Store Update – Hours & Winter Products Now Available

Store hours now until the Labor Day Weekend:

Monday – Wednesday:  9-6

Thursday – Friday:  9-7

Saturday: 9-3

Sunday:  11-2

Labor Day Weekend Hours:  TBA (Check Back Often)

Winter Products are now in.  Winter Covers, Winter Kits, Plugs, Winches, Cables

Winter Kit

Cover Pump

Cover Saver – Cover Pump

Winter Cover

Winter Closing Products – Winter Supplies

Effective Risk Management Programs for Public Pools

It’s been headline news lately – internationally, nationally, and locally (Western PA) – about the problems aquatic facilities have had safely managing their facilities. We’ve blogged previously about safety being a layered approach and yet we see time and time again reports of “immediate closure” due to violations. News reports suggest that the operators of facilities getting hit with such emergency closures are surprised when regulators shut them down. It may be logical to presume that the facilities in question must not have adopted an effective system for managing their facility safety.

“It was never a problem before” is the general theme I read and heard a facility manager say recently in news reporting covering the closure of his public pool. When we teach aquatics operators, one of our introduction slides is our “Top 10 Awful Reasons” for the way we as humans do things.

Top 10 Awful Reasons:

1. “We’ve never done it that way”
2. “Always done it that way”
3. “Been doing this for 30 years”
4. “Throw away the book, here’s how”
5. “Here’s a shortcut”
6. “That’s not important”
7. “It’s easier this way”
8. “It’s cheaper…”
9. “I’ll just get my buddy”
10. “That takes too long”

When you hear of an immediate closure and someone says “It’s never been a problem before” it just means nobody got caught. The problem was (or problems were) there all along. When a facility gets closed suddenly – an “emergency” closure – one can easily figure that there is no effective Risk Management strategy. It would be fair to say facility management never implemented a formal Risk Management Program.

An effective Risk Management strategy will consider 4 factors:

• Negligence
• Standard of Care
• Duty of Care
• Record Keeping

Considering those 4 factors, a pool operator – the pool management staff – must develop written plans to manage:

• The Prevention of Injuries to Patrons and Staff
• The Protection of Facility Assets
• Minimizing Legal Liability

With a comprehensive Risk Management Plan, the facility “catches itself.” Better yet, the facility can manage and budget to the latest standards. They will certainly incorporate on-going inspections, audits, and routine maintenance – catching issues before they become major (and costly) problems. And, as repairs, changes, and additions are needed, they can be accomplished with regard to all the latest applicable standards. The facility will also have a review process to consider how a change to one part of a system will affect other systems or parts of systems.

One of the many services provided by Lehmann Pools & Spas is facility operator training. As instructors, our goal is to help you properly manage your facility, not just keep the Chlorine and pH adjusted. We can teach you how to develop a Risk Management System for your public aquatic facility.

We are big proponents of the National Swimming Pool Foundation’s (NSPF®) Certified Pool Operator (CPO®) program. We believe the CPO® program is more thorough and comprehensive educational than many other training curricula. Taught correctly, it is better at providing in-depth instruction. It is certainly beyond many programs in the marketplace who only seem concerned with meeting the regulatory requirements of pool operators – for instance those concerned with being certified pesticide applicators.

A well-taught program such as the NSPF® CPO® course well-equips the facility operator to effectively manage their facility. An added benefit of the CPO® program is the knowledge that the National Swimming Pool Foundation provides a comprehensive list of resources to effectively manage aquatic facilities.

Yep – It’s Hot! So – Plan 4 Winter!

Lehmann Pools & Spas 2014 or 2015 Covers are 30% Off!

It’s time to get your pool water balanced, too.  Acidic, low pH water plays havoc with your liner, causing it to absorb water, swell, wrinkle, and pop out of the track.  Balance before you cover!  Lehmann Pools & Spas offers complimentary testing to our customers!  PS: regular testing helps you if you need to make a warranty claim!

CDC Issues New Model Aquatic Health Code

CDC Issues Updated Model Aquatic Health Code

What does it mean for your Commercial or Public Pool?  Stay up-to-date with Lehmann Pools & Spas.

Summer Clearance Sale + Winter Cover Pre-Sale!

Customer Service & Warranties

Lehmann Pools & Spas takes a great deal of pride in providing the best shopping and best customer service experience in the swimming pool industry.  We also want to make sure that you get the full warranty protection for the products you purchase from Lehmann Pools & Spas.

Warranties on any products we sell are provided to us through the manufacturers that make the product.  (That’s true for virtually any product you buy anywhere from anybody – ultimately it is the manufacturer’s warranty.)  We provide you with the full manufacturer’s warranty – including their limitations and exclusions.  We can (and do) carefully explain warranties at the time of purchase.  We want to do our part to make sure customers don’t get blindsided by something they don’t understand when they believe they have a warranty issue.

