Brothers Pool Blog

Monthly Archives: August 2016

Dream Maker Spas: Dreams Made Clean, Simple And Affordable

Simple, durable and built to last, Dream Maker spas are affordable and super easy to install. More than just a way to relax, Dream Makers are advanced hydrotherapy machines with powerful, adjustable jets that are strategically placed to relieve maximum muscle tension.

Lots of Options

Now, let’s talk about variety. Not only do you have your pick from three colors, but there are eight different models to choose from — that’s one for every face in the “Brady Bunch” square except for Alice.

Rotomold

They are built using the rotationally molded — or rotomold — manufacturing technique. Made from high-density polyethylene, Dream Maker spas are far superior to common acrylic spas. There’s a reason why critical-use items like kayaks and medical devices are made out of high-density thermal plastics. Since the material is naturally stronger, the spas hold their shape without heavy internal supports, which makes them not only light and portable, but environmentally sound and recyclable. Compare that to acrylic spas, which are built with wood, resin and other fillers that you might see littering an abandoned lot.

Maintenance is a Breeze

Dream Makers are hygienic and easy to maintain. Their patented filtration systems blend seamlessly into the design. Their locking, thermal covers — which they build — are also patented.

Your Perfect Spa

It’s hard to imagine a spa so affordable being so functional and advanced. Everything — from its digital controls to its LED lighting — is designed for efficiency, cost-effectiveness and luxury. Stop by our showroom or give us a call to see how you can make a Dream Makers spa your very own.

Kamado Joe vs. A Big, Green Marketing Campaign

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The Chinese have been using clay cooking pots for at least 3,000 years. Today, modern chefs around the world have re-fallen in love with ceramic smokers called kamado grills. No other cooking system allows food to retain its moisture better than a kamado, and no grill offers precision control over heat and air flow like a heavy ceramic smoker.

The best known and best-selling brand by far is the Big Green Egg, which got its name, well, because it looks like a big green egg.

It is the undisputed industry giant. But sometimes, the most popular and well-known brand is not actually the best (we’re looking at you, Absolut vodka!).

What Eggheads (yes, the Big Green Egg actually has legions of loyal fans who eagerly embrace this title and attend parties called Eggfests) are reluctant to admit is that Kamado Joe is undoubtedly a superior product. Eggheads didn’t buy a better grill, they bought a fantastic marketing campaign.

Simmer down, Eggheads. Facts are facts … read on.

First and foremost, there is the issue of price. Eggheads are not only loyal, they are apparently also very well heeled. Kamado Joe ceramic grills are significantly less expensive upfront.

Also, if you’re into overpaying, the Big Green Egg is the gift that keeps on giving. What Eggheads realize shortly after buying is that to complete their setup, they are required to buy a whole bunch of extra accessories.

To be fair, the Big Green Egg does come with the grill.

Kamado Joe also comes with the grill — and a heat deflector, a grate-removal tool, an ash tool and the “Divide & Conquer” flexible cooking system. In fact, the only thing that isn’t included is charcoal.

Again, with the Egg, you get the grill. And nothing else.

Let’s get back to that thing with the wacky name we just mentioned. The Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System is a half-rack, multi-level design that lets you cook different foods at different temperatures in different styles simultaneously.

It is, in a word, amazing. Or delicious. Or way better than the Big Green Egg. Take your pick.

Come see for yourself at Kamado Joe Weekend, a special promotional event we’re hosting where we will back up all the claims we just made in this post. We’ll be offering:

$50.00 gift card on Classic Size
$75.00 gift card on Big Size
$100.00 gift card on Tables
$150.00 gift card on Kamado Joe in a Table
Charcoal, wood chunks and chips — buy one, get one 30 percent off
Kamado Joe accessories, buy one get one 25 percent off

To throw a bone to the Eggheads, we’ll also offer a 75 percent off closeout on Big Green Egg accessories. They’re gonna need them if they actually ever want to use that thing.

The Shallow Water Of Online Pool Sales

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The Internet has revolutionized shopping, but there are some things that you shouldn’t buy online, even if it saves you money.

Pools are one of those things.

There are countless sites that sell above-ground pool kits at a discount. Since they don’t have to maintain stores and pay employees, they tell you, they can sell at just above wholesale and pass those savings onto you. The reason they can sell the exact same pool you find in the store, but at a reduced price, is because they cut out the middleman.

The problem, however, is that the middleman isn’t a middleman.

