Pool Maintenance

Are you a backyard pool owner? Do you sometimes wish you could have free expert advice on pool maintenance? Your wish just came true: check out the Water Quality & Health Council’s popular online “Ask a Pool Operator” feature. The “Ask a Pool Operator” web page includes an extensive archive of questions and answers organized... Read More »

A new report1 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention features statistics on pool chemical incidents during the period 2003-2012.  The highlights include: An estimated 4,247 people2 per year went to emergency departments for injuries associated with pool chemicals; nearly half of these were younger than 18. The most frequent diagnosis was poisoning... Read More »

The recent Wall Street Journal article “Does Chlorine Affect Your Vision?” provides excellent advice to swimmers on avoiding inflammation and infections of the eye known as conjunctivitis. To elaborate a bit, conjunctivitis, also called “pink eye” can be caused by three main conditions:  infections, allergies, and exposures to chemicals. Chlorinating swimming pool water goes a... Read More »

Mineral ionizers treat swimming pool water by releasing metals such as copper and silver into the water. These metals are known to have germ-destroying properties, but do they do the job adequately? While some marketers claim that their technology results in a chlorine-free pool, research suggests that mineral ionizers should, in fact, be used in... Read More »

Are you a backyard swimming pool owner looking to “bookmark” some online resources on pool and spa safety and maintenance? We searched the Internet and found the following sites that we hope will prove helpful: Pools and Hot Tubs (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website):  What would you do if you found... Read More »

Cooling off in the swimming pool is one of the great joys of summer. A well-maintained pool provides a healthy venue for exercise and fun for the entire family. Yet, each summer we hear news reports of illness and injury from the misuse of pool chemicals. According to a report from the US Centers for... Read More »

This summer many of us will spend some “down time” cooling off in a pool. Whether the pool is in your backyard, your community, or your vacation spot, chemistry is at your service to help ensure that your pool experience is a healthy one. Within seconds of application, chlorine-based pool sanitizers destroy most of the... Read More »

As salt pools gain popularity in many areas of the country, we think it is a good time to provide some handy facts and tips for salt pool owners and operators. Fact #1: Salt pools generate chlorine for sanitation. Salt pools obtain their chlorine residual by means of “chlorine generators” (electrolysis devices) that use electricity... Read More »

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent waves of disgust through the public when they learned that a 2012 study found the filters of Atlanta area public pools were teeming with fecal bacteria.  The CDC used the findings to underscore the importance of swimmer hygiene.  A pre-swim shower with... Read More »