Please note the part that says, “Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection …”

• Make sure your pool or hot tub is running properly, and that you’re using it the way it was intended to be used.
• Make sure you’re maintaining the equipment so it’s working the way it’s supposed to, and maintaining the pool or hot tub itself (i.e., cleaning it, etc.).
• Make sure you have the correct amount of sanitizer in the water. That is of the utmost importance.

Is Swimming in a Chlorinated Pool or Hot Tub Safe?

Yes, as long as the pool or hot tub is properly chlorinated with a chlorine level of between 1 part per million (ppm) and 3 ppm, with 3 ppm being ideal. However, if you’re sick, it’s a good idea to stay out of the pool.

A Warning About Pools and Hot Tubs

While swimming or soaking themselves are safe, we have two serious warnings for you.

1. Do Not Swim or Soak if You’re Sick

While chlorine and other sanitizers can kill some viruses, they will not cure you if you’re ill due to a virus. Simply swimming or soaking in chlorinated water is not a magical remedy. If it were, no one would be dying from this disease.

In addition, this is a respiratory disease. Swimming can put undue pressure and stress on your lungs. And sitting in the humid environment of a hot tub can make breathing a little more difficult than it already may be if you have COVID-19.

2. Do Not Allow Anyone Who Has COVID-19 to Swim in Your Pool or Soak in Your Hot Tub

As the CDC said, there is no evidence that simply swimming or soaking in pools and hot tubs will spread the coronavirus.

However, someone who’s sick may still cough into their hand, and then touch the pool ladder or the side of the hot tub, parts that are not submerged in chlorinated water. And then if you or someone else touches those parts after they do, and then you touch your face, nose, eyes or mouth before you wash your hands or put them in chlorinated water, there’s a chance you could become ill.

Here’s something else to consider. The COVID-19 coronavirus lingers on those surfaces. In fact, it can survive:

• up to four hours on copper
• up to 24 hours on cardboard
• up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel (which is what your pool ladder handles are likely made of)

Should I Shock My Pool or Hot Tub?

We’re always proponents of regular shocking, pandemic or no pandemic. But right now, we think it’s an especially good idea to shock your pool or shock your hot tub right now. Then shock it weekly for as long as you keep your pool or hot tub open during the pandemic.

What if I Use a Sanitizer Other Than Chlorine?

You’ll notice the CDC specifically mentioned chlorine and bromine in its information about pool and hot tub safety. If you use a different sanitizer, you can still rely on it to keep the water clean as long as you keep the level where it should be.

But to remove coronavirus from your pool or hot tub, we highly recommend using chlorine shock, if possible.

Bromine

Pool: Between 3 ppm and 5 ppm, with 5 ppm being ideal
Shock: Use chlorine shock; follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night.

Hot Tub: Between 3 ppm and 5 ppm, with 5 ppm being ideal
Shock: Use chlorine shock; follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night if your hot tub is outdoors.

Minerals

Pool: 0.5 ppm chlorine
Shock: Use chlorine shock the first time, then alternate with non-chlorine shock to avoid raising the chlorine level above 0.5 ppm. If you decide to use chlorine shock more often, just keep a close eye on the chlorine level. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night.

Hot Tub: 0.5 ppm chlorine
Shock: Use chlorine shock the first time, then alternate with non-chlorine shock to avoid raising the chlorine level above 0.5 ppm. If you decide to use chlorine shock more often, just keep a close eye on the chlorine level. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night if the hot tub is outdoors.

Salt Water

Pool: 1 ppm to 3 ppm chlorine, with 3 ppm being ideal
Shock: Use chlorine shock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night.

Hot Tub: 1 ppm to 3 ppm chlorine, with 3 ppm being ideal
Shock: Use chlorine shock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night if the hot tub is outdoors.

Biguanide

Pool: 30 ppm to 50 ppm
Shock: Use only a biguanide oxidizer, not any kind of shock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Hot Tub: 30 ppm to 50 ppm
Shock: Use only a biguanide oxidizer, not any kind of shock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Important: Please note that the CDC specified chlorine and bromine in their statement about the safety of pool and hot tubs with regard to coronavirus. Most of the sanitizers listed here will accommodate chlorine shock. However, you cannot use chlorine products with biguanide. The active ingredient in biguanide—preservative-free polyhexamethylene biguanide, better known as PHMB—was originally derived from a surgical disinfectant. Please do further research to ensure that biguanide will be sufficient to eradicate coronavirus specifically. We recommend getting in touch with the manufacturer of the biguanide brand you use.

