Swimming Pool Supplies

I read an interesting article today that suggested there is a connection between children’s use of swimming pools and asthma. You can read the full article here. It’s dated July 2006 and I couldn’t find any follow ups but I thought it was intersting none the less.

A study, by the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, found that the rates of asthma in children rose by about 2 to 3% for every indoor swimming pool per 100,000 people and concluded that this was due to increased exposure to chlorine which is used to clean the pools.

They’d produced evidence a few years earlier that found that chlorine in swimming pools can react with urine and sweat resulting in the creation of harmful fumes. Children who regularly went swimming in indoor pools accumulated proteins known, in large quantities, to damage the cells of the lungs.

In the more recent study which was conducted across 21 countries in Europe they found that wheezing, asthma, hay fever and other reactions were increased.

The recommendations are to ensure that pools are properly ventilated and that chlorine levels are kept to the minimum level necessary to ensure clean, safe water. Something bear in mind with your own swimming pool.

There are so many methods of heating a swimming pool these days that there is no need to suffer the discomfort of jumping into cold water. From natural gas-fired heaters, propane, or electric to the use of solar panels, there is bound to be a heater to suit your needs.

Arguably the most common means of heating an outdoor pool is through a gas water heater sometimes called a swimming pool heat pump. Water is pumped from the pool itself into the heater, where the gas heats it up and then pumps it back in, helping to maintain a preset water temperature. It works relatively quickly and is efficient and simple to use. However, with the rising cost of natural gas the cost of heating a pool, by this method is also rising.

The same problems are also evident with a propane gas swimming pool heater. Despite their updated efficiency and ease of use and installation, the price of this fuel may be prohibitive to some pool owners. An electric heater can also be costly to operate on a daily basis. Even with the use of an automatic thermostat that reduces the temperature during the night hours when the pool is not in use it can be an expensive choice.