How Clean is Your Swimming Pool?
Depending on your location, either you have pool time year-round or wait in anticipation of summer. With the sun out and our friends and family nearby, there’s no better way to spend a warm afternoon. With all that fun, however, comes a certain cost associated with pool ownership: maintenance. Sure, it isn’t the most enjoyable part of owning a pool, but maintaining your pool’s water quality is essential. While many pool facilities use several chemicals to keep the water pure, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 20% of all public swimming pools were free of safety and health hazards. That statistic is enough to make you wonder just how clean your own swimming pool really is.
Optimum is all about water, so let’s see just how clean your swimming pool really is. After all, even if your pool is safe from germs, it may still contain debris and chlorine in abnormal amounts that can actually be detrimental to your health. Water quality isn’t simply a concern for drinking water – we need to think about it when it comes to our pools too! Let’s look at a few ways you can tell if your swimming pool is truly clean.
- Your Pool’s Water Isn’t Clear
One of the easiest ways you can tell whether your pool is truly clean is by simply taking a look at the water. If you can look at your pool and see clearly all the way to the bottom, you can say that your pool is generally “clean.” However, while this is a positive sign that your pool is probably in pretty good shape, it shouldn’t be seen as a 100% confirmation that your pool is clean.
- Your Pool Filters Aren’t Working
In all swimming pool systems, the pool’s filters are essential. Pool inlet filters are responsible for removing debris from the water and, if they aren’t well maintained, they can clog up over time. When your pool filters stop working, this is a sign of trouble and will only lead to problems with your pool’s cleanliness. If you feel/see that no current of water is coming from your pool’s circulation jets, this is indicative of a problem with your pool filters.
- Your Pool’s Water Feels Slimy to the Touch
Dip your hands into your pool’s water. Notice an oily or slimy feeling? This means that your water quality is seriously off and that the chlorine in your pool isn’t doing its job. When the water in your pool becomes oily or slimy, this is a clear indicator that the water quality is off. This is the time to shock your pool as a matter of safety.
- Your Pool Has a Strong Odor
Finally, a strong odor coming from your pool is a clear sign that it isn’t as clean as you may think it is. Many people believe that a strong “pool smell” results from the use of excessive chlorine. That smell, however, is actually the result of chloramines – watered-down chlorine that is far less effective. When chloramines come into contact with sweat, urine, hair, or skin, it produces this odor. Chloramines can be harmful, irritating the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If your pool has a very strong odor, we highly recommend adding more chlorine – not less.
Clean Water with Optimum!
Now that you know some of the most common indicators that your pool isn’t as clean as you think it is, you can properly maintain your pool’s water quality and enjoy it. While we’re discussing water quality, however, let’s talk about the quality of your drinking water at work. One common concern for many people when it comes to their drinking water is the presence of heavy metals. Heavy metals in drinking water can cause a slew of health issues, not to mention the fact that they can have an impact on the taste of your water.
If you’re looking for a way to eliminate heavy metals from your office drinking water, look no further than Optimum. We are proud to offer bottleless water systems that employ a revolutionary five-step filtration process to bring you the cleanest and safest drinking water possible for you and your whole staff. Clearly. Pure. Water.