Ultraviolet, Ionizer, or Ozonator (Hot Tub)

Shock: Use chlorine shock. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to shock at dusk or night if the hot tub is outdoors.

Important: Please note that the CDC specified chlorine and bromine in their statement about the safety of pool and hot tubs with regard to coronavirus. Most of the sanitizers listed here will accommodate chlorine shock. However, you cannot use chlorine products with ultraviolet, ionizer, or ozonator hot tub sanitizers. Please do further research to ensure that the device you use will be sufficient to eradicate coronavirus specifically. We recommend getting in touch with the manufacturer of the device you use.

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Should I Add Extra Sanitizer?

It’s not necessary. As long as you keep your sanitizer within the recommended range—preferably, toward the higher end of that range—you’ll be fine. Adding too much sanitizer can cause skin and eye irritation, and really won’t kill the coronavirus, or any virus, any deader.

Should I Disinfect My Pool and Hot Tub Surfaces?

Yes. And not just because of coronavirus. Bacteria love damp, humid environments, and all types of viruses can be lurking on surfaces like pool ladder handles and diving boards or hot tub headrests.

Clean all the surfaces not submerged in sanitized water with a diluted bleach solution by mixing 5 tablespoons (⅓ cup) bleach per gallon of water (74 ml per 3.8 litres of water) or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water (20 ml per litre of water)

Are Public Pools and Hot Tubs Safe?

As long as the pool or hot tub is being properly maintained and sanitized. The problem is, unless you take your own test strips or testing kit with you, how will you know for sure the water is sanitary? There’s a test you can perform without any equipment.

A Word of Warning About Public Pools and Hot Tubs

If you approach a public pool or hot tub, and you get a whiff of that “pool smell” or what some call a “chlorine smell,” turn around and walk away. That smell is not chlorine. It’s actually an indication that there’s not enough chlorine in the water.

As chlorine is exposed to organic contaminants such as sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids, it combines with the ammonia in these contaminants. That’s how it works to sanitize the water.

When the chlorine combines with these substances and is gradually used up, it forms substances called chloramines.

The chloramines then off-gas into the air above the pool or hot tub, producing that telltale smell. So that lovely aroma is actually caused by used chlorine, which means there’s not enough chlorine left in the pool or spa to properly sanitize the water.

A properly sanitized pool or hot tub shouldn’t have any scent at all. No matter what chemicals you’ve added to the water, it should smell like clean water. In other words, odorless.

General Information about Coronavirus and COVID-19

First, we want to make clear that we are not doctors, scientists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, or any other kind of specialists related to medicine and health. You should always look to those experts for information about your health and well-being.

That said, we did gather some information for you from those kinds of authoritative sources. You’ll find a list of the sources we used at the bottom of this article.

What’s the Difference Between Coronavirus and COVID-19?

You may be seeing references to several terms. Here’s the difference:

• Coronavirus: This is a broad term for a category of human viruses.
• COVID-19 Virus: This is a reference to this virus being the one that causes coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.
• COVID-19: This is the disease caused by this particular virus.
• SARS-CoV-2: This stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, which is now the official name of the disease caused by the COVID-19 virus. But many people still refer to the disease as COVID-19, which is not incorrect. Just a variation.

Is This Really That Big a Deal? Isn’t the Common Cold a Coronavirus?

Yes, the common cold is a coronavirus. Coronavirus is a broad term for a family of viruses. A handful of them cause common colds in humans: 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1. The one we’re concerned about now is a new coronavirus, the COVID-19 virus. This is why it was initially referred to as novel coronavirus. Novel means new.

We’ve never encountered this particular coronavirus before, which is why there’s no vaccine for it. And because no one has ever had it before, our bodies do not have any sort of natural immunity built up to fight it. This is part of why it’s so dangerous.

The other reason it’s dangerous, though, is because of the effects it can have on the body. It’s more than just a regular cold with a stuffy nose and mild cough.

