Download Pool Tip #32: Alcohol Intoxication & Water Accidents (PDF format, 20KB)

Do not serve alcoholic beverages around the pool. Pool accident and injury rates can be curtailed significantly by prohibiting intoxicated guests from using the pool. Alcohol plays a significant role in drownings, spinal injuries and other catastrophic aquatic accidents. Studies have shown that more than 50% of adult water accident victims were drinking prior to their accident.

When alcohol is absorbed directly into bloodstream it acts as a central nervous system depressant slowing breathing and swallowing reflexes. Less oxygen is delivered to the brain and muscles. Alcohol consumption leads to increased risk taking and faulty judgment, poor coordination and balance, a decreased ability to process information and slowed reaction time — all of which could be life threatening around the water, especially if an intoxicated guest tries to perform a highly skilled physical movement like diving into a pool.

Download Pool Tip #31: Skin Rashes (PDF format, 20KB)

Skin problems brought about by swimming in pools are usually caused by moisture loss, halogen sensitivities, bacterial infections, or harmful marine life.

Moisture loss can cause dry skin, eczema, and red, itchy, chapped, blistery skin. In addition to limiting the amount of time spent in the water, common treatments includes applying Dermasil, Curel or other over the counter creams that replace lipids; creams containing the drug doxepin, or Bag Balm or other similar lanolin based veterinary antiseptics. Dry skin seems to be a bigger problem for swimmers who spend extended amounts of time in the water, and usually get worse during the winter months.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a study conducted by dermatologists in New York City, between 5% and 17% of frequent swimmers who swim in pools treated with chlorine, bromine, or potassium iodide halogen compounds develop contact dermatitis and halogen hypersensitivities as a result of the exposure. Bathers who’ve developed chemical sensitivities should avoid swimming in pools treated with the particular halogen.

Bacterial infections, such as those caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, often cause red, bumpy, itchy rashes that resemble poison ivy or a case of the measles. Treatment includes staying out of the contaminated water, implementing better deck, equipment and pool water sanitation – oxidation procedures; and instituting maintenance procedures to rid the pool of the bacteria.

Marine life larvae, often from jellyfish, can become trapped in swimsuit fabric while swimming in the ocean. Showering while wearing the suit or immediately getting into a fresh water swimming pool may causes the larvae to discharge venom. You may develop a red painful itch, hives, blisters, and lymph glands may become swollen. If stung by the nematocysts, don’t rub, you’ll only spread the nematocysts and increase the affected area. Apply antihistamines or corticosteroid creams for relief of symptoms. Applying papaya extract, or papain –– one of the main ingredients found in meat tenderizers to your skin will dilute and break down the high protein acid in the stinging cells, and reduce the amount of poisonous venom released. Removing and washing swim suits after leaving the ocean and before getting into a swimming pool will help eliminate this problem.

Download Pool Tip #30: Winter Swimming (PDF format, 19KB)

It’s never too early or too late in the year to go swimming. As a matter of fact, there’s no real reason to winterize your pool at all if you plan to swim regularly throughout the winter season. You can continue to operate your pool on a year round basis with only a few modification to your pool and its equipment.

To keep a pool open in cold weather, it is necessary to keep the water heated and circulating continuously, 24 hours per day. Pool chemical treatment, circulation and filtration equipment should be installed in a sheltered, heated and well ventilated room. The pool heater should be properly sized for temperature maintenance rather than intermittent heating, and should be installed as close to the pool as possible. The pool shell and circulation pipes can be insulated to avoid heat loss.

When not in use, it is essential that the pool be covered immediately with a thick, thermal pool blanket to prevent unnecessary heat loss. Your house, fences, windscreens, and advantageously placed trees and landscaping materials can also be installed and used as windbreaks to prevent loss of heat through convection to moving air. Add a monomolecular film product (Ex. Heat$avr) to the water to help retain heat.

Shortly before swimming, uncover the pool and let the steam layer rise over the pool and deck. Do not allow anyone to swim in the pool, without first removing all of the insulating blankets. The steam layer and warm pool water in relation to the ambient air will keep swimmers remarkably comfortable even in light snows, and in all but the most severe weather conditions.

