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Industry News
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Video Gallery
 Check out the videos featured in the Pool & Spa News Video Gallery. The videos showcase the latest products and equipment, as well as in-the-field demonstrations.
Latest video: See how to retrofit a spa drain to become compliant with the VGB Safety Act.
• Watch Videos...
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Service Tip
Adding Acid
Pouring acid directly into the pool may not compromise the water chemistry, but it could hurt your finish. There’s a common myth that says pouring acid in one spot will lower the alkalinity more than spreading a diluted acid solution around the perimeter. However, the acid will have the same effect on the pool alkalinity no matter how it is added. Still, adding undiluted acid in one spot is not without consequence. Acid is heavier than water and will sink to the pool floor, potentially etching the plaster bottom of the pool. As such, never add undiluted acid in one spot.
— Kim Skinner, co-owner, Pool Chlor, Livermore, Calif.
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MOD Design Tip
 What great design concept are you working on?
Right now, it seems the high-end, adventurous work is the only thing that’s out there. We’re working on some multi-layer pools, where you’ve got a pool over a pool over a pool.
How does it work?
We’re getting ready to start a project, designed by a local architect, that has a lower pool with a glass front, which is a negative edge that flows down into a trough. It’s 2-inch thick acrylic that’s 2-1/2 feet tall and will run 55 feet from one end to the other. The water flows into a small trough, with about a 1-1/2-inch slot for the water to fall through.
Above that is a reflecting pool to be viewed from the second floor of the house. Then above that is another reflecting pool with a spa in the middle. The upper pool flows into the lower pool, so there is this massive 55-foot wall of water coming down. Plus, the upper pool is cantilevered by 10- to 12 feet over the lower pool, so that the upper pool actually creates a cave or grotto area.
— Jim Moss, owner/president, Hop Cassidy Pools Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.
2008 Masters of Design Winner - Concrete Pools
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Retail Snapshot
 We’re holding on like everyone else. Our gross sales are down, but we’ve cut back so much that our profits are still up. This has always been a good spa market, but it has been soft for the last two years. Until the economy and financing loosen up, I don’t see our sales rising… though I am seeing some signs of life.
I’m getting more traffic through the door. We’re doing a lot of replacement spa sales… dealing with third- and fourth-generation owners. Sales of accessories, chemicals and covers also have been growing. And, people are loosening up a little bit, but we’re still having to make a lot more deals.
California state sales tax has gone up, which has affected us as well. When you add the $700-plus bucks at the end for taxes, people get overwhelmed and ask for even more of a deal. We’ve found that [it is best] to create a package deal that includes the tax so that the [final] cost isn’t such a shock.
— Erik Helberg, president, Spa-Land, Cotati, Calif.
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Trade Show News
International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo to Offer Three Power Panels
A new feature to the 2009 Expo is a series of three Power Panels that bring together the best forward-thinking minds in the industry for a one-hour discussion. These fast-paced, interactive sessions feature real solutions for tackling today’s toughest issues. Targeting three specific niches, the presentations take place simultaneously on Monday, Nov. 16 at 9:45-10:50 a.m., immediately prior to the show opening.
Builder Power Panel — Sponsored by Zodiac
Moderator Lew Akins, president of Ocean Quest Pools by Lew Akins, will lead the discussion with these experts:
• Brian Van Bower, co-founder, Genesis 3 Design Group
• Greg Howard, CEO, Carecraft Inc.
• Brett Abbott, MYM Austin
Retail Power Panel — Sponsored by BioLab, BioGuard
Moderator Kathleen Carlson, president of Aqua Quip, will lead the discussion with these experts:
• Rita Rowlen, owner, Ultra Modern Pool & Spa
• Penny Johnson, owner, Johnson Pools & Spas
• Arlene Stachel, owner, Mountain Lake Pool & Patio
Empowerment Hour — Embracing the Gold
Join Clay Nelson, founder of Clay Nelson Life Balance Inc., for this empowering program that will help you step up your thinking and find the golden nuggets that await you, focusing on what you have learned during these lean times and how you are going to use those lessons to make a difference in your business as you move forward.
Note: Online registration opens next week!
 Exhibits: Nov. 16-18, 2009
Conference: Nov. 13-18, 2009
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com
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