As noted above, the COVID-19 virus causes SARS-CoV-2. It is a severe acute respiratory syndrome. It has three symptoms that a common cold does not normally have:

• fever
• dry cough
• shortness of breath

In addition, COVID-19 has a few emergency warning signs related specifically to the shortness of breath symptom:

• difficulty breathing
• persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• new confusion or inability to arouse
• bluish lips or face

All of these warning signs are indicative of the body and brain not getting enough oxygen. If these warning signs are not immediately treated by medical professionals, the patient will die.

How to Protect Yourself

Follow the recommendations from the CDC, and from the World Health Organization (WHO):

Also, learn to properly wash your hands, following the WHO’s instructions. Who knew we were doing it wrong this whole time?!

A Word of Warning About Misinformation

In a time like this, it’s imperative that we rely on good sources of information.

Sources to Trust

Get your information only from authoritative, reputable sources such as the following:

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Institutes of Health
• Mayo Clinic
• Harvard Medical School: Coronavirus Resource Center

Hoaxes and Misinformation

You’re probably seeing a lot of myths and misinformation flying around on social media, such as:

• something from “Stanford” that recommends holding your breath for 10 seconds to determine whether you have COVID-19
• recommendations to gargle vinegar or even bleach to kill the virus
• warnings about martial law and that if you leave your home, you could be punished somehow
• that the virus can’t be transmitted in hot or humid climates, or that hot weather will kill the virus
• that cold weather will kill the virus
• that taking a hot bath will prevent you from getting sick
• that coronavirus can be transmitted via mosquito bites
• that garlic will fight coronavirus

None of those things are true. Not one of them. Check out the WHO’s Coronavirus Myth Busters page to get the real scoop on some of these things.

If you see something on social media that doesn’t have a link to a reputable source or isn’t posted by a reputable source, you can do a few things:

• ignore it
• don’t share it
• inform the person who shared it that it’s incorrect
• ask the person who shared it to take it down (if you know the person)
• report it to the platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

If, by some chance, you’ve mistakenly shared anything like this recently, consider taking it down to so you’re not a part of this spreading of misinformation.

What Else Can I Do to Help?

We’re sure you’ve seen plenty of suggestions online, everything from washing your hands and staying home to offering to shop for the elderly or other people who may be homebound.

All of those suggestions are wonderful, and we hope you’re participating in at least some of them (especially washing your hands and staying home as much as possible!)

But if you’d like to do more, you can help WHO:

• Send essential supplies such as personal protective equipment to frontline health workers
• Enable all countries to track and detect the disease by boosting laboratory capacity through training and equipment
• Ensure health workers and communities everywhere have access to the latest science-based information to protect themselves, prevent infection and care for those in need
• Accelerate efforts to fast-track the discovery and development of lifesaving vaccines, diagnostics and treatments

Simply make a donation to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Also, please consider making a donation to your local food bank to help those who have been laid off or lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Wash Your Hands, Keep Your Distance, and Stay Healthy!

We want you to be safe and healthy so you can continue to enjoy your pool and hot tub without worry. Remember, when it comes to maintaining your pool, now more than ever, it’s imperative that you keep sanitizer levels where they need to be. Not too low, but not too high, either.

We’ve covered pool and hot tub care during a pandemic pretty clearly here. But as far as general coronavirus and COVID-19 information, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Do your own reading, talk to your health professionals, and do everything you must do to protect yourself, your family and friends, and your community.

We’re all in this together.

Happy (and Healthy) Swimming!

Sources:

• CDC: Water Transmission and COVID-19
• Harvard Medical School: Coronavirus Resource Center
• WHO Advice for Public
• CDC: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Mayo Clinic: Coronavirus Disease 2019
• CDC: Coronavirus Symptoms
• CDC: How to Protect Yourself
• CDC: What to Do If You Are Sick
• CDC: Clean and Disinfect

The post Coronavirus Pool and Hot Tub Safety appeared first on Swim University®.

We are, of course! In all seriousness, we’ve researched it to try to answer the question of perfect pool temperature once and for all. Short version? There’s not just one answer. How warm or cool you keep your pool, and how you do it, depends on several factors. It’s just a matter of knowing which of those factors apply to you so you can make the best choice.

Why is Pool Temperature Important?

Have you ever jumped into a nice, cool swimming pool on a super-hot day? It’s either refreshing or a nightmarish shock to your system. Or maybe you got into your pool and felt like you were taking a warm bath on a hot day. That’s no fun either.

