Whether you’ve been a proud Central Florida swimming pool owner for a few months or several years, there may be certain common beliefs you’ve accepted as fact. However, not every piece of conventional wisdom is true! We are here to bust nine common pool myths and replace them with knowledge that will help you take better care of your pool – and yourself!
Our thanks to Millennium Pools & Spas, Pool Troopers and Universal Pool Service for their valuable information and dedication to improving the pool-owning experience!
1. Clear Water is Clean Water.
Just because your pool’s water is clear and sparkling doesn’t mean that trouble isn’t lurking. Clear water only indicates a lack of algae growth. There can be unhealthy levels of microorganisms that call your pool home, even in the clearest of water. The only way to tell if your pool’s water is indeed clean is to test it regularly, maintain proper chemical balance and shock the pool water when needed.
2. There’s Too Much Chlorine if the Water Has a Strong Chlorine Odor.
Ironically, the opposite is true! A strong chlorine smell indicates that there is too little chlorine in the water. The odor actually comes from chloramines – also known as combined chlorine. Chloramines form when the chlorine in the pool mixes with the nitrogen in sweat, oils and urine. If you smell this, do not swim in the pool! The water must first be shocked to break down the chloramines and free up the chlorine to make it safe for swimming.
3. Chlorine will Burn Your Eyes and Turn Them Red if You Open Them Underwater.
As with Myth #2, the opposite is the case. If your eyes are red or itchy after you go for a swim, it is not because of the chlorine in the water. This is actually caused by abnormally high pH or chloramine levels in the pool, while also being an indication that there isn’t enough chlorine in the pool. Make sure you’re monitoring the pH and chloramine levels in your pool to prevent this uncomfortable reaction.
4. Chlorine Turns Blond Hair Green.
If you have blond hair but don’t want to participate in today’s edgy style trend by coloring it green, you do need to take care when swimming. But chlorine isn’t the culprit – it’s the copper in some algaecides that cause the oxidized metal to attach to the shaft of the hair, altering the color. Condition your hair before swimming, wear a swimming cap (explain to your family and/or friends enjoying the pool with you, if you feel self-conscious), or wash the green out with a color-stripping shampoo – but only if blond is your natural color.
5. You Don’t Need to Shower Before Swimming in Your Own Pool.
While most people understand the hygienic reasons for showering before swimming in a pool other than their own, you may not think this would apply to your home-sweet-home’s pool. But even if you showered in the morning, organic compounds are found in sweat, urine, body oils, and cosmetics. Taking a shower just before entering the pool is recommended in order to minimize their presence in the water.
6. Saltwater Pools Don’t Need Chlorine.
Saltwater pools are increasing in popularity throughout the United States for many reasons, but they are not chlorine-free. Unlike a sea or ocean, the purpose of the salt in a saltwater pool is to create chlorine through a process called electrolysis. You must still routinely test the water, as well as occasionally shock the pool by adding chlorine to sanitize the water and prevent algae.
7. Drinking Pool Water Won’t Make You Sick.
Not that anyone would make a habit of this (hopefully), but if your pool is short on chlorine or has an improper pH balance, microbes such as Cryptosporidium, Pseudomonas, Shigella, Legionella, norovirus, and E. coli can survive for an extended time. Swallowing pool water contaminated with these microbes can cause diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory infections and other recreational water illnesses (RWIs).
Moreover, the water in your pool is constantly exposed to the elements, which adds numerous other contaminants that aren’t safe to consume. When those contaminants mix with the chemicals in your pool water, it makes for something you definitely don’t want to drink!
Avoid inadvertently swallowing pool water while swimming, and keep an eye on children – which you need to do at all times when they’re in or near the pool – to make sure they don’t drink pool water because they’re thirsty and don’t want to get out of the pool, or to get a laugh from their friends.
8. Putting a Swim Diaper on Your Baby will Keep the Pool Clean.
Although popular, these diapers are not 100-percent leak-proof. A baby in a pool for a period of time will eventually contaminate it, even with a swim diaper. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the following to say about swim diapers:
“Swim diapers and swim pants may help hold in solid poop (not diarrhea), but they are not a substitute for frequent diaper changing and bathroom breaks. Swim diapers do not keep germs, like Cryptosporidium, that can be spread in diarrhea from contaminating the water. Swim diapers and swim pants should be checked frequently and changed away from the poolside. Regularly changing swim diapers can also reduce the amount of urine in the pool. Urine uses up chlorine that otherwise would kill germs. It also binds with chlorine and creates irritants in the air.”
9. The Best Way to Clean a Pool is to Drain it.
NO! A thousand times, NO! The dangerous belief that a residential swimming pool sometimes needs to be drained, and that this is a DIY job, somehow persists.
The reasons against draining your pool are as follow:
- When too much pool water soaks into the ground, the resulting upward water pressure could crack the bottom of your pool or cause it to float right out of the ground.
- In the case of fiberglass pools, the floors can split altogether, necessitating repairs to the fiberglass shell, plumbing, side walls (which can bulge outwards or even pop as a result of the sudden lack of water pressure) and pool deck.
- For both inground and above-ground pools, the liner can shrink when the pool is drained, then tear when the pool is refilled. Refilling promptly and shifting the liner in the early stages of refilling can mitigate this. This is not a good idea with older liners.
- Excess ground water can cause pool liners to float away from the walls, causing wrinkles.
Another word of caution: If your pool has a hydrostatic valve, don’t think you’re safe in draining it yourself. That valve was never designed to compensate for complete drainage of the pool. Our blog post – “Why You Should Never Drain Your Pool Yourself” – covers this important topic in detail.
Taking Care of Your Pool Also Means Keeping it Free from Leaks
Although there’s no myth that it’s okay to ignore signs of a pool leak, most people are too busy enjoying their pool to keep this top-of-mind. The following are among the most common indications:
- Unusually high water and electricity bills.
- Mushy and wet spots or standing water in your yard, especially around the pool.
- Standing water under pool equipment.
- Loose, cracked, or shifting pool tiles.
- Any crack on the pool surface or deck.
- Unexplained algae growth.
- Corroding pipes.
- The automatic filter releases water constantly.
Should you notice any of the above signs – or just suspect a leak – don’t delay! Call us! Certified Leak Detection uses technology and techniques we have developed over 20 years in business. In addition to quick detection of pool leaks, we provide industry-leading leak detection for spas and hot tubs, as well as fountains. Serving areas throughout Central Florida – including Orlando, Longwood, Lake Mary, Sanford, Kissimmee, Clermont and Winter Springs – our team is ready to answer your call. Contact us for quick, reliable service!
