Warning on Watermaid pool system

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
12/06/2009 17:39

In 2003 I brought a Watermaid system, reasonably price and no hassles.

I now need a new filter and it is my information that the new franchise agent

Splash Pools are asking £450 for a new filter. The price before they took over the franchise was £120, still on the expensive side but at least more reasonable. It would seem these people are a bunch of rip off merchants and anyone needing a pool system should defiantly look elsewhere.



Troodo.

coffer


Joined: 13/02/2007
Posts: 292

Message Posted:
12/06/2009 17:56

Hi Troodo,

I have one of these systems and working well. When you say filter do you mean cell, as my one doesn't have a filter? You can get spares from the Spanish importer who has the franchise for Europe just get it sent to a UK address.

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
12/06/2009 18:06

Thanks,

coffer.

coffer


Joined: 13/02/2007
Posts: 292

Message Posted:
12/06/2009 18:28

No worries, they do refurbished as well as new cells by the way.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
13/06/2009 10:22

Thanks for the info as I think we will be needing a new cell very shortly.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
15/06/2009 11:08

For anyone considering buying a new cell for their Watermaid, why not trade your Watermaid in with us for an Aligator.

No cell problems and half the running cost.

http://www.aligator.co.uk



Vaughan

Octopus Pools

crofter


Joined: 16/12/2008
Posts: 1035

Message Posted:
15/06/2009 17:56

We can thoroughly recommend the Aligator system. Not only is the water superb to swim in but the maintenance of the pool [which we do ourselves] is the bare minimum. Check out the website as Vaughan recommends..

ustwo


Joined: 08/12/2008
Posts: 67

Message Posted:
15/06/2009 18:35

I just wondered if we could change our chlorine pool to a salt pool, would it be expensive?

Quarmby


Joined: 15/09/2008
Posts: 975

Message Posted:
15/06/2009 21:06

What's the cost of this system?

Troodo


Joined: 12/06/2008
Posts: 1002

Message Posted:
15/06/2009 21:59

Hi Vaughan,

what do you mean by trade in.



Troodo.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
16/06/2009 09:40

ustwo,

If you want to change your freshwater pool to a salt water pool just add salt. The amount of salt would be in the region of 500kg depending on pool size.



Quarmby,

The cost of the Aligator system is £850, supplied and fitted, subject to survey.



Troodo,

For those with Watermaid systems which they wish to replace with an Aligator we will credit them a sum of money, to be agreed, against the purchase and installation of an Aligator in exchange for the old Watermaid.

With the reduced running times of an Aligator (about half that of a chlorinator), Watermaid owners will soon recover their outlay.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 13:02

The trade-in for a new Aligator system against your old chlorinator (Watermaid, etc.) continues.

We will give you £150 for your old chlorinator, working or not, against the supply and installation of a new Aligator.

Drinking quality water. No salt, half the running hours/costs. Easy to maintain.

http://www.aligator.co.uk

zerochlor


Joined: 03/04/2009
Posts: 4024

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 13:44

Message 1



or a cheaper solution to the expensive new part you need for the watermaid system is zerochlor at £22 a litre



100% non chlorine pool



http://www.zerochloreuropean.com please look at our website

King Neptune


Joined: 08/05/2008
Posts: 51

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 14:51

It's ok if you are buying a new filter,but if you buy a reconditioned one they require the old one back ! more expense.

But it's nice to have one on standby which would have to be a new one. It's all very well suggesting changing to an Aligator system (more expense) but where does it all stop?

Watermaids are not cheap to install so you would expect them to last for a fair amount of time before replacement is required.

Getting one from Spain is OK: it does help if you know someone who lives in Spain who comes over to the UK often and can bring it with them, but it never works out right does it? The thing goes wrong when you're not there so, do you buy from Spain to UK- then what do you do? Post to TRNC? ha ha !!! I don't think so.



All Watermaid owners get together and someone can hold a replacement cell.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 15:07

".....but where does it all stop?" It stops when you change to an Aligator. Watermaid cells don't seem to last more than a few years in Cyprus. Aligator cells work on a completely different system and we have had one in service for 2 years now with no sign of any problems. Aligators also need only 6 hours a day running time in summer against 12 or more for a Watermaid. The savings in reduced electrical consumption alone will pay for the Aligator eventually.

Lazy days


Joined: 24/07/2008
Posts: 847

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 19:56

sorry but my friend bought his watermaid off you some years ago and when it went wrong, they discovered it was one that was not covered by the warranty it was a different model you had obtained and fitted while working for the bona fide agents, they still have all the correspondence, especially from the manufacturer in Australia who confirmed that their agent here did not supply that particular model.

friends complaint was also that the pool cleaners did not have the foggiest how to dismantle the unit to clean it which requires to be done regularly otherwise the perspex outer case will eventually crack incurring more cost, lack of specific training of so called technicians springs to mind,

lol

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 20:43

You are partly right. There was an agent whos name I won't mention who was importing Watermaids at the same time we were without the approval of Watermaid Australia. He did introduce a few until he was stopped. Unfortunately, it sounds like your friend was one of his customers. This was a difficult time for purchasers who didn't know who was the official importer.

However, we have all moved on and it is now apparent that chlorinators are not suitable for 2 reasons:

1. The water in Cyprus is too hard.

2. Chlorinators need long running hours, which a few years ago wasn't a problem. At the current tariffs charged by Kib Tek, chlorinators are too expensive to run.