In general, the most common pool temperature for a residential pool used for leisure is between 78°F and 82°F (26°C and 28°C).

But it’s important to know that some temperatures can be dangerous for certain at-risk groups of people, and can make your pool vulnerable to contaminants. And other temperatures are conducive to more athletic activities.

It all depends on who uses your pool, and for what purposes.

Leisure, Lessons, and Lots of Fun

If your pool is a gathering place for the whole family and lots of friends during the summer, you’ll need to take swimmers’ ages into account.

And is everyone just floating around for fun? Or are a few people using your pool for fitness or other efforts? It all makes a difference.

Kids and Swimming Lessons

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swimming lessons for kids starting at the age of four. and the Red Cross recommends a pool temperature of at least 84°F (29°C) to conduct swim lessons for children.

This is to keep their bodies comfortable in a new environment, to keep their muscles warm and loose, and to prevent any breathing difficulties that can arise from too-cold water.

While you may not be offering formal swimming lessons in your pool, if you’re trying to teach a young child to swim, consider raising the pool temperature, at least while this activity is taking place.

Important: Teaching a child to swim does not prevent drowning. When you have kids in or near the pool area, make sure they’re supervised at all times. Consider taking precautions to prevent tragedy, and perhaps investing in a couple of types of pool alarms for added safety.

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01/27/2023 08:49 pm GMT

Senior Health and Safety

As we age, our bodies become less tolerant of drastic temperature changes, and more vulnerable to both heat and cold. This is particularly true in swimming pools where too-cold or too-warm water can not only be uncomfortable for seniors, but detrimental to their health.

When the seniors in your life are going to use your pool for leisure, consider raising the temperature to somewhere between 86°F and 88°F (30°C and 31°C).

Water exercises can be particularly helpful for those with arthritis. The water’s buoyancy means less stress on joints, and little risk of falling while exercising.

If anyone with arthritis—senior or not—will be using your pool, they’ll be most comfortable in temperatures between 84°F and 88°F (29°C and 31°C). If they have limited function due to arthritis, they’ll do better in even higher temperatures, somewhere between 86°F and 90°F (30°C and 32°C).

Health and Fitness Benefits

You don’t have to be a senior to use the pool for fitness. Swimming is excellent full-body exercise, and has several benefits:

• cardiovascular health
• low back pain relief
• lower blood pressure
• mood improvement, especially during winter
• longer life
• increased lung capacity

For swimming and water aerobics, the recommended temperature is the standard range of 78°F to 82°F (26°C to 28°C). So you can get a lot of health benefits without having to adjust the temperature much at all.

Before You Start Adjusting and Readjusting Pool Temperature

If you normally keep your pool around 78°F (26°C), it can put a bit of strain on your pool heater (and your energy bill) to bring the water up to 90°F (32°C), or even just 84°F (29°C) to accommodate a child, a senior guest, or someone with arthritis.

If such a guest is only going to use your pool occasionally, heating it up to the appropriate temperature isn’t really cost-effective. It will also wreak havoc with your water chemistry.

If someone in your household is older, if anyone is living with arthritis, or you have senior guests on a regular basis, you may want to consider getting a hot tub instead of raising and lowering your pool temperature.

Hot tub temperature will always be somewhere between 98.6°F (37°C) and the maximum safe temperature, 104°F (40°C). It also offers that same buoyancy for low-impact exercise, though it may need to be performed sitting down rather than standing. But sitting in a nice, warm, bubbly hot tub isn’t really a sacrifice, is it?

Controlled Pool Temperature Benefits

In addition to protecting swimmers, keeping your pool temperature steady and within the right range can also protect the pool itself.

Algae and Bacteria Control

You’re constantly battling pool water contaminants, and for the most part, you keep them under control with chlorine or another sanitizer, and with filtration. But let the pool temperature get too high, and you’re practically laying out the welcome mat for algae and bacteria.

When your pool water heats up to around the 85°F (29°C) mark, bacteria and algae get nice and comfy, and start reproducing at exponential rates. Keeping your pool below that mark won’t get rid of algae and bacteria completely, but will make it more difficult for them to bloom and grow and become a problem.

