If you have ever sat in a sauna, then you are aware of the awesome sensation of the heat in your nose and over your body. What you may not be aware of is all of the health benefits of using one. Pain relief, weight loss, exercise, detoxification, stress relief, and skin care are just a few on the list. The heat is the magic. Heat causes blood vessels to expand, which allows oxygen to be carried to injured parts of the body. In turn this speeds up the healing process. It also causes the heart rate to increase up to 70%. That's the same as a long brisk walk! If your anything like me, I would MUCH rather sit in the comforts of a warm sauna with my mp3 player than out in the elements walking. Heat therapy also loosens the muscles, so you can relax as if you were getting a massage. When you begin to sweat, dead cells are removed from the surface of the skin causing a clean & clear complexion. No matter what age or walk of life you come from, there are countless benefits you can enjoy by owning a sauna.

Phosphates are a vital nutrient that is used for plant growth. Its great for nature , but can be extremely troublesome for the pool owner. Phosphates cause chlorine not to activate and sanitize therefore allowing algae to bloom at tremendous rates. If you have ever encountered this problem, then you know what I'm talking about. So you ask, "where do phosphates come from and how do they get in my pool"?

Water treatment facilities may add phosphate to tap water to prevent pipe corrosion and reduce concentrations of heavy metals in drinking water. Tap water is chemically treated with chlorine, soluble silicates, phosphate polymers and many other chemicals. So basically just by filling your pool your adding phosphates. Normally the levels are below 125 ppm & are of no concern. Higher levels of phosphates can enter thru decaying plant matter, fertilizers, ground run-off, urine, and even sweat. No matter what route they take to get there, when you have them you will know. You will see your pool start to turn even though the chlorine level is outrageously high.

It is possible to remove moderate amounts of phosphates using a precipitating product. They can be rather expensive, but at times you have no other choice. The dosage level will vary from brand to brand, but from experience once the product is used the pool should start to clear overnight. Extremely high levels of phosphates, 1000ppm & over, may render using a remover pointless. The cost would outweigh just draining the pool and starting over. Unless of course water replacement is not an option.

Swimming pool energy efficiency has recently been taken to a new level within the industry.With the introduction of multi speed pumps, pool owners are experiencing significant savings on their utility bills.

Energy efficient upgrades can save homeowners up to 30-40% a year in energy cost. Case studies show on a 17,000 gallon pool a customer was spending $103.55 a month on electricity to run their filtration system.

By replacing their traditional split phase, or capacitor start pump with a energy efficient pump the bill dropped to $53.84 in one month. With those tremendous savings, $596 a year, the pump pays for itself in 16 months!

I don't know about you, but that sounds fantastic to me! After the initial 16 months, that's $2980 in 5 years alone! I can think of a lot of things to spend that money on besides electricity! Like more toys for the pool!

I'd like to point out also that this is NOT a rare occurrencebut rather the standard.

The United States Department of energy has a energy calculator you can use to determine what you are paying for energy down to the minute. Some of the products we offer that will help control your energy consumption are multi speed pumps, LED lighting, robotic cleaners, lo-nox heaters, and automatic controls and timers. On top of all the energy & money your saving, your also helping the environment!

Now who can argue with that?

Polaris cleaners are the most popular cleaners on the market. They are durable, reliable, & can save the homeowner a ton of work by keeping the pool swept on a daily basis. Like everything else though, issues do arise. The most common issues I hear are the cleaners getting stuck, running slow, and tangling itself up. You can determine the cause of your problem with a process of elimination. The first things you will want to check are; A. Is my pump & skimmer baskets empty B. Has my filter been backwashed recently C. Are all of my hose connections tight & secure D. Are all the valves on my suction header & pressure side in the correct position E. Is my pump impeller free and clear of debris

If you can answer yes to all of these questions & none of them solved your issue, you may have to do some further investigations & maintenance. The unit should run at 28-34 wheel revolutions per minute. The way to determine if yours is running properly is to pull your unit to the edge of the pool. While still submerged, turn the unit sideways to where the single side wheel is up. Mark the wheel with a sharpie & count the revolutions for one minute. If your wheel is turning more than 34 times, you can adjust the pressure relief valve or install the restrictordisk's that came with your Polaris.

Another issue that can occur is wear on the gear system. Over time the gears can become brittle and wear down. Luckily, Polaris has planned for this and makes a rebuild kit. It comes with basically all the parts except the frame. They also have a tune up kit which alot of people will use to ensure the life of their unit & to keep problems from ever coming up. You can purchase anything you might need by visiting our easy to useparts finder.