7. Sep. 2023 / by /   Health, Lifestyle, Saunas, Splash Pool & Spa Brands, Splash Pool & Spa Products / 0 comments

Cold Plunge and Saunas – The Best of Both Worlds

Cold Plunge tubs and saunas

The benefits of Cold Plunge tubs and saunas

There’s a captivating tradition around the global to steam in a sauna and then jump into an ice bath afterward. This type of contrast therapy can be found in Nordic countries, Japanese culture, and even states with Scandinavian heritage like Minnesota. Many people achieve a state of bliss when they alternate between two temperature extremes. See why a wellness routine with sauna and cold plunge is a dream for fitness lovers.

Cold-Heat Therapy

Our bodies have an amazing healing response to heat and cold. Both have been shown to improve circulation, which reduces pain and decreases inflammation. It’s why rotating between ice packs and warm compresses can help certain injuries, muscle soreness, and joint irritation.

Start your own routine by bathing in a sauna and then doing a short session in a cold plunge tub. Being surrounded by steam or infrared heat first gets the muscles loose while the aftershock of cold water improves blood flow.

Want to know the science? A 2017 study with professional athletes had them try cold water immersion and heat therapy in succession and then each separately. Using the same set of exercises each time, participants reported that their fatigue recovery was enhanced when combining both therapies as opposed to just one or the other.

But you don’t need to be a sports player to benefit! Some people simply adore the exhilaration of going from one temperature difference to another. For many, a sauna session followed by a cold plunge is cherished downtime. It’s their moment to step away from their phone, unplug from regular life, and focus purely on relaxation.

An Indoor or Outdoor Retreat

The beautiful, contemporary designs of today’s saunas and cold plunge tubs offer ultimate flexibility. Cold tubs have a sleek, minimalist profile that complements any home decor or backyard setting. They’re a stylish companion to saunas, whether in classic warm wood or cocoa and charcoal palettes.

Position your cold plunge tub and sauna so they are just steps away from each other. Keep in mind that a cold plunge tub is only a little larger than a standard bathtub. You can easily create:

A spa room dedicated to health. Many people add a serene sanctuary on the lower level of their homes. The only consideration is to make sure you have space for the tub’s length, which allows you to recline and submerge fully. You’ll also need room to enter and exit comfortably.

An outdoor retreat focused on wellness. Our Plunge cold tubs are indoor or outdoor –you don’t even have to order a special model for a patio. Their shell is tough enough for all seasons, and they come with a hardy cover to keep the interior protected.

Our Finnleo saunas also have an outdoor series that is engineered to withstand the elements. Just imagine how your backyard could transform by having these amenities side by side. Read our post on how outdoor saunas can become an extension of your home.

Minimal Maintenance

Best of all, both cold plunge tubs and saunas need very little maintenance. They’re designed for years of enjoyment. Saunas can be kept clean with a light mop (use soft or distilled water) and brushing as needed.

Plunge cold tubs have a built-in circulation system with ozone sanitization. They need a monthly filter replacement and light upkeep twice a year such as pump cleaning, drain and refill, and scrubbing the chiller screen.

We are a proud carrier of Plunge cold tubs! With an artic white exterior and rectangular shape, these ice baths will grace any home’s interior or exterior. You can visit our store (hours here) to see both Plunge tubs and our Finnleo saunas in person

8. Aug. 2023 / by /   Health, Lifestyle, Splash Pool & Spa Brands, Splash Pool & Spa Products / 0 comments

5 Benefits of Cold Plunge Tubs

Does the thought of soaking in cool water sound heavenly to you? Cold plunge is all the rage on social media these days, but you may be surprised to learn it’s not a new trend! The practice of ice baths and cold water immersion was embraced by many ancient cultures, including the Romans, Greeks, Japanese, and Scandinavians.

Modern people enjoy cold plunge for the same reasons as our ancestors – it’s a fantastic addition to your health routine. From stress and pain relief to mental fortitude, there’s a benefit for everyone. Here are five reasons why you should try cold water therapy!