If you do raise the heat in your pool to accommodate guests, shock it more often to keep algae, bacteria, and other contaminants at bay. If that’s not a concern, then try to cool the pool down to prevent an algae bloom.

Balanced Water

With that warmer water in your pool making it easier for algae and bacteria to gain a foothold, the chlorine or other sanitizer in your pool is going to have to work much harder to kill them. This means the sanitizer will become depleted more quickly, and your pool chemistry will be out of whack.

It also means you’ll have to add sanitizer more often, so a bonus to keeping your pool temperature within a good range is that you’ll save money on chemicals.

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Keep Swimmers Comfortable

Aside from maintaining certain temperatures to keep at-risk swimmers safe, you want everyone who swims in your pool to be comfortable. Too cold or too warm, and no one’s going to enjoy it. And then what’s the point of having a pool?

Set your pool heater’s thermostat to a temperature between 78°F and 82°F (26°C and 28°C) to keep the majority of swimmers comfortable. Maybe a little cooler if you’re in an area with very hot summers, or a little warmer if you live in a milder climate.

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How to Measure Pool Temperature

All pool heaters have built-in thermostats to let you set and maintain the pool temperature you decide on. But just like the thermostat in your home may not accurately display the temperature from the room farthest away from it, the heater thermostat may not be completely accurate, either.

To get an accurate pool temperature reading, supplement the thermostat with a pool thermometer. You have three types to choose from: analog, digital, and infrared. We recommend digital for accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

Analog thermometers can be difficult to read accurately, and infrared thermometers are a little on the expensive side for residential use. Unless you just like pointing what’s basically a laser gun at your pool while you shout, “Pew! Pew!” We won’t judge.

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How to Control Pool Temperature

Knowing the perfect pool temperature is only half the battle. Now you need to know how to keep it steady.

Choose an Efficient Pool Heater

You have three options to heat your pool.

You can rely on the sun, but this is really winging it, and you’ll have no way to control the pool temperature. Plus, the water will usually be a lot cooler than may be comfortable in certain regions or at certain times of the year. However, getting a solar pool cover can help you take advantage of this free heat source. And we recommend using a solar cover even if you have a pool heater to help retain heat.

A gas pool heater can be a good, economical option if you have natural gas available. If not, you can choose a heat pump.

Finally, you can still use the sun, but in a much more focused and efficient way with a solar pool heater. If you have the space on your roof, it’s definitely worth looking into.

Take a thorough look at all your options before making a decision.

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01/27/2023 09:27 pm GMT

Get a Pool Heater With a Digital Thermostat

Any heater will have a thermostat, but the ones with digital thermostats are more accurate and easier to use. And the thermostats controlled by microprocessors are even more reliable, albeit more expensive. But you’ll make up for it in energy bill savings.

Save Money and Energy

Heating a pool is an expense along with pool chemicals and other maintenance tools and equipment. While you want to keep your pool temperature on an even keel, and keep your pool comfortable for everyone, you also don’t want to run up your energy bills.

A few heating tips will help keep things comfortable in the pool and in your bank account.

Turn the Temperature Down

If you don’t have to worry about maintaining a higher temperature for kids or seniors, consider dropping the pool temperature by a degree or two. That’s really all it takes to save money:

The energy consumption for each degree rise in temperature will cost 10% to 30% more in energy costs, depending on your location. In warmer climates, this percentage is higher because of the relatively low cost of heating a pool at 78ºF. – Energy.gov

Turn the Pool Heater Off

Going on vacation? There’s no need to keep your pool heated while you’re gone. Turn the thermostat down, or better yet, off to save both money and energy.

But won’t it take more money and energy to get the pool temperature back up when you return? It will take some energy and money, but not nearly as much as it would take to keep the pool heater running while you’re not even using the pool.

Use a Solar Pool Cover During the Day

Yet one more way to harness the power of the sun. If you’re going to be out of the pool for a while, float a solar pool cover or a solar blanket on it to both heat the water and retain that heat, depending on the type of cover you use.

If you feel a total-pool cover is too cumbersome to use frequently, consider getting a solar cover reel to make things easier. Or try using solar rings instead. Easy to deploy, easy to pick up and put away.

