because it made a better product, but because superior products deliver a better customer experience.

For a company like Daisy, that means that every link in the chain is designed and planned to optimise the final product. We focus on fine-tuning quality and customer service – from raw materials to manufacturing, through to delivery and installation. And it doesn’t stop there. Our pool covers perform better and last longer, but the Daisy customer experience continues long after that – an industry-leading 10-year pro rata warranty on all 525 pool covers in our range says it all.

Our products are backed by a knowledgeable team that offers unbeatable service and handles all the logistics including delivery and installation. You may not see everything that goes on behind the scenes, but you’ll enjoy the benefits – including the peace of mind that comes from owning a Climate Care Certified product, as recognised by SPASA.

So, as summer highlights everything you love about owning a pool, the nation’s favourite pool cover will be doing its part too.

DAISY POOL COVERS

P: 1300 551 811 E: HELLO@DAISYPOOLCOVERS.COM.AU W: WWW.DAISYPOOLCOVERS.COM.AU

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All about algae

Algae can be a big problem in pools — so what is it and how do you get rid of it and stop the problem from recurring?

WHAT IS IT?

Algae are aquatic plant organisms that tend to thrive in swimming pool environments. Like any living thing, they require air, sunlight, water and nutrients to survive. Algae spores are introduced to the pool via the elements, like wind and rain, or can hitch a ride on contaminated cleaning tools or general debris.

When conditions are right, algae will thrive. They eat nutrients in the water — mainly phosphates and nitrates — and rapidly multiply on warm sunny days when they can photosynthesise, taking in carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen.

That desire to be in sunlight means you’ll generally find algae in the shallowest water of the pool, particularly on steps and swim-outs.

HOW DO YOU GET RID OF ALGAE?

Algae love out-of-balance water, sunlight, warmth and a steady stream of nitrates and phosphates. If your pool contains debris or lacks adequate circulation, filtration or sanitisation, it’s a recipe for algal bloom, which can occur within hours.

Every pool contains algae — even those with clean and clear water. It doesn’t take much for algae to take hold, so you need to deprive them of one of the elements that is essential to their survival. In swimming pools, it’s easiest to remove their required nutrients — specifically phosphates — by using a phosphate remover.

Unfortunately, algae are superhardy and they often become resistant to normal sanitiser treatments. Specialist algaecides may be required to combat the problem. There are many available options, so speak with your local pool shop or accredited pool tech to determine which will work for you.

Once you’ve managed to kill the algae off, ensure you remove it from the pool surface, as the dead remains will become a source of food for the next generation. Brush it from the surface so it can be removed via filtration or vacuumed out.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR POOL ALGAE-FREE?

Keeping water balance in check and monitoring sanitiser levels will help, but you may also need to give the pool the occasional shock dosing to keep algae under control.

If necessary, regular use of algaecide and a phosphate removal program will ensure your pool remains clean and free from algae.

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Creating a lowmaintenance pool

Low maintenance is a term that is rarely associated with pool ownership. In years gone by, the work required to keep a pool in tiptop condition and looking the right colour whilst being safe to swim in was enough to turn some people off the idea of pool ownership.

However, with pool equipment manufacturers racing to incorporate timesaving technology into their products along with internet integration and apps, we asked Hayward Pool Products whether it really is now truly possible to spend longer in your pool than working on it.

FOR BUSY HOMEOWNERS, WHAT ARE THE BEST CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR REDUCING THE WORK REQUIRED TO RUN A POOL?

Probably the quickest and easiest thing that you can do to make maintenance easy is to cut down on the time and effort it takes to clean your pool. You can do this by investing in an automatic pool cleaner. It will remove debris and scrub the pool for you — all you have to do is remember to empty it. The new AquaVac 650 Robotic Cleaner from Hayward has even done away with filters, meaning you can stay away from the mess and empty it with the touch of a button.