1) Controllable Temperatures 

Let’s start with an obvious concern – exactly how cold is cold plunge? Rest assure it is way less intense than a polar plunge, an ice bucket challenge, or cryotherapy.

The starting point is a temperature below 60 degrees and no lower than 39 degrees. But not even professional athletes start near freezing! Cold water immersion is a graduated process that you take at your own pace. You only go as low as is comfortable for your body as it adapts to this unique therapy.

2) Mental Endurance

Are discipline and fortitude traits that you want to develop or strengthen? Cold plunge is a marvelous way to work on your mental resilience. It takes commitment to subject yourself to cool temperatures, but that’s a huge part of the reward.

You also don’t need a lot of time to exercise your mind with cold plunge. One session is between 2-5 minutes. Anyone can make that work with their schedule!

3) Stress Relief

You know that sensation of calm that washes over your body when you focus on intentional breathing? Because cold plunge is a major jolt to your parasympathetic nervous system, deep breathing is essential to power through. A steady inhale-and-exhale rhythm will help your body lower stress. Think of it like shifting into a lower gear.

4) Decreased Pain

If something is inflamed, you usually reach for something cold – a cool rag for a headache, an ice pack for a sprain, or cooling sprays and rubs for sore muscles. A cold plunge submerges your entire body up to the neck in chilly water. The body have several important responses to counteract the water temperature, including increasing circulation.

The result is that many people feel a reduction in pain, whether from ongoing conditions like arthritis or temporary discomfort like muscle stiffness and injuries. For some, the rush of endorphins is enough to perceptibly elevate their mood.

5) Sense of Belonging

There’s an entire community of wellness enthusiasts who adore cold plunge. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Mark Wahlberg tout its benefits. People are sharing tips and inspirational stories on social media. You could soon be part of a likeminded collective willing to take the plunge to better health!

Still curious? Watch Emily Carslon, Splash President, experience her first cold immersion therapy in our new PLUNGE tub in this Facebook video! She also shares tips to remember if it’s your first time taking the plunge too. You can even visit our showroom to see a PLUNGE tub in person.

12. Jul. 2023 / by /   Health, Lifestyle, Pool Maintenance, Pool Ownership, Pool Safety, Splash Pool & Spa Brands, Splash Pool & Spa Products / 0 comments

How to Clean a Pool Cartridge Versus a Sand Filter

A large pool filter

Your pool filter is working hard rain or shine to keep your water crystal clear. It’s time to show it some love! A little routine maintenance will help it do its job. Whether you have a cartridge or a sand filter, we have easy tips to keep them in great shape. You can also watch our Splashy Segment here!

Filter Cleaning is Essential Maintenance

Just like a car or furnace, your pool filter catches impurities as water passes through. It picks up containments like sunscreen and body oils. Dirt, insects, and plant debris, especially algae, won’t get past either. It also collects fine particles like iron and calcium. It’s even trapping bacteria!

To protect your filter performance, give it a good clean periodically. There’s a different method depending on whether you have a cartridge or sand filter.

Cartridge Filter

These filters are the most familiar to homeowners. They look like a giant version of a vacuum filter. They’re encased inside a hard cylinder.

We recommend this cleaning routine on a weekly basis. The caveat is if you are struggling with water quality, especially if it’s cloudy and not improving with balance treatments. Then try every day until the water clears up.

Step 1 – Safety

Your first action is to turn off the pool pump and bleed out excess pressure by turning the air relief valve. The reason is you don’t want components and electricity running while you are working. When you are finished, you’ll need to ensure pressure is correctly restored too.

Step 2 – Spray

Remove your filter and rinse with a garden hose. The goal is to blast off obvious grime. While you can use a pressure washer or even go to the car wash, don’t go overboard. Too much force can actually damage the filter.

Tip – back away from the dish soap! Even Dawn is off limits. You don’t want to create a foam bath in your pool. Only use cleaners made specifically for pool cartridges.

Step 3 – Soak

Is your filter super dirty because you fell out of your maintenance routine or went on vacation? For tough stains, soak overnight in a 5-gallon bucket and use a cartridge cleaner.