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01/27/2023 03:35 pm GMT

Use a Pool Cover at Night

Both your pool heater and the sun warm up the water during the day. Hold onto some of that heat by covering your pool at night. The cover will trap some of the heat, and when you remove it in the morning, your heater won’t have to work as hard to get it up to the set pool temperature.

If you’d rather not completely cover the pool when you’re just going to use it the next day, put a solar blanket on the water. It won’t keep as much heat in as a regular cover would, but it will keep some.

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01/27/2023 08:38 pm GMT

Maintain Your Pool Heater

After you’ve spent all that money on an efficient pool heater, it would be a shame to let it fall into disrepair. Just like all your other pool equipment, it needs regular maintenance. Keep it running well, and it’ll last a lot longer, which will save you the money of having to replace it too soon.

Above Ground Pool Temperature

You may be wondering how to set and maintain the pool temperature if you have an above ground pool. It’s very complicated. Are you ready?

There’s no difference.

All the same tips and tactics you’d use for an inground pool also apply to above ground pools. Get a good above ground pool heater, keep it in good condition, use a pool cover, and you’ll be fine.

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Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, Juuuust Right

Only you can determine the perfect pool temperature for you. Whether you have kids and seniors using the pool, or it’s just a source of fun and relaxation, once you’ve decided on your goal temperature, it’s just a matter of maintaining it.

Just remember to keep health and safety concerns in mind, and then everyone will be able to enjoy fun in the sun right in your own back yard pool.

Happy Swimming!

The post What is The Perfect Pool Temperature? appeared first on Swim University®.

When’s the last time you took a moment to think about the measures you’re taking—or maybe not taking yet—to keep your family and friends safe around your pool? If it’s been a while, there’s no time like right now to amp up your pool safety.

What Does Pool Safety Mean?

It’s actually a lot of things. It encompasses everything from the equipment you use to keep the pool area free of accidents, to how everyone—including you—behaves in and around your pool.

Every day in the United States, about ten people drown, and two of them are children aged 14 and younger.

Drowning is the worst-case scenario. In an area that’s often wet, it’s also easy for people to slip and fall, possibly hitting their head or even breaking a bone on the hard pool deck. Common causes of drowning and injuries include lack of barriers, lack of supervision, and alcohol use.

Important: A major misconception about drowning is that you’ll be able to hear someone thrash around or yell for help if they’re going under. In reality, drowning is usually silent, and you may not know someone is in trouble until it’s too late.

To prevent accidents from happening, we recommend taking precautions to help ensure the safety of anyone who may be in or around your pool.

Supervision

This is the number one way to prevent accidents and injuries. We can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention at all times when people are around your pool. It can be tough to have your eyes on multiple children at once, especially if you’re entertaining guests.

Remind all the adults to be aware of the children in or around the water. Also, in party situations, keep an eye on any intoxicated adults who could fall in or forget to be vigilant about supervising their own children.

If young children or weak swimmers are in the pool, be sure there is a competent adult within arm’s reach of the child at all times. This is commonly called “reach supervision.”

Learn to Swim

Make sure your family’s swimming skills are up to snuff by taking a class. Solid swimming skills are a must, but don’t assume you can let your guard down once your kids take lessons. Even big kids shouldn’t swim alone.

The jury is still out on whether early childhood swimming lessons or “swim survival” classes aimed at infants and toddlers necessarily prevent drowning, but research suggests they reduce the chance. But reach supervision is still recommended for little ones, even if they’ve taken classes.

You can never be too careful with the lives of your children, or any children, or anyone who sets foot in or near your pool.

Until they build up their swimming skills, smaller kids can benefit from a little help in the pool. Consider getting them a pair of arm floaties. Some of them even have an extra inflatable part that goes across the chest for added buoyancy.

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01/27/2023 09:05 pm GMT

Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

No one wants to believe that the worst imaginable outcome could happen in their own pool, so it’s easy to think you’ll probably never need to know CPR. But if an accident does occur, you certainly won’t have time to learn CPR in the moment.

We highly recommend you and your family members take the time to learn as soon as possible. The Red Cross even offers online-only CPR courses. The online course doesn’t give you certification, but it still teaches you the skills you need to save a life.

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Establish Ground (and Water) Rules

Every play area needs to have a few rules to keep it safe. For example, kids need to understand why it’s dangerous to run around on the pool deck. And that dunking their friends isn’t funny or safe. And that not all toys are meant for use in the pool.

