In The Swim Pool Supplies

Full review
Those who own swimming pools and/or home spas know that the addition of these types of recreational facilities can bring many hours of enjoyment. But with the endless amounts of fun comes the constant need for maintenance and repair. One can shop at a local pool supply store, use a catalog, or shop via the internet to get the needed supplies for pool maintenance. My favorite web- based pool supply company isIn the Swim, an on- line store for concerned pool owners.

What Does This Service Offer?:

With Intheswim.com, you can find products and services such as:

Pool Supplies- This is the primary reason people come to In the Swim. The site sells all of the chemicals, brushes, skimmers, and similar supplies needed to keep your pool or spa in top condition.

Accessories- Slides, diving boards, flotation devices, and other goods are sold in this site.

Swimming Pools- In the Swim offers some swimming pools for sale, and that includes in- ground models. You pay for the kit, and it is then up to you to arrange the installation.

Pool Care Tips- Information about balancing chemicals, opening and closing your pool, maintaining equipment, cleaning, and other topics are discussed in this section of the site.

Pool products are the mainstay of this site, but it sells a few other things too, like barbecue grill covers, outdoor furniture, utility sheds, umbrellas, and other things.

Customer Service:

Questions about In the Swim’s products, shipment issues, and other topics can be directed to 800-288-7946.You can also send an e-mail to customerservice@intheswim.com and wait for a reply. There is no place, within the on- line store itself, to send a message to customer service.

Final Thoughts:

In the Swim is my most visited pool supply store on the world wide web and it is a service I have been using for two years running. I never knew this on- line store was listed in Epinions because I was unable to find it using the search function (If you search for intheswim.com, you get zero records. If you search for in the swim and forget to narrow the choices to only include on- line stores, you get pages and pages of clothing matches. You only get this on- line store if you search for in the swim and narrow down to include only on- line stores). I first got to know about this company when I obtained my present property- a property that included an in- ground pool. The former owner still received mail from pool supply places and one of them was an In the Swim catalog. I looked through the catalog and noticed the prices were pretty good- often better than my local pool supply store. I proceeded to logon to the on- line store to find out more.

In the Swim offers all the pool supplies one could ever need at a reasonable price. The majority of the products offered here are sold under the In the Swim brand name. You won’t find Aqua Chem or any other popular brand name. In the Swim sells only its own chemicals. With accessories, everything is different. You can find all the well- known brand names, like Hayward, Teledyne, Pool Eye, and many others.

In the Swim chemicals are very good and I like the way many of them are packaged. With the chlorine tablets, for example, the bucket of tablets features individual packaging: each large tablet is sealed in its own plastic wrapper. This is nice because it means you won’t get much chlorine on your hands. Anyone who has handled chlorine knows that the smell is difficult to wash off, so anything that helps minimize the amount of chlorine that comes into contact with the skin is something I welcome. Packaging also includes (with most chemicals) multiple sizes, with several bulk options that help to lower the per- unit cost even further.

There is no sales tax to pay at In the Swim (unless you live in Illinois, where the products are shipped from), but there is a handling charge added to each order. Often, In the Swim advertises itself as “free of shipping charges”. This is misleading, because In the Swim still adds a $6 to $8 handling charge to all orders. You are still paying an extra fee, it just isn’t referred to as a shipping charge.

Speaking of the shipping, this is another area where In the Swim earns several brownie points. When I send in orders on- line, I can expect my shipment in only two or three days- without paying any extra charge for this added speed. If it’s the slow time of the year, the shipment is even faster. Case in point, I hesitantly sent in an on- line order last week for some chemicals and I received my shipment (weighing around 35 pounds total) about 32 hours later! I was reluctant to order, not because I didn’t trust In the Swim, but because, with the warm temperatures, I felt like I might want to use my pool one last time (for the Fall season) during the next couple of days and I was worried I wouldn’t get the chemicals in time. I sent my order around 8am one morning and the next day, around 4:00 in the afternoon, the supplies were delivered to my doorstep. I didn’t pay any extra for this fast shipment and I received $10 off my order (discount offer they gave me, to entice me to make another purchase). That’s excellent service! It’s a good example of a company going the extra mile to make its customers happy.

Another thing I like about In the Swim is its pool care tips. This educational section might seem elementary to most people, but for a first- time pool owner, I found this information very useful. When I first started using my pool, I was completely naïve about algae growth and prevention; proper chemical balancing; closing a pool; etc. My limited knowledge came from swimming in pools- not from owning them. I didn’t know, for example, about the need for alkalinity- altering chemicals, the total hardness measurement, free chlorine vs. total chlorine, and other topics. I found out much of what I know now through this web site.

As the winter season approaches, it gets more and more difficult to find chemicals. Many of the local stores- like Lowes and Home Depot- stop selling pool chemicals in late September. During these times of the year, In the Swim is one of the few places I can still find pool supplies for sale. In the Swim never shuts down- the web site is always open, selling pool supplies year- round. And during the low season for pools (October through March) it is common to find some great bargain prices with this company. Sometimes, the shipping/handling charges are dropped during the cold season to encourage buyers to make more purchases. Even if they are not dropped, the elimination of sales tax helps to offset the cost of handling.

Swimming pools and spas are great fun, but they also require constant monitoring and special care. In the Swim’s on- line store is my favorite place on the world wide web to purchase my pool supplies. The prices are good, the shipping is fast, and the selection is better than average (except for actual pool purchasing- there are only a few choices in this area). Most importantly, In the Swim treats its customers with special care, getting the chemicals you need shipped to you quickly and efficiently, eliminating one of the many hassles of pool ownership.