If you see any major cracks or no amount of cleaning makes a difference, it’s time for replacement. Cartridge filters typically last for 2 years with good maintenance. We always carry them in store, so swing by if it’s time for a new one!

Sand Filter

Sand filters are awesome because they last for a long time. In fact, you only need to completely swap out the old sand with a fresh supply every three years.

But in between, we suggest backwashing your sand filter once a week. It’s the same purpose as cleaning a cartridge filter – remove buildup to restore filtering efficiency. If you are 10 psi beyond your normal threshold, it’s also a good time to backwash.

Sand filter maintenance is a three-step process: 1) backwash, 2) add cleaner and let sit overnight, and 3) backwash again. We love Poolife’s Backwash Filter Cleaner, which we have in our store as well as new sand.

For more tips on how to make pool upkeep breezy:

15. Jun. 2023 / by /   Splash Pool & Spa Products, Water Quality / 0 comments

3 Steps to Evaluate Pool Chemical Quality

Did you know that the quality of pool and hot tub chemicals varies wildly? It can be confusing to know how to shop for the right formulas. And we get it! Water quality treatments are totally different from household chemicals like laundry detergent or spray cleaners.

That’s why we’re so passionate about helping our customers feel comfortable about water safety! The Splash team is all about sharing our knowledge. Let us help you buy pool and hot tub chemicals with confidence. Here are three things to look for that are completely separate from price.

1) Understand Active Ingredients

Ready for a quick chemistry lesson? An active ingredient is the main substance in a formula that is responsible for the primary benefits. When you take a pain pill, the active ingredient is acetaminophen for a brand like Tylenol or ibuprofen for Advil. Pool and hot tub chemicals function the same way – there is always a dominant substance that actively produces results.

Why do active ingredients matter? Because their percentages aren’t equal between all brands. One product might have 50% of an active ingredient while another has 35%. But those numbers alone don’t tell the full story. It all depends on the product and its purpose if a higher or lower percentage is actually better.

2) Look at the Full Formula

Another thing to understand about an ingredient list are the inert materials. These are the other substances that make the entire formula effective. Like with our pain pill example, you’ll see a number of chemicals beyond the main pain reliever. For water safety products, inactive ingredients are often solvents, binders, and antifoaming agents.

Let’s see how a real-life comparison works. We are a huge fan of the Poolife brand, which we carry in our store and our staff uses widely. We’ll use an algaecide as our example, one from Poolife and one from a competitor  that is commonly available through Amazon and Walmart. To make sure both products are comparable, they are liquid formulas, last for 90 days, and address green, yellow, and black algae.

 

Poolife’s  Algaecide 90

 

 Anonymous Online Product
Active ingredient

60% polyoxyethylene (known as a poly quat algaecide)

 Active ingredient

11.8% copper sulfate pentahydrate
Other ingredients

40%

 Other ingredients

88.2%

Same type of product and purpose yet different active ingredients and very different active vs. inactive ratios. Scratching your head? Totally natural! That’s why you can always drop by the store and get help from our staff.

3) Come Talk to the Experts

We know that your favorite big box stores and online retailers carry pool and spa products. And those places are amazing for many purchases. But what they lack are knowledgeable staff available for questions.

Think about it – a home improvement store has millions of products. Even the most well-trained employee can’t be an expert about everything on the shelves. If they don’t own a pool or hot tub themselves, there’s a small chance they have a deep understanding of these chemicals.

That’s where we’re different! Our sole focus is on pools, hot tubs, swim spas, and saunas. Many of us have them at home, with years of practice managing our own water quality. We don’t sell any products we wouldn’t use ourselves. We only suggest formulas that we’ve verified work safely and effectively.

We care so much about water quality and absolutely recognize there’s a learning curve. That’s why our retail staff is here to help! We want you to feel confident that you are using the right chemicals with the proper ratios and timing. That’s also why we always offer free water testing, so you have an accurate reading. Let us teach you everything we know!

To keep learning about water chemistry from our Splash team:

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