Aqua Magazine

In The Safety Zone: An Interview With Tom Lachocki

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:42:00 GMT

Dreamstime.com Ever since pools became a fixture in the American suburban landscape in the 1950s, concerns over safety have come along for the ride. Now, more than a half century later, the pool and spa industry still grapples with the unfortunate fact that drowning remains the second most common cause of unintentional injury or death for children under age four. Recently, as part of the industry's efforts ...

Keeping The Peace In A Family Business

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:02:00 GMT

Family businesses can be hotbeds of emotion that erode the bottom line. Here are some suggestions for reducing conflicts from Stacey A. Lundgren, a former family business owner and now a consultant in Howell, Mich.: • When discussing business matters address the siblings as a group rather than as individuals. “Private conversations create suspicion and lack of trust,” says Lundgren. “They can lead to conversations where ...

Spotlight: British Swim School

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Nick Dobbs is the owner/director for the British Swim School in the Chicago area, including Naperville and Oak Brook. How does British Swim School work and how has it worked for you as a business opportunity? The school lives by the motto "survival of the littlest," teaching survival swim methods first and skill development second. Prior to teaching their methods in the pool, I did not realize ...

When It Comes To Water Care, Don't Think Of A Spa As Just A Small Pool

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Dreamstime.com Information and support for this article was provided by Alicia Stephens, Education Manager at BioGuard, Lawrenceville, Ga. Conceptually, it's easy to think of a spa as simply a warm swimming pool of manageable size. And after years of experience with swimming pools, some may consider spa water care to be a scaled down version of the same process. But there are important differences that make spa water ...

New Pool And Spa Products For February 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:13:00 GMT

Inter-Fabwww.inter-fab.com800-737-5386 Inter-Fab, manufacturers of slides, diving boards, rails, games and unique pool water features, is now offering a basketball game set that is perfect for pool professionals looking to add a fun area for users, Inter-Fab says. Designed to be easily added to new or existing pools, the basketball game can be added on-deck or in-deck. The support legs come standard in stainless steel and can ...

How Swimming Pool Retailers Can Thrive In The Internet Age

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:40:00 GMT

More and more consumers are using the Internet to research and make pool-related purchases. What does this mean for traditional pool retailers? And how can they stop losing market-share and customer loyalty while improving their business? The effect of the Internet on sales Online purchases of pool aftermarket products have increased from 1 percent to 9 percent of all in-ground residential swimming pool products sold in six ...

2012 IPSPE Issues Call For Presentations

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:06:00 GMT

The 2012 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo has issued a Call for Presentations to all educators, consultants and specialists from around the world who want to share their knowledge and business expertise as presenters for the educational conference program. Taking place November 3-8, 2012, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, the educational conference program presents the latest trends in the pool, ...

A Profitable Partnership

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

While banks have more money than ever on their books, business owners have difficulty qualifying for loans. The mismatch between lender and borrower results from a more conservative financial environment in which bankers rely on cash flow projections and businesses struggle with an uncertain market. If you're like most small business owners you're finding it tougher than ever to negotiate with your bank. Loans are harder ...

February 2012 AQUA Choice Winner

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:39:00 GMT

The natatorium exterior is stone, stucco, and wood shingles, deftly applied to make the extension seem a natural outcropping of the existing home Be honest, on a snowy winter's day in Massachusetts is there anyplace you'd rather be than sitting poolside in this marvelous aquatic space adorned with exposed vertical-grained Douglas fir beams and wholesale quantities of natural light? That's pretty much how the judges saw it, ...

The Water Proofing Conundrum

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:02:00 GMT

I’d like to revisit a subject I dove into last summer in a blog titled “A Question of Compression,” which dealt the issue of compressive concrete standards for shotcrete and gunite installation. It’s a topic that seems to always draw strong opinions and one that remains at least in part unsettled for some, especially as it relates to the need for waterproofing, or lack thereof. This ...