Be sure that anyone who uses your pool is aware of your rules, and know that everyone will need reminders from time to time, especially kids who will easily forget once they start splashing around and having a good time.

Sigo Signs Rust Free Aluminum Pool Rules Sign - 10 in. x14 in.

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Pool Safety Equipment

In addition to knowledge and behavior, having the right equipment can help you make your pool area even safer.

Fences

Physical barriers around the pool area can stop a child from even getting far enough to set off a surface or subsurface pool alarm. A pool fence usually features a walk-through gate only adults or taller children can reach. And an above ground pool fence is an added level of security around the pool itself.

A fence can help keep people from falling into the pool accidentally, and keep small children from quietly wandering into the pool unnoticed. They can also help keep critters out of the pool.

Life Saver Mesh Pool Fence Kit - 48 ft. - Self-Closing Gate - Drill Guide

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Gate Alarms

Installing a fence is only a half measure. Kids can figure out how to open gates, and still find their way into the pool area without your knowledge.

The solution is a gate alarm, which will sound when the connection between the fence and the gate is broken. It’s an invaluable tool in your quest for pool safety.

PoolGuard Outdoor Pool Gate Alarm

Made for any gate, outside door, or screen, this alarm protects access to your pool. The alarm automatically resets and is always on, preventing anyone from accidentally leaving your gate open for children or pets to wander to your pool.

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Door Alarms

You can take safety a step further by installing a door alarm on the door that leads to the back yard or pool area. Most models contain a contact sensor, which means the alarm sounds as soon as contact is broken, meaning as soon as the door is opened. The goal is to give you time to reach your child before they reach the pool.

iSmartAlarm Contact Sensor

This alarm is perfect for doors and windows around your pool enclosure. The wireless system allows you to monitor your security system directly from your smartphone.

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Pool Alarms

If, by some chance, a child makes it past the back door and past the pool fence, a last line of defense is a pool alarm. This type of alarm is partially submerged in the pool, and will sound when a certain level of movement in the water is detected, such as a child falling in.

Some models also come with a receiver you can keep in your home to further guarantee you hear the alarm when it goes off. These types of alarms are available for both above ground and inground pools.

Our Top Pick

PoolGuard In-Ground Pool Alarm

Installed at the edge of your pool, this battery-powered alarm is tamper-proof and simple to operate. It's equipped with an in-house remote receiver to help alert you both at the pool and in your home.

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Safety Covers

If you want a barrier for when no one needs access to the pool, consider a pool safety cover. No person or animal can slip into your pool when a safety cover is properly installed.

Blue Wave Rectangular Inground Pool Safety Cover - 16 ft. x 32 ft. - 4 ft. x 8 ft. Center Step

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Float Lines

This is a good piece of safety equipment to keep in the pool even when it’s being used. You can stretch the line across the water from side to side, and the floats will keep it on the surface.

If anyone starts to have trouble staying afloat, they can hold onto the line, which will keep them above water until help arrives until help arrives. Consider two or even three lines, for the shallow and deep ends, and the middle of the pool, if children or seniors will be swimming.

Pentair Safety Float Line with 9 Floats for 25-Foot Pool

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Life Preserver

If someone starts to have trouble keeping their head above water, you can toss a life preserver to help them stay afloat until you reach them. It’s much easier to assist someone who is floating on the surface than it is to pull someone from under the water to the surface.

Trying to save someone who is already under water also puts you in danger because if the person panics, they may pull you down with them. The life preserver gives them something to hold onto and can help keep them calmer while you help them.

Cal June USCG Approved Ring Buoy - 24 in.

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Pool Safety Hook

Like a life preserver, this piece of pool safety equipment gives the struggling person something to hold onto to keep from going under. To avoid falling in yourself, lie down on the deck and extend the hook to the person in trouble. Once they grab hold of the hook, slowly pull them toward the side of the pool.

A pool hook is also useful for gently pulling small animals from the water when they need help escaping the pool.

Swimline Safety Hook for Pools

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Critter Escape Ramp

Aside from just wanting to help small animals escape the pool when they fall in, it’s no fun to retrieve dead frogs, mice, squirrels or other unfortunate animals from your pool. And smaller creatures can actually be pulled into the filtration system, causing a blockage and potentially damaging equipment.

