Featured Article about Automatic Pool Cleaners

Spa Equipment: Should You Go Automated?
Ian Anderson
Having a spa in our very own home is a luxury of which many of us only dream about. But if you're one of the fortunate ones who have the space, time, and money to devote to a spa, you probably wonder what all of the hype over owning a spa is all about. This is because the novelty of having a spa has probably dimmed over time. This is not because the spa is not as relaxing or as divine as you thought it would be, but it has a great deal to do with how much effort you have to put into operating your spa and keeping your spa in top shape.

The simple fact is that spa maintenance tends to get a little boring and exceedingly frustrating over time, especially if you're prone to letting things go longer than you should. All of this work and maintenance can take the joy out of your spa and result in you not using it as much as you would if things were simpler.

To meet this need, manufacturers have developed numerous pieces of automated spa equipment to help you stop maintaining your spa and start enjoying it. You can choose from simple automated equipment that will help you add chemicals to your spa at designated times to elaborate automated networks that will have your spa cleaned and warmed to the perfect temperature when you arrive home from a hard day's work.

While automated spa equipment can make your life one of luxury, they do come with a price tag that can get a little hefty. For this reason, many consumers skip the automated portion of spa ownership and take the hands on approach. But for those that have taken the plunge and purchased automated equipment, the consensus seems to be that the money was well spent.

Here is a list of the top-selling automated spa equipment to help you decide whether or not automation is for you:

* Automatic chlorinators - Automatic chlorinators are the most popular form of automated equipment purchased for spas with a little more than half of all spa owners purchasing one. The price tag is minimal and will cost you anywhere from $59 to $100 depending on the brand and size.

* Automatic cleaners - Granted, it does not take as much time to vacuum a spa as it does a pool. This is why many people do not opt for an automatic spa cleaner. Conventional vacuums and cleaners for a spa will cost you around $20 to $30. Automated ones may cost as much as $200 or more. You may also have trouble finding one that is small enough for a spa as many are manufactured for large pools.

* Wireless controls - This is the ultimate luxury. With a wireless control you can automatically control the water level, temperature, filtering schedule and lighting of your spa. But as with all things, luxury comes with a price. You can expect to spend around $1,000 to $3,000 for a fully-integrated control system.

Most people opt for conventional spa tools over automated ones because of cost. Other reasons why people pass up automation are because they do not feel that the need for automatic tools is evident. Others are afraid that automatic tools will be difficult to operate. But regardless of how skeptic and slow spa owners are to warm up to automatic tools, the trend toward automation keeps increasing. Today, more than 60% of spa owners are automated to some extent.