The middleman is an experienced pool professional who can guide you toward the right choice for a major investment. What kind of soil do you have in your yard? Will the pool be in the shade or in the sun? How long do you intend to own it? How often will it be in use? What is your annual budget for chemicals and maintenance?

These are questions that a website won’t ask you to consider before you enter your credit card information and type in a bunch of squiggly letters and numbers to prove that you’re a human.

You can read as many online reviews as you like, but if you try to save a few bucks by shopping online, you are almost certain to spend far more money down the road paying for mistakes that an actual human pool pro could have helped you avoid in the first place.

Online pool retailers brag that they charge less because they don’t have as much overhead. But since they don’t run actual pool companies, they can’t offer warranties that provide any real coverage. A genuine pool retailer usually offers a three-year warranty. You know how long you’ll be covered if you buy online? An average of 30 days. That’s a month. After one month, you’re naked — and if something does go wrong within the first 30 days, good luck taking your pool apart and shipping it back to www.GodKnowsWhere.com.

There is not an app for that.

Look, there’s cost and there’s value. You can likely find a lower up-front price online, but you simply will never match the value of the hands-on, personalized advice and counsel that you can only get from an actual professional in an old-fashioned store.

Steel vs. Aluminum – Let The Facts Tell The Story

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If you believe the hype — and slick marketing content you read online — above-ground pools should be made of aluminum. Steel pools are clunky and archaic. Aluminum, on the other hand, is the metal of the future. It’s impervious to weather and atmosphere, it’s light, strong and best of all, it’s shiny — which is why you should be willing to pay thousands of dollars more for an aluminum pool than you would for an old-fashioned steel pool.

That’s all well and fine — until you look at the facts.

A big selling point for aluminum is that when aluminum is exposed to air, it develops a protective but transparent coating of aluminum oxide. This is why airplanes, which are made of aluminum, don’t rust even though they’re constantly exposed to the atmosphere.

This is true — but that’s not why airplanes are made of aluminum. Airplanes are made of aluminum because they have to fly. Aluminum is light, and weight is a fairly strong consideration when you’re trying to defy gravity.

Unless you have some serious weirdness going on in your backyard, chances are, your pool doesn’t fly. The airplane analogy is marketing spin.

It’s true that aluminum doesn’t rust, but it does oxidize — hence the name of the “protective” coating, aluminum oxide. Unlike an airplane fuselage, aluminum pool walls are too thin and flimsy to prevent corrosion from eventually weakening the pool’s structural integrity.

If you plan on installing your pool partially in-ground, remember that aluminum is not rigid and is therefore likely to cave in when the pool is empty. The light, flimsy composition of aluminum also makes it an unreliable candidate for connectors and bottom tracks.

Aluminum is strong in relation to its weight. But it is not strong compared to steel. Steel is naturally tough and rigid, which makes it a perfect choice for something that has to hold thousands of gallons of heavy water, like, say, a pool.

But steel pools will eventually rust!

Yes, they will. Unless they are treated with protective coatings like hot-dipped galvanized zinc, which today’s modern steel pools are.

Steel is far heavier, sturdier and less likely to deform. As an added benefit, steel pools are also significantly less expensive. With all the money you save, you can book a flight and travel to an exotic location in a vehicle that has a logical reason to be made of aluminum.

Find out how Marquis Hot Tub with MicroSilk® is the Best Anti-Aging Therapy

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Using a Marquis hot tub with MicroSilk® is like giving your entire body an oxygen facial, moisturizing and hydrating at the same time making your skin feel luxuriously silky as well as reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Micro-bubbles literally envelope your body in a soothing, effervescent cloud of oxygen. Yes, oxygen is good for your skin. Increased oxygen levels result in better circulation and cellular respiration, which in turn leaves the skin glowing and radiant due to rapid skin cell regeneration.

Looking for a Lightweight, Portable Hot Tub?

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Moving with Lightweight Spas

If you live in the United States, you’ll move 12 times in your lifetime. At least that’s what the U.S. Census Bureau estimates for the average American. Most of us associate moving with packing and asking the question: what can come with us? When it comes to your hot tub, that question becomes a little easier to answer with a Dream Maker spa.

Lightweight

When moving, heavier items are always the most dreaded ones to maneuver. Did you know that an average three-seated couch weighs approximately 350 pounds? The lightest hot tub from Dream Maker Spas, the 2-person Fantasy Spa, only weighs 270 pounds, making it a lot easier to move than your old sofa! In fact, we have four other models that all weigh less than that couch: the EZ Spa, EZL Spa, Big EZ, and Odyssey. Our entire line of spa models including the six-person Crossover 730L is designed to weigh hundreds — or even thousands — of pounds less than traditional acrylic or fiberglass hot tubs.

