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Robert Noel Reddington
Grand Master
Username: bob_uk

Post Number: 946
Registered: 5-2015
Posted on Wednesday, 06 April, 2016 - 08:36:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I went to see an old friend who is manager of a swimming pool.

He showed me the machinery. There is a large sand and gravel filter bed. The pool is shut to change the aggregate in the filter bed because it has faeces, mucus, urine, ear wax, blood, body grease and dead skin in it. This is perfectly normal and all swimming pools have the same. The system filters all the water every 2 hours. Apart from the chorine its fit to drink.

He had to tell the fire brigade that the Poole is being drained because it's a water source for fire fighting.

He a great bloke. He started as a life guard but now 66 he the boss. He told me a funny true story worth repeating.

The local authority who own the pool used to give the life guards beef steak ration to make sure the got good protein. No money in case the life guards spent it on lager instead.
The manager at the time was a vegan. The life guards turned up for a meeting in trunks, flip flops, sunglasses and a raw steak tied to string hanging round thier necks with blood dripping off. Just too upset the vegan guy even more they did a Maori type dance and chanting around the table.

As my mate said where are you going to find a life guard that can pass the fitness test and swim as fast as I can. Many try for the job but they get 5 lenghts of the pool on a 100 run and then start slowing right down and we go in and rescue them from drowning. The pool cannot be opened with out qualified life guards 3 per shift. I had to stop my mate years ago when in Sidmouth from swimming across the bay with 6 pints of lager in him. He was really very very fit.
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David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore

Post Number: 1961
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Wednesday, 06 April, 2016 - 09:30:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Home spa baths and outdoor spa tubs are even worse - when I was State Manager for a major Australian pump company, my service mechanic hated working on spa bath pumps as they were always putrid and contained grossly offensive deposits similar to those mentioned.

It was amazing how often personal hygiene/protection products were the cause of pump problems.
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Randy Roberson
Grand Master
Username: wascator

Post Number: 653
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Wednesday, 06 April, 2016 - 11:37:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I ran a cup of chlorine bleach in my Jacuzzi spa tub each time I used it, which was not all that often, before lightning struck it and fried the (vulnerable, expensive) control board the third time. Now it's just in the way.
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John Beech
Prolific User
Username: jbeech

Post Number: 228
Registered: 10-2016
Posted on Sunday, 12 March, 2017 - 01:06:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

My pool uses chlorine for disinfectant and algae control. Locals are switching to a salt system, which passes a current through salt tablets to manufacture the chlorine on site. Mechanical filtration is multi-step. First a skimmer to catch debris on the surface whilst it's still floating. This, followed by a mechanical trap at the pump which can be emptied as needed of leaves and other debris - beetles, twigs, etc. Then there's a large mesh filter for DE (diatomaceous earth) the purpose of which is to 'polish' the water until it's crystal clear. Subsurface, the main drain is in operation to circulate water from the bottom of the pool, e.g. stuff that sinks before the skimmer can catch it. Again, the mesh filter at the pump and the DE filter do their thing. Along the way we occasionally use a net on the end of a pole to physically remove floating debris. I try to hustle out to do this the morning after a storm whilst the vegetation (leaves typically) is still fresh and floating, e.g. before it become a nuisance for the filtration system. All that said, I'd sooner have no pool. I've occasionally wondered about bringing in a few loads of dirt and pouring a slab over the whole damned thing because by and large a swimming pool is nothing but a pain in my ass since we only use it from late May through part of September - at best 4 months of the year. On the flip side, my daughter and my grandsons love it. Guess it stays. Lately I've been wondering if I could mange to float fly some tiny R/C model airplanes off the surface. Might be fun.
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Robert Noel Reddington
Grand Master
Username: bob_uk

Post Number: 1331
Registered: 5-2015
Posted on Sunday, 12 March, 2017 - 02:51:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

I can't use a swimming pool because I have Crohns Disease which is not nice for other users and even myself.

In the UK private pools are rare because of the expense of upkeep which can be very expensive.

Also fish ponds and pools attract young children and before you know it a toddler has drowned, it happened a few years back when a 3 year old died in a fish pond in a neighbours garden. The owner was warned many times by others to take precautions or fill the pond in.
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John Beech
Prolific User
Username: jbeech

Post Number: 233
Registered: 10-2016
Posted on Sunday, 12 March, 2017 - 03:49:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

The expense of a pool is a nuisance, agreed. And it never stops. Beyond weekly maintenance for chemicals (a service company does it for me because I'm not inclined to stay on top of it), the occasional equipment expense is ongoing. For example, last week I installed a new Pentair Super Flo pool pump (capacitor start). I hired the pump replacement job back in July and they ripped me off by billing me for a pricey pump but in actuality installing a cheapo Chinese pump (I guess they thought I wouldn't know the difference). When I realized it (to my shame, not until last week) I promptly filed to sue them in small claims court. Meanwhile, last Friday I installed a good quality pump myself (and my back is still aching despite it being a very easy job). As for the law suite, I'm sure they'll settle (or lose). I filed it to make them think twice about the consequences of screwing a client (so my purpose is principally to cause them the trouble of defending plus the aggravation). I'm certain I'll win.
Just installed a new SuperFlo pump
- The just installed SuperFlo pump

Anyway, the danger to children is real. Along those lines, Lynn was once a life guard and swim instructor (this at university when we met) and still swims a mile at the YMCA pool 3X a week after work. Anyway, quite aware of the dangers of a pool and small children, already she has undertaken lessons for Caleb, specifically about how to get to where he can stand up in the eventuality he falls in (e.g. the use an arm-over-arm technique along the rim until he reaches any of the three places shallow enough to stand). And along with my daughter (who on her high school swim was their 500M freestyler) they've begun teaching him to swim. Nevertheless, it's eagle eyes on the kids when they're here because drowning - especially amongst such accomplished swimmers - would be a senseless tragedy.
Learning about pools at an early age
- Complete with water-wings, Caleb's learning about pool safety already!
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michael vass
Prolific User
Username: mikebentleyturbo2

Post Number: 285
Registered: 7-2015
Posted on Saturday, 18 March, 2017 - 03:15:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Well done john , never too early to learn ,but can be too late to learn!
My mate has the salt /chlorine producing system works better than my Chlorinated system I used to have.
mike
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Patrick Ryan
Grand Master
Username: patrick_r

Post Number: 1263
Registered: 4-2016
Posted on Saturday, 18 March, 2017 - 05:38:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Great work John.

As Mike says, it's never to early.
My son was a national swimmer in his teens, and has had my grand daughter in the water since she was 8 months old.
She loves water.

I've been very lucky at avoiding a pool at home, but with the grand daughter, and the second on its way in 2 weeks, I may be about to fight the battle of my life.

She wants a pool, I don't!