Aligators are not affected by hard water and they need far less running hours than chlorinators. For these reasons alone they make chlorinators obsolete.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 20:48

Msg 17



What a cop out of an excuse, thinking of going into Law?! Should suit you as this thread seems to be getting out of depth!



Richard

King Neptune


Joined: 08/05/2008
Posts: 51

Message Posted:
22/09/2009 21:43

Re; Msg 16/17



I think you've hit the nail on the head. It seems to be the norm in Cyprus that products are brought into the country by people who have'nt got the foogiest themselves what to do regarding maintenance let alone when it goes wrong, and least of all pass any kind of training onto so called pool cleaners, so how can they possibly know what they are doing let alone carry out preventitive maintenance.

Passing the buck seems to be the only thing anyone's any good at, and guess what the poor old customer yet again picks up the bill !! I'm begining to wonder who's the mug ?

Lazy days


Joined: 24/07/2008
Posts: 847

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 07:58

No Vaughan

Not partly right, fully right !! and you know it, you have admitted it in your post 17

My friend definitely knew who the 'official' importer was and the person was working for the importer wasn't he but was moonlighting with a pool cleaning company in the guise of selling these units through the 'official channel' this to me shows someone who has few morals and will still rip people off given the chance.

Believe me we have not ALL moved on, people remember those who ripped them off !!!

Leopards and spots eh?

Believe me King Neptune, you dont know the half of it, but those who try to do it right, train their staff properly do things by the book are pilloried by these rip off merchants because they are a threat to the way they work, all that interests them is a fast buck and to hell with the customer.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 08:39

Lazy Days,



I think the Watermaid you are referring to was a "grey" import that was fitted by a thrid party, not myself. These models were identifiable by the cell type. They were designed for the Australian market but were imported unofficially and I think you will find that your friends Watermaid was one of those.

All the Watermaids that were fitted by me during my time at Eco Technology Pools, were bona-fide imports. The principle of Eco Technology Pools sold the importation/distribution rights to Splash Pools some time ago.

zerochlor


Joined: 03/04/2009
Posts: 4024

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 10:56

Maybe and only Maybe,the way forward is the Zerochlor way.



no big up front payment,like some satalite installers!



zerochlor never goes off,unlike some satalite channels!



you can pay monthly,but not by credit card ,YET



it does what its supposed to do!



nothing electrical or electronic to go wrong!



simple to use.



many happy customers.





and years and years of happy chlorine free swimming



And extra water from your fortnightly or monthly backwashes to splash willy nilly over your beautiful gardens.



All in All,i personally think the way forward is the Zerochlor way.



Its not rocket science !

ozankoys


Joined: 20/06/2008
Posts: 905

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 11:46

Oh dear Lazy Days your memory is a bit hazy!



It was firmly established that it was not Vaughan & Murat moonlighting when they were fully committed to Eco Technology Pools it was 2 look-a-like imposters! Esentepe Pools of course belonged to Murat's brother & was absolutely nothing to do with the real Vaughan & Murat.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 12:10

I think many people have a favourite version of this but I can say that Esentepe Pools has always belonged to Murat. I also know that all of the Watermaids that I fitted came from Eco Technology Pools and that this particular one was definately not one of them. I can also say that this Watermaid was fitted AFTER my association with ETP, by which time other people gave Murat his instructions.

zerochlor


Joined: 03/04/2009
Posts: 4024

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 13:15

Anyway,the watermaid saga is dead n buried,shouldnt we move on?



maybe move on to better and less price products.



interests rates falling. food prices on the up.



electric prices high



again,the only way to save money is the zerochlor way



Happy chlorine free swimming folks

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 13:29

I have an 8x4 pool which runs 12 months a year (for the Xmas dip etc), I clean it and chlorinate it myself, having bought a 50kg tub of chlorine a year ago which should last at least another year. It runs 3hrs a day in summer on a 1kw pump and hasn't gone green for a least a year (pump failure) I'm not sure what the benefits are of spending £800+ on changing system? No offence to all these other systems. Perhaps I can feel an article for North Cyprus Free Press coming on? Any offers?

Mal

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 13:55

Hi Mal,



You are doing well if you can make 50kg of chlorine last 2 years on an 8x4m pool!! Perhaps it the cool Malatya mountain air?

Chlorine is a very effective chemical and is one of the oldest methods of sanitizing a pool. It is also a very aggresive, dangerous chemical as historians of the WW1 will tell you.

I will gladly cobble an article together for you, if you wish, on the merits of copper/silver ionization as a modern method of pool water sterilization.

Lazy days


Joined: 24/07/2008
Posts: 847

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 14:56

ozankoys mess 23

lol

believe me my mind is crystal clear and we are supposed to forget this never happened if these two *look alikes* 'as you so gracefully put it ' were capable of such things well I ask you, ??? what goes around comes around as some say, and yet some of us still think some are soooo squeaky clean :(, even touted by other squeaky clean business owners in the area as the best since sliced bread, if only they knew what you and me know eh ??

Zerochlor sorry this potential customer made her thoughts clear to you on another thread where you tried unsuccessfully to change tack, a smiley may have helped - but I doubt it lol

QweQwew


Joined: 02/08/2009
Posts: 60

Message Posted:
23/09/2009 20:11

lazy days message 28



potential customer as you call yourself.



i really dont think you can make anything clear to zerochlor as your possibly not in any position to comment on the wonders of zerochlor with not having used it.



i think it wont be his loss not having you as a customer,more your own foolish loss and knowing zerochlor as ive started to know him,he wouldnt change tack or back peddle for any person,let alone you. keep smiling mrs black lol