Have warm towels or blankets available to wrap up in and keep you cozy when you get out of the pool and walk back to the house. Many pools in resort areas operated during all seasons of the year with no detrimental effect to the health of swimmers. Anyone who has ever soaked in a spa at a Colorado ski resort in January, or swum laps in a mountainside pool in Lake Tahoe while watching the snow fall gently on the pool deck will attest to the healthful, stress relieving benefits of outdoor swimming and water exercise during the winter.

Download Pool Tip #29: Converting Swimming Pools to Ice Skating Rinks (PDF format, 19KB)

Allowing the water in a pool to freeze is not damaging to the pool, and actually protects pool surfaces. If your pool is located in Canada, the Northern U. S., New England, the Great Lakes states, or some areas of the Midwest, and you have at least two months of the year where daily temperatures average below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you might want to consider converting your outdoor swimming pool into a ice rink for the winter.

A frozen backyard swimming pool can be a convenient, safe, supervised location for recreational skating, figure skating, hockey drills, and even racing remote control toy cars.

To prepare the swimming pool for conversion to an ice rink, first winterize the pipes and equipment as you normally would at the end of the summer swimming season. Then, drop the water level in the pool 18 to 20 inches below the coping.

Install a vinyl pool blanket or liner over the pool so it floats on the surface of the water, and lays up over the side of the pool and coping and onto the surrounding deck. It is important that the blanket remain in contact with the water. The blanket must be sized to overlap the pool dimensions by about two and a half feet so that it can be properly anchored.

Install weighted water bags, sand bags, or specially designed polymeric energy absorbing panels (Link–a–Rink® panels) around the perimeter of the pool to hold the blanket in place and protect the tiles and coping.

After the vinyl blanket has been properly installed and secured, add four inches of water to the pool on top of the blanket. Let the water freeze. Check ice depth daily. Make sure the water has frozen to a minimum depth of four inches before permitting group skating.

Download Pool Tip #28: Swimmer Eye Irritation (PDF format, 20KB)

Eye irritation is a major cause of bather discomfort and source of complaints about pools which is often incorrectly attributed to having too much chlorine in water. The most likely causes of eye irritation are: high chloramine levels (above 0.2 ppm) in the water, unbalanced water (Langelier Saturation Index out of the plus or minus 0.3 range), excessive debris or turbid water coming into contact with a swimmer’s cornea, water friction against the cornea causing a disruption of the tear film, and air pollution (windblown debris, smog, or pollen).

Another frequently overlooked source of eye irritation is the sun. Swimmers often get eye burn from the sun reflection off the water. This problem can be exacerbated by swimming laps for long period of time in pools whose lap lanes run directly east and west. Remember, prolonged ultraviolet light exposure causes inflammation of the cornea and can lead to development of cataracts.

To prevent eye irritation, swim in only in properly maintained, sanitized, and balanced pools. Wear goggles while swimming. Use eye drops containing antihistamines after leaving the pool. Outdoors, wear good polarized goggles to filter out destructive rays of the sun while swimming, or sunglasses and a hat if participating it other water activities where your face is not submerged.

Download Pool Tip #27: Electrical Safety Around Pools (PDF format, 31KB)

The danger of electrocution is always present in a pool or other wet area environment. It is not safe to use a regular telephone, or place electrically powered appliances such as radios, fans, light fixtures, CD players, or televisions where they may accidentally fall or be pulled into a pool or spa.

Pool owners should use extreme caution when using electrical appliances, equipment or tools in the vicinity of a swimming pool. Be careful not to allow extension poles used for rescue or maintenance purposes to come in contact with electric utility company power lines, or any electrical equipment in the vicinity of the pool.

Don’t take chances with electricity and water. Keep electrical devices away from the pool, unless the equipment is approved for pool side use. Approved equipment will have a third party certification sticker affixed to the outside of the device, and will be double insulated or designed with other precautionary protective devices to prevent electrical shock. All electrical receptacles should be 10 or more feet from the pool, and should be protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) which will interrupt the flow of electricity if the cord is accidentally cut or frayed. Regular household uninsulated extension cords should not be used on a pool deck. It’s best to use only battery powered devices near a pool.

Call a qualified and licensed electrician to perform electrical repairs on pool equipment. Don’t attempt to make the repairs yourself, and don’t allow an unqualified pool serviceman or friend to do electrical work.