A more long-term solution to improve the ownership experience would be to invest in an automation system to run your pool. Many owners install a pool to improve the lifestyle of themselves or their families. In the past they have been unable to fully enjoy this change due to the work required to maintain and run a pool. Automation removes many of these time-consuming and labour-intensive tasks so the owner can enjoy the lifestyle improvements that a pool can bring.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC HAYWARD POOL PRODUCTS THAT YOU’D RECOMMEND FOR A BUSY HOMEOWNER? WHY?

Hayward OmniLogic pool and backyard automation is the perfect system for a busy homeowner. It provides an easy way to control the chemistry of your pool and spa, as well as the heating, lighting, water features and any other pool or backyard equipment required by the user. The system takes the hassle out of pool ownership by bringing together all the elements of a modern energy-efficient pool and allowing the user to control it with an app. With an OmniLogic installed you can quickly and simply get your pool running exactly how you like it, at the touch of a button.

Owners can access their pool from anywhere as long as they’re connected to the internet. So rather than having to manually switch valves or press buttons around the pool, the owner can do this from the comfort of their sun lounger. You can even get your pool up and running before you arrive home from work, allowing you to get straight in and make the most of your evening.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR BUSY HOMEOWNERS LOOKING TO INCORPORATE AUTOMATION INTO THEIR NEW POOL?

When choosing your pool equipment make sure that you are comfortable with understanding how it operates — modern systems can appear complicated and this can be off-putting to some people. The last thing you want is to be standing around scratching your head trying to figure out how to get your filtration running when you could be in the pool splashing around. However, if a system is set up in accordance with the needs of the pool owner and a good handover is provided by the installer, pool automation can truly transform your ownership experience and turn it into the dream you always hoped it would be.

To find out more about the products mentioned in this article and to find your nearest Hayward dealer, just head to www.hayward-pool.com.au.

HAYWARD POOL PRODUCTS AUSTRALIA

P: 1300 766 571 E: SALES@HAYWARD-POOL.COM.AU W: WWW.HAYWARD-POOL.COM.AU

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Caring for natural stone pavers and tiles

Natural stone pavers and tiles add a beautiful contemporary touch to outdoor designs and are an increasingly popular poolside choice. Of course, you’ll want your investment to look as good as new for as long as possible, so should you seal your natural stone tiles and pavers?

Most suppliers and builders will say ‘yes’, because, while sealing natural stone doesn’t make it completely stain-proof, it does slow the rate of penetration beyond the surface giving you a little time to clean up before permanent damage is done. Sealing also helps protect the stone from salt and other chemicals.

But — and it’s a big but — sealing natural stone in a poolside environment can sometimes contribute to premature deterioration of the stone itself, presenting quite the conundrum for pool owners. Why does it happen and what can you do about it?

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

Sealant products fall into two camps: surface sealers and penetrating sealers. As a rule, surface sealers should not be used for exterior installations including your pool deck and surround. That’s because they deliver an impermeable barrier which helps prevent liquids and gases getting into the stone — but also stops them from escaping, which can be an issue if there is moisture below the surface.

Penetrating sealers can also contribute to the breakdown of stone where pavers have been laid over an impermeable layer (like concrete) and water has no other way of escaping than through the stone surface. Because the paver has been sealed, water passes through as vapour but leaves behind soluble compounds that accumulate under the sealed layer and can cause the stone to flake.

SO… SHOULD YOU SEAL?

Unfortunately, this is not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question as there is a range of impacting factors. Sealers can definitely improve the appearance of natural stone, make it more resistant to staining and easier to clean. They are not a one-off solution, and you’ll need to reapply every few years to maintain the effectiveness of the seal.

To avoid the issues outlined above, you need to go back to the design stage and ensure you are choosing a suitable stone material for the job — it should be durable, salt resistant where possible and exhibit stain resistant properties. If you’ve decided you’ll probably want to seal, then select a material that will readily take up the product, as some are naturally resistant. Some suppliers also suggest sealing pavers and tiles before installation, as sealing all sides of the paver can reduce moisture uptake that occurs when only one side is treated.

If you aren’t sure which path to travel down, speak with a supplier or installer that works specifically with natural stone products to better understand the benefits and limitations of your chosen pavers. Getting the best advice will help ensure your installation looks as good as new for years to come.