Portable

In the world of hot tubs “Portable” covers a broad and sometimes confusing category. Any hot tub that is self-contained (meaning everything needed to operate the hot tub is housed within the spa itself) is considered portable.

The catch is that many of these “portable” hot tubs are so heavy that they require heavy equipment and possibly a crane to move. Truly portable hot tubs from Dream Maker Spas are easy to move with just two adults and the help of a hand truck or moving dolly. This translates to a lot of savings when it comes to moving costs — just imagine the cost of a crane compared to the help of a friend. What’s more, Dream Maker Spas can fit on a flatbed truck or in a moving truck.

Finding a Place in your New Home

Finding a place for your hot tub from Dream Maker Spas will be easy. Because of their simple fill and plug design, you won’t need an electrician or plumber to set up your hot tub after you move. Just place your spa on an approved surface near an electrical outlet, fill with water, plug in, and enjoy!

We’ve even seen Dream Maker Spas enjoyed on balconies. Remember that it’s important to have a site inspection of your balcony to ensure that it can support the weight of the spa plus water along with the weight of the spa users.

When considering how easy it is to transport your hot tub from Dream Maker Spas, it only makes sense to bring it with you during your next move.

Information provided by Dream Maker Spas – Makers of the best and most popular lightweight spas on the market today. Dream Maker Spas are available through Brothers Pools. Call us today and find out more!

“It’s time for another Pick 2 Promotion! Now through September 30th, choose any two add-ons or accessories FREE when you purchase a hot tub from Dream Maker Spas. A $400 value!”

August In Store BOGO Specials & Sales!

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Buy One Toy Get the Second One 25% OFF (IN STOCK ONLY)

Buy One Therma Swim Get the Second One 25% OFF (IN STOCK ONLY)

Buy One Kamado Joe or Wicked Good Charcoal Get the Second 25% OFF (IN STOCK ONLY)

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Now during the month of August SAVE 25% Off all in stock Malibu adirondack chairs.

What Size Swimming Pool Heat Pump Do I Need?

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It is still warm outside but in another couple of months temperatures will start to drop. Now is the time to consider purchasing a pool heater if you don’t already own one.

A common question that consumers ask us when shopping for swimming pool heat pumps is: How big does my heat pump need to be? You should have a trained swimming pool professional size your swimming pool heat pump, as its size will depend on many factors. There are, however, general formulas we provide to our customers to approximate heat pump size. We explain how to use these formulas in this article.

Heat pumps are sized according to required BTU (British Thermal Unit) per hour of the swimming pool. Consumer often make the mistake of purchasing under-sized units units with insufficient BTU output per hour. Under-sized units must run longer in order to heat swimming pools. These longer run times translate to decreased efficiency and higher operating costs. Use the following instructions to approximate the BTUs per hour your heat pump will require.

Determine your desired water temperature in °F.
Determine the average air temperature of the coldest month during which you plan to use your swimming pool in °F.
Subtract the average air temperature from your desired water temperature to calculate the required temperature rise.
Calculate the surface area of your swimming pool in ft2:
1. Circular pools: radius x radius x 3.14
2. Kidney-shaped pools: length x width x 0.75
3. Oval-shaped pools: (0.50 x length) x (0.50 width) x 3.14
4. Rectangular pools: length x width
Calculate the required BTU output per hour: surface area x temperature rise x 12

By following these steps, you can quickly and easily approximate your required heater size. Remember, however, that only a licensed swimming pool professional such as Brother’s Pools can perform a proper sizing analysis!

Information in this article was taken from AquaCal – makers of fine Swimming Pool / Spa Heat Pumps.

Want a Marquis Spa?

Marquis spas are the perfect addition to your outdoor living space, contact Brothers Pool to help you get started.

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Brothers Pool

250 Main Street. (RT 150)
Wallingford Connecticut 06492
P: (203) 265-5980
F: (203) 294-1601
E: info@brotherspool.com

Driving Directions

In Connecticut take I-91 North or South to exit 15. Take Route 68 West towards Wallingford and Cheshire. Turn left at the intersection of 68 and 150 (Main Street). Brothers Pool is about 1 mile on the left.

Office Hours

Monday - Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 3pm