Don’t place an appliance or piece of electrical equipment where it could fall or be pulled into the water, and don’t reach for an appliance that has fallen into the water without first unplugging it from the power source. Don’t use indoor electrical appliances outdoors. Don’t touch an appliance when you are wet with one hand, while touching something metal (like a pool ladder rail) with another hand. Dry off before touching any electrical equipment or appliances in the pool area. Do not use the telephone while soaking in the pool or spa.

A current passing through body may burn tissue and disrupt electrical heart signals causing ventricular fibrillation. Even 5 milliamps of stray current with no resistance could produce a jolt, and cause a patron to fall, or a pacemaker to malfunction. One-third ampere can kill.

Electrical Safety Tips

• Use extreme caution when using electrical appliances, equipment or tools in the vicinity of a swimming pool.
• Don’t place an appliance or electrical equipment where it could fall or be pulled into the water.
• Don’t reach for an appliance that has fallen into water without first unplugging it from the power source.
• Do not use the telephone while soaking in the pool or spa.
• All electrical receptacles should be 10 or more feet from the pool, and should be protected by GFCIs which interrupt the flow of electricity.
• Regular household uninsulated extension cords should not be used on a pool deck.
• It’s best to use only battery powered devices near a pool.
• Don’t unplug appliances by yanking on the cord.
• Don’t force a plug to make it fit into an outlet.
• Don’t plug a 3 prong cord into a 2 prong outlet.
• Replace worn or exposed electrical wires.
• Don’t use indoor electrical appliances outdoors.
• Unplug appliances when they are not in use.
• Do not let extension poles used for rescue or maintenance purposes come in contact with electric utility company power lines, or any electrical equipment in the vicinity of the pool.
• Don’t touch an appliance when you are wet with one hand, while touching something metal (like a pool ladder) with another hand.
• Dry off before touching any electrical equipment or appliances in the pool area.
• Don’t turn on wet niche lights when they are not submersed in water –– they will heat up, and may explode under pressure and spray glass with force.
• Read and follow the manufacturer’s directions before operating, or attempting to repair, any mechanical or electrical equipment.
• Turn off the power, disconnect the power supply, and lock out the panel box with a padlock before working on any electrical equipment in the pool area.
• Call a qualified and licensed electrician to perform major electrical repairs on pool equipment. Don’t attempt to make the repairs yourself, and don’t allow an unqualified pool serviceman to do electrical work.

Download Pool Tip #26: Swimmer’s Ear (PDF format, 21KB)

Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) is an inflammatory disease of the auride or skin of the outer ear. Some people, particularly children and individuals with allergies, are prone to ear infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, proteus vulgaris, staph and strep infections are the pathogens most likely to cause pool water related ear infections.

The likelihood of getting an ear infection is based on four factors: water temperature, length of exposure, the amount of moisture retained in the ear canal, and the presence of bacteria in the water. Chlorine changes the ear canal lining from slightly acidic to alkaline. Ear wax and the protective lipid film coating are washed out of the ear by pool water. The resulting laceration of the skin encourages bacterial and fungal growth.

Symptoms may not appear for several hours or even for a couple of days after exposure. Symptoms of ear infection can include: mild to moderate pain, low grade fevers, itching, discharge from the ear, throbbing, a swollen ear canal, or partial hearing loss.

To prevent or lessen the frequency of swimmer’s ear, swim in a properly maintained swimming pool, and try to keep water from entering or remaining in your ears. Wear a bathing cap pulled down over your ears. Use earplugs. Dry your ears thoroughly after leaving the pool with a towel or hair dryer. Jumping up and down and shaking your head to dislodge trapped water works too.

If you’ve already developed a case of swimmer’s ear and need to relieve the pain, try applying dry heat. Use antibacterial eardrops, which are a combination of alcohol to reduce moisture and boric acid or vinegar to return the ear canal to an acidic state and slow bacterial growth and the spread of infection. See your doctor if the pain persists, or starts to get worse.

Download Pool Tip #25: Effects of Pool Water on Hair (PDF format, 21KB)

Swimming in chlorinated pools can be detrimental to your hair. The damage can be cumulative. More damage will result, the longer you spend in the water, and the more frequently you swim. Some swim instructors, aquatic therapists, and competitive swimmers who spend extended amounts of time submerged in pool water have reported losing their hair in patches.