Evidence Of Chlorine-Asthma Link Deemed Inconclusive

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:39:00 GMT

Over the past decade, concerns have been raised about the effect of chlorine on swimmer health. Perhaps most notably, a team led by Dr. Alfred Bernard, research director at the National Fund for Scientific Research and professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, has published several papers suggesting a link between attendance at chlorinated swimming pools and childhood asthma. In response, The Belgian Superior Health ...

The Four Habits Of Highly Effective Water Analysts

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

photo courtesy AquaChek When a homeowner or service tech gets a wonky reading on a water test, it's easy to assume one of two things: the water chemistry has gotten way out of whack or the equipment is faulty. While these things do happen, it's more likely the tester that's to blame. More-experienced water testing professionals may feel they're the exception to that rule, and that their ...

Feedback: Irate Customers

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:00 GMT

I so agree with the advice in John Tschohl's blog post (Jan. 5, www.aquamagazine.com). And one of the most important parts of it is the patient listening part. May I suggest that when the customer is communicating to you his or her complaint, do not give in to the temptation to interrupt and get defensive. Often most complaints will be helped tremendously to be resolved ...

200-Foot Vinyl Liner Stretches Pool Builder's Imagination

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:43:00 GMT

Winter in Wisconsin often means some time off for pool builders, but for Madison's Farwell Pools & Construction, 2011 was an unusual year. As temperatures plummeted and the holidays approached, the company prepared to install a 200-foot vinyl liner. Earlier in the year, owner Duane Farwell had been approached by a contractor who was installing a fire protection vessel below a new commercial building. They needed ...

Success Is A Team Effort

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:48:00 GMT

Dreamstime.com Way back in 1985 when my career as a writer was just starting, I landed a plum of an assignment covering the design and construction of the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a magazine (now long defunct) called Music & Sound Output, a trade publication for the professional audio industry. At the time, the facility (called OCPAC for short, located in Costa Mesa, Calif.) was ...

International Hot Tub Association Elects Officers And Directors

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:40:00 GMT

Bob Lauter The International Hot Tub Association held its annual meeting on Jan. 10 and elected its officers and directors for 2012. Bob Lauter, from Master Spas, is the new president; Mike Dunn, from Watkins Manufacturing, is the vice president; and Cindi Magray, from Spa Manufacturers, is the secretary treasurer. The new IHTA Directors are Michel Authier, Gecko Alliance; Jeff Bailey, Spring Dance Hot Tubs; John Day, ...

Why AQUA Offers Two Versions Of Its Cover

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:30:00 GMT

As editor, you'd think I would know what is on the cover of the magazine. But I don't. It may be an enticing indoor pool with gorgeous exposed Douglas fir beams, or it may be a snowy Lake Tahoe hot tub scene. You've got one or the other. As some of you have noticed, we recently started double covering AQUA Magazine. Just as the coaches in the ...

On The Waterfront: NESPA’s Atlantic City Show Jan. 25-27

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMT

As the first month of 2012 draws to a close, a resilient spa and pool industry will make its way to Atlantic City to view new products, learn new skills, make new acquaintances (and cement old ones) and ink business deals with the hope that products will finally start flying out of retail showrooms and homeowners will once again begin buying pools at levels we ...

New Pool And Spa Products For January 2012

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:40:00 GMT

Aquatic AVwww.aquaticav.com(877) 579-2782 Aquatic AV has released its new Digital Media Locker. A water- and dust-proof media locker, the AQ-DM-4 is compatible with iPods, MP3 players and FM radio. Its powerful built-in amplifier drives up to four external loudspeakers, plus a stereo RCA auxiliary output allows for external amplification to be used for extra power or zones. DSP EQ provides powerful sound sculpture for high-quality audio ...

AquaStar Files Suit Against Hayward

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:56:00 GMT

AquaStar Pool Products has initiated legal proceedings against Hayward Industries, alleging that the large, comprehensive pool product manufacturer has been using its clout with distributors to muscle out its smaller APC competitor, AquaStar. In some ways, the suit echoes allegations made against POOLCORP in a filing by the Federal Trade Commission settled in November of last year, in which POOLCORP was accused of using its leverage ...