Pools
4 common pool chemical mistakes (and how to avoid them)
When it comes to swimming pools, drowning isn’t the only danger. Something much less understood but just as deadly — chemicals used to maintain water quality — can also cause serious injuries or even death when not handled or stored properly. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that nearly […]
Nonswimmers becoming health crisis in U.S. and U.K.
The news out of Britain is ominous for an island nation: More than 50 percent of children age 7 to 11 can’t swim 25 meters, according to a new study. This in a country where swimming is actually a required skill for graduation! In America, lack of swimming skills is becoming a serious problem as […]
Want to reduce high minority drowning rates? Ensure pool access
Anyone who thinks prejudice isn’t a serious issue in the United States should read a recent news story from Minneapolis. The story details one African American woman’s efforts to get a swimming pool built in her neighborhood. Tragically, the day after the pool was finally approved, a young black man drowned nearby. Sad as that […]
Installing a pool: 7 hot design trends
You’ve decided what kind of pool to build, and who should build it. Now you just need to settle on how customized you want your pool to be. That brings us to part 3 in our series on pool installation. The great thing about inground pools, especially concrete ones, is that they can be custom […]
Installing a pool: 7 steps to hiring the right builder
In part 1 of this series on installing a new pool, we looked at the different types of pools. Once you’ve decided that, you have to make what’s probably the most important decision of pool installation: Who’s going to build it? Having an educated answer to that question can be the difference between enjoying your […]
Installing a pool: What kind of pool is right for me?
Ah, spring! That time of the year when people’s fancies turn to… swimming pools. That’s especially true if you live in the increasingly scorching sunbelt, where every year, you listen enviously to the shouts and giggles of your splashing pool-owning neighbors. Is this the year you finally get a pool of your own? In the […]
How to boost your pool’s energy efficiency this offseason
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, pool opening can be considered the most important thing you do all pool season. Like breakfast, opening the pool is the equivalent of refreshing the body after a long sleep. And like breakfast, too many pool owners try to skimp on this all important action, […]
Who’s to blame for Norwegian cruise ship drowning?
On first blush, the news of a recent drowning on a Norwegian cruise ship seems like an open and shut case. The facts are these: Two boys were found unresponsive in the ship’s adult pool. Despite CPR efforts, the 4-year-old boy died; his 6-year-old brother survived, though it’s unclear if he suffered brain damage as […]
Why “No t-shirt in the pool” rule doesn’t hold water
At first glance, the story out of Bakersfield, Calif., about a man who’s fighting the city to be able to wear a t-shirt while swimming might seem trivial — the kind of fodder local news stations love, but which have no real consequences. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll see that this issue is about much […]
Fear of the water is more common — and more deadly — than you think
Carmen Electra. Richard Branson. Sandra Bullock. Snoop Dog. Eva Mendes. What do all these celebrities have in common? They’re adults who can’t swim — a life-threatening problem that’s about more than just being unable to compete in the Olympics. Chances are, these celebrities, and adults like them who can’t swim, are afraid of the water. […]