Chlorine is a bleach, and it will cause hair pigment to lighten. Color treated hair may fade and become less shiny. Chemically treated or permed hair which is already porous and protein damaged will tend to absorb chlorine, becoming further damaged and over processed. Chlorine bonds with hair protein and causes the cuticle, the protective scaly outer protein layer that covers the inner cortex and central medulla of the visible hair shaft, to be eaten away. This results in dry, brittle, straw–like hair. Hair will become less elastic. Chlorine will make the hair shaft weak and easily damaged by brushing or combing, and hair breakage and split ends may result.

Although exposure to chlorinated pool water does damage hair, chlorine in the water is not what causes a blond, gray or white haired swimmer’s hair to turn green. Exposure to hard metals dissolved in the water, particularly copper, iron, or manganese is really to blame. When absorbed by the hair shaft and oxidized by chlorine, metals commonly found in pools tend to leave behind a greenish residue on hair. Metals are introduced into pool water through source water used to fill the pool, as algaecides or sanitizers, from ionizers, as a result of electrolysis, and sometimes from water moving through recirculation pipes at excessive velocities, and from maintenance of aggressive water conditions in the pool.

The pool operator will monitor the amount of dissolved metals in the water, and add sequestering or chelating agents to the pool to neutralize or remove metals from the water before they have a chance to be absorbed by your hair.

To protect your hair from damage caused by swimming in chlorinated pools, rinse your hair with fresh water immediately after swimming and don’t allow chlorine to dry on your hair. Wash your hair when you’re finished swimming with a shampoo which is designed to repair damage caused by swimming in chlorinated pools. Look for a shampoo which is pH balanced, contains either vitamin C or sodium thiosulfate to neutralize chlorine by dissolving it or turning it back into chlorine salt, and which will replacing protein eroded by chlorine exposure. Some shampoos formulated specially for swimmers contain chelating agents, as well as conditioners and moisturizers to help repair chlorine damaged hair. You can help reduce the build-up of metals and remove some oxidized metals from your hair by using shampoos which contain the chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediamene tetracetic acid), or ascorbic or citric acids (vitamins commonly found in citrus fruits).

Washing your hair in warm water containing dissolved aspirin, will have a similar result. Use 6 aspirin in a liter of warm water, let sit for a few minutes then rinse with fresh water. To balance the acidic tendency of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and give shine to damaged hair, make a mixture of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and water, comb the solution through your hair, and rinse after a few minutes.

Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet. Let it dry naturally, then brush only with a wide toothed comb to lessen the chance of breakage. Try to limit the use of blow dryers, electric curlers and curling irons –– they further dry out already dry hair.

Damaged hair can be partially repaired by conditioning while you swim. Before entering the pool, apply a protective conditioner to your hair and cover it with a latex rubber or silicone bathing cap. Heat generated during lessons, water exercise or swimming will provide a heat conditioning treatment. Wearing a conditioner while swimming will also prevent chlorine from being absorbed into, penetrating the cuticle, and damaging your hair, in the first place.

Download Pool Tip #24: Why Swimmers See Halos Around Lights (PDF format, 20KB)

The majority of swimmers usually see rainbows or halos around lights after fifteen minutes of entering a swimming pool. This is nothing to be concerned about, but is rather the result of water being absorbed into the eyes.

Since pool water is less salty than human tears, pool water moves by osmotic pressure into the eye. The clear part of the front of the eye becomes swollen and fills with water. This accumulation of fluids in the eye is called corneal edema.

Some cells are also lost off the surface of the cornea causing symptoms of blurred vision and photophobia. Eyes may turn red, but changes in visual acuity do not seem to occur. For a period after leaving the pool, a swimmer may also be more sensitive to smoke or smog. This sensitivity to light and irritants usually disappears within thirty minutes of leaving the pool.

Wearing goggles while swimming in pools and fresh water lakes will lessen the temporary effects of corneal edema.

Download Pool Tip #23: Wrinkled Fingers (PDF format, 18KB)

Ever wonder why your fingers wrinkle after being in the pool for a long period of time? It’s not due to dehydration as many swimmers suspect.

Keratin, a protein manufactured in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) which normally blocks moisture, dirt and bacteria from being absorbed, cannot protect the skin from protracted exposure to water.

Epidermal skin cells absorb pool water due to osmotic pressure and the lack of protective keratin. The cells swell, enlarge and wrinkle. Luckily, your fingers won’t stay wrinkled forever. When the water evaporates after you leave the pool and dry off, epidermal cells return to their normal size and unpucker within a few minutes.