Here are a couple of pointers concerning warranties:

1. Water Chemistry – virtually ANYTHING you buy in the pool industry has an exclusion concerning improper water chemistry.  “Crystal Clear” is not water chemistry.  “Never had a problem before?”  Not water chemistry.  What IS water chemistry?
   1. Sanitizer
   2. pH
   3. Total Alkalinity
   4. Hardness
   5. Langolier Saturation Index
2. Labor – very few warranties cover labor for any extended time.  1 year is typically the most anybody will cover.
3. The warranty claim procedure is pretty strict.  It helps you if you:
   1. Register your product
   2. Keep all your owner’s manuals
   3. Keep your receipts
   4. Write down all your serial numbers – just about everything has a serial number
      1. Pool
      2. Liner
      3. Pump
      4. Filter
      5. Heater or Heat Pump
      6. Chlorinator
      7. Chlorine Generator (Salt Generator Control Box AND the Cell)
      8. Automatic Cleaner
4. Years are calendar years – not months you use it.  1 year is from date of purchase or install to the same date next year.
5. Many equipment manufacturers have severe limitations on warranties unless you
   1. Buy through a dealer – and –
   2. Have your equipment installed by a qualified installer.
6. Many qualified service personnel will not handle warranties for items purchased on “the internet.”
   1. Many techs and service centers want to help you – but we’re not charities.  It’s a question of pay
   2. What would you expect when they weren’t given the opportunity to earn money selling the product
   3. If we have a chance to make a living doing the warranty service, we’ll do it
   4. But, we’re going to make sure we’re going to get paid – that part will be up to you.
      1. Many techs will ask you to sign a service contract.
      2. Some techs are even requiring a non-refundable deposit to service internet-purchased pool equipment.
   5. We happen to believe you should support your local economy.
7. Wear and tear is not warranty.  Holes in a winter cover?  Not warranty.  Seam failure?  Yes – warranty.
   1. The same goes for pumps seals, O-rings, gaskets and other “wearable” parts
   2. Solar cover ripped?  Plastic dots coming off the bubbles?  Probably not.  (Most likely water chemistry)
8. Defend your warranty with regular water chemistry checks!
   1. For our customers – it’s complimentary
   2. We’ll be able to help you with your claim if you get water checks regularly

We hope these tips help you understand your warranty process a little bit better.  Lehmann Pools & Spas provides warranty service for Hayward, Pentair, Jandy/Zodiac, RayPak, Heat Siphon, PDC Spas, HydroMassage, and Barefoot Spas.  We have a full range of parts including sensors, PVC plumbing, pipe, valves, tubing, and many parts for Hayward and Pentair equipment.  814-266-2236.  844 Scalp Avenue, 15904

Pool Winter Covers – Pre-Sale!

30% OFF! – In-Stock 2014 & 2015 Winter Covers.

• They’re new-in-box
• Sold “as-is”  (Unless you open the box and find it’s defective – then bring it right back, this year)
• Balance of manufacturer warranty based on year of cover.  All warranty claims must go to manufacturer.

OR

Pre-Order Your New Cover at 2015 prices.

• Pre-Orders – Pre-Paid – through Monday August 8 – 6 PM.
• Order can be cancelled until Monday August 8 – 6 PM.  No cancellations after deadline.

Mid-Summer Clearance Continues!

Cheap Is Costly – #CheapIsExpensive

Lehmann Pools & Spas thinks that there is a place in the world for Pool Professionals.  It is particularly true in the world of commercial aquatics – public pools like hotels, schools, water parks, and recreation facilities.  We know that even in heavily regulated States, significant problems exist within the commercial aquatics world.  Violations of safety standards are rampant and the consequences to the public are real.  For background: CDC.

One might suspect less regulated places of the US, like Pennsylvania, may be a bit more susceptible to safety issues. Safety issues almost always get discovered when liability goes from a “risk” phase to “civil” or “criminal” liability phase following an actual occurrence.  Lehmann Pools & Spas believes that involving a Pool Professional in your aquatics facility safety process might just be a wise investment in liability protection and risk management.  With access to the resources of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, Lehmann Pools & Spas might just be another layer in your Safety Management System – the protection your need from risk and liability.

But there’s another reason to involve a Pool Professional.  Like D-I-Y homeowners, many facility operators make expensive mistakes trying to be cheap.  Some get away with it.  But, usually the errors get “found out” when costly events happen.  Equipment gets destroyed – expensive.  Inspectors find a violation – expensive.  Employee gets injured – expensive.  DOH shuts you down – expensive.  We know of a hotel chain where, if the pool is shut down for any reason, every guest gets a refund for their stay.  E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E!

We didn’t search far-and-wide for these pics.  They’re local Western Pennsylvania facilities making very expensive mistakes. What’s more is they have underlying issues that a Pool Professional would have identified and helped them correct – before the event occurred. And, we see dozens of situations like these.

We can help.  814-266-2236.

Pennsylvania – Maryland – West Virginia Pool Operator Training

Training Opportunity

Central & Western PA/MD/WV Pool Operators

Need PA Pesticide Applicator?

Need PA Pesticide Recertification Credits?

Need NSPF® CPO®

Need training?

814-266-2236