Every pool owner has to deal with safety concerns and those can range from everything from proper fencing, to chemical balancing, to the kinds of no-brainer rules and guidelines that dictate most of our pool-centric lives. But while we often look out for the safety of others, we don’t always take into account the safety of our pool and that’s what we’re here to discuss a little bit today.
While we spend a lot of time talking about the things that should go INTO your pool, we don’t always spend enough time talking about some of the things you should be keeping out. Here are some of the things that you should absolutely keep out of your pool at all costs. Let’s jump right in.
Broken glass
You’d be surprised at how often pool companies sift broken glass out of pools. Fact of the matter is that 99% of pools are surrounding by exceedingly hard surfaces, so any time a glass falls or breaks and you pick it up – you may have not actually picked it all up. This can be a disaster for pool owners. Not only can glass do a number on your filtration system, it could seriously hurt someone. If this happens – it’s up to you to call a professional to get your pool cleaned.
Be sure that you institute a plastic-glass only rule around your pool – whether it’s for breakfast, snacks, parties or whatever the occasion may be. Glass should 100% be banned from your pool area.
Soaps and lotions
They always say to shower before you get into your swimming pool. This helps reduce bacteria and debris that’s introduced into the water. The problem is that people don’t always rinse off and these soaps and lotions can be harmful to the water.
The oils from these soaps will sit on top of the water and mess around with your pool chemistry. In addition, they can gum up your filter to the point where you’ll need to have someone come and clean it.
Long story, short – it is way cheaper to make sure people don’t drag soaps and nonsense into your pool than it is to get it cleaned. Make sure you have people rinse off of course, but always double and triple emphasize that they need to rinse off thoroughly.
Leaves and organic debris
One of the most important things you can do as a pool owner is to skim and clean leaves, twigs and other debris out of your pool every day. Getting on them early is important as eventually they will become saturated and float to the bottom of your pool. While leaves won’t kill your pool – they become increasingly dangerous as they accumulate, so stay on them! Skimming your pool should simply be a part of your day.
Wildlife
While it’s kind of cool to see animals like ducks take a dip in your pool, it’s not really a good thing. Ducks will poop in your pool and that can introduce some nasty stuff that you won’t want in your water. Chlorine kills most parasites and pathogens, but it doesn’t kill cryptosporidium. Crypto is a hard shell-like outer layer that chlorine struggles to get past. Animal poop produces a lot of it.
One easy trick to deter animals from taking up temporary residence in your pool is to use an inflatable alligator and leave him floating in the pool. Who knew a blow up alligator could moonlight as a glorified scarecrow? But seriously, use that and flying fowl will likely take a break in someone else’s pool.
Be careful about the things you allow into your pool! If you’re dealing with excess debris or something that’s not wanted has ended up in your pool, then give us a call and we’ll help! Until then – good luck!