How Your Swimming Pool Can Make You Very Sick?

Swimming pools aren’t safe. You share germs with everyone in the pool and face higher chances of catching diarrhea, eye, ear, throat and respiratory infections.

Is Chlorine effective in killing germs?

Chlorine in the pool, which is used to kill the bacteria, depletes quickly as the number of people using the pool increase. And it isn’t very quick in action. There are some viruses which are immune to chlorine. Once such viruses enter your swimming pool, they can take days to be eliminated. On ingestion, they make you sick.

Almost all the government websites that talk about recreational water illnesses (RWI) warn the swimming pool users to be extra cautious. You need to be aware of all the diseases that can be caused and practice precautions for your safety and safety of other users of the swimming pool service.

Pathogens in the swimming pool that can make you sick

Some common pathogens which are responsible for spreading diseases through swimming pools are:

1. Cryptosporidium: This parasite is chlorine-resistant and can stay in swimming pools for days even after chlorination. It’s responsible for gastroenteritis outbreaks.
2. E. Coli: This is a good bacteria that’s found in our intestines. But a strain of this bacteria – E.Coli O157 can cause severe intestinal infections. Infections can happen due to swimming in water contaminated with this bacterium.
3. Giardia: This is a micro parasite that’s passed through faces and causes diseases like diarrhea. Even a minuscule amount of faces in the pool is dangerous. That’s why infants are usually restricted from entering the community pools.
4. Noro viruses: These viruses commonly spread through pool water. They can cause diseases like vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea.
5. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Ever wondered what causes that painful and itchy swimmer’s ears? This germ is to be blamed for that.

How to avoid sickness because of a contaminated swimming pool?

These strains of viruses stay and wait for you to get exposed to them. If you have a pool in your house, you could be at risk because of these bacteria and viruses. Before you open up the pool for summer, go for a professional pool service. Then ensure that your pool is thoroughly cleaned on regular basis.
Here are some more things you can do to prepare your guard against the microorganisms as mentioned earlier.

1. Shower (with soap) before you enter the pool.
2. Don’t spit in the pool.
3. Don’t pee in the pool.
4. Don’t swallow pool water.
5. Don’t blow your nose while it’s inside water.
6. Make sure children’s diapers are secured to their place to avoid contamination of pool through faeces.
7. Skip the pool if you’ve diarrhoea.
8. Learn how to run pH tests to ensure that chlorine level in the pool is optimum for swimming.
9. A clean pool always has clear water. That’s a sign you can use for general judgement about the cleanliness of the pool.
10. Infants, pregnant woman and people with weak immune systems should consider not using the pool at all.

Don’t just keep this information to yourself. Share it with your family and with whom you share the pool. It’ll help you stay safe this summer.

From Same Day Pros: http://bit.ly/1Pl0Ajr

Guide: How To Get Your Pool Ready For Summer?

Getting too hot? It’s time to step into the pool. Wait! Is it still closed?  And you’re looking for how to open it and get it ready for summer. Find this information in this post where we have listed ten steps to get your pool ready for summer.

1.    Should you empty the pool when not in use?

Never. If you do, you will most probably end up with the need of pool replacement. The pool can pop up and become useless if there’s no water to keep it down. It’s better if you bookmark this winter pool maintenance post to make sure you’re prepared for the winter as well (we know it’s in your resolutions list. Isn’t it?)

2.    When is the right time to open the pool?

Please don’t wait until June to open up the pool. It is good to do it as early as possible. Here are some reasons why:

1. If you sweat a lot, opening the pool all by yourself would be much easier when you do it in not-so-hot climate.
2. The Early opening would reduce the algae growth. A covered pool in a warm climate is the perfect condition for these to grow. Better remove that cover and get your pool ready before it happens.
3. There are good deals on pool service equipment during the early days of summer (or last days of spring).

3.    Get ready for opening your pool – equipment

If you’re hiring a professional pool service for this, you can easily skip this step. But if you plan to do it yourself, it’s better if you pick up all the necessary equipment for pool cleaning beforehand. A spring cleaning kit, vacuum head, skimmer head, vacuum pump, telescopic pole, pool brush and test kit are the must have pool cleaning equipment according to us.

Also, it's a superb idea if you have some help, maybe a friend or your family member, to help you with this activity.  Doing it all alone is very tiresome and tough.

4.    Remove the winter debris

If you closed your pool for winter, there’s a high chance that the pool cover has lots of leaves and dirt on it. Blow away all this debris before you remove the cover. If there’s water, use a pump to remove it. Under no conditions should you let this water mix up in your pool water.

5.    Remove the cover

Now that the cover is clear, remove it. Spread it in an open area and spray the water at the highest pressure the hose allows. Once it’s clean and dry, spread a layer of talcum powder (this will prevent the cover from sticking when you fold it). Fold the cover. Store it in a cool place.

6.    Check the water level of the pool

Ensure that the water is in the middle of the skimmer opening. It’s necessary for proper water circulation. If the water level is low, let the pool fill up. Meanwhile, check the ladders and handrails for loose bolts.

7.    Get the filter system running

We hope you face crystal clear water. Don’t panic if it’s all green and gross. You need to get the filters running immediately. Check the pumps, hoses and filters to see if they are functioning properly. Then let the filter run for around 12 hours. The amount varies according to how dirty and big your pool is.

8.    Get the water tested

We recommend that you get the water pH tested by a pro. You can also take the sample to the nearest pool supply store and get it tested for free (if you’re lucky). Do this after the pump has run for 8-12 hours. If you have a pH kit (looks like you took our ‘grab the equipment’ point too seriously), take a sample at least 18 inches below the water’s surface and away from the pump inlet. Follow the instructions that come with the kit to find out the exact pH level.

Why did we recommend a pro? Because a pro will test water alkalinity, chlorine and mineral levels along with the pH. Their test would obviously be more precise as they are trained to do that while you might be doing this the very first time.

9.    Some more things you need to do

Run a pool vacuum to remove off the small debris particles from the pool surface. Use your skimming nets the vacuum won’t clear off bigger particles. Use a pool brush to clean off the walls (or just hope there’s no algae build-up in your pool).

10.    When is the pool completely ready?

It would take almost a week for your pool to be ready for use. Ensure that you run the pump each day for a set period and let the water become entirely clear. Make sure the chemical levels – pH and chlorine are safe for you to swim.

Don’t forget to maintain your pool regularly. If it sounds like a big task for you, hire a pool service which will usually do the work for you during the entire season. It’s much easier to find a reliable service and let them do the job than reminding yourself to do it and working on it. Isn’t it?

It always boils down to what suits you. You have the enough information to get started with opening your pool for summer. If you have some questions, leave them in the comments below. We will ask our pool service experts to reply back immediately.

From Same Day Pros: http://bit.ly/21dUg3k