Help them find their way out by placing two or three escape ramps around the perimeter of your pool. They won’t drown, and you can feel good about helping animals in need whether you’re near the pool or not.

Swimline FrogLog Critter Saving Escape Ramp

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First Aid Kit

Not all pool accidents happen in the pool. Kids can get involved in playing and forget they’re not supposed to run on the pool deck. One slip in a puddle or a stray patch of algae, and down they go.

Keep a first aid kit on hand that contains disinfectant and bandages for those bumps and scrapes, as well as other minor medical emergency supplies.

A poolside kit should also contain a first aid blanket for anyone retrieved from the water after nearly drowning, as they will likely be in shock.

Note: We don’t recommend allowing anyone with a bleeding would back in the pool. Sure, your sanitizer may neutralize it the way it does other organic contaminants. But it’s best not to tax your sanitizer any more than necessary. Plus, no one wants to swim in water with someone’s blood floating around in it. Ew.

Waterproof First Aid Kit - 228 Pieces

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01/27/2023 08:53 pm GMT

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act

In June 2002, seven-year-old Virginia Graeme Baker drowned in a hot tub when the drain’s suction trapped her under the water. As a result, in 2007, Congress passed a law that called for a national pool safety campaign, which is called Pool Safely.

This law created new safety standards for public pools and spas, plus a state grant program to encourage state safety laws for residential pools.

Since the act was signed into law, a few states have created laws pertaining to residential pool safety, such as required use of pool alarms, but some only apply to new builds or remodels. Check with your local code enforcement for up-to-date regulations to ensure you’re in compliance.

Safety Rules!

It’s a well-worn cliche, but it really is better to be safe than sorry. Taking steps toward pool safety will allow you and everyone else who uses your pool to do so with less worry and fear. And that will just make it more enjoyable for everyone.

Happy Swimming!

The post Essential Rules and Tools for Pool Safety appeared first on Swim University®.

1. Run Your Filter at Night

The most practical one is to run your filter at night when the air is cooler. This will help the water to evaporate, thus making your pool a bit more refreshing in the morning.

However, that won’t drastically cool down your pool, and you’re not gonna install a water cooling system, so is there any alternative?

2. Cool Your Pool Down with Ice

Of course! But it’s a bit more drastic. It’s almost humorous, but you COULD fill your pool with ice. I know it sounds a bit weird, and it is, but if you had access to large quantities of ice at a good price, then why not?

I was checking out some other pool blogs on the internet and I was reading River Pools & Spas Blog. Specifically, a post titled, Record Heat Wave of 2012 Leads to Huge Increase in Swimming Pool Sales. In the comment section below the article, someone came up with an equation to determine how much ice you would need to cool down your pool depending on the size and how many degrees. To cool down a 10,000-gallon pool by just 5 degrees requires 2,187.5 pounds of ice!

3. Remove Landscaping

If your pool has a lot of trees or plants blocking it, this could cause it to heat up quicker (which is great if you’re trying to keep your pool warm). You want air to move across your pool in order to keep it cool. So remove any obstacles that could be blocking wind from blowing across the surface of your swimming pool.

4. Install a Reverse-Cycle Heat Pump

When it comes to heating your swimming pool, I would recommend investing in a heat pump for sure. According to Aquacal, “Heat pumps use a refrigerant to maintain a specified swimming pool water temperature by running either heating or cooling cycles.” That means, some heat pumps can be reversed to actually cool down your swimming pool.

5. Use Your Solar Heater

No, that’s not a typo. If you have a solar heating system installed, you can use a tactic called nocturnal cooling. At night—or at any other time when the air temperature is cooler than your pool water temperature—you can run water through your solar panels. The same way solar panels are great at absorbing heat, they can also expel it, thereby cooling the water as it passes through them, and back into your pool.

6. Install a Water Fountain

Moving water stays cooler than still water. Also, adding air to the water will help keep it cool, too. The easiest way to do this is to install a simple fountain to your return jets. You could also look into installing a waterfall or pool slide.

This is our favorite method. Not only are pool fountains useful, they’re fun! And it’s a lot easier than ripping out landscaping, or buying a truckload of ice.

Happy Swimming!

The post How to Cool Down a Swimming Pool appeared first on Swim University®.