The Americans with Disabilities Act was made into law regarding swimming pools, wading pools and even spas. All new and existing swimming pools and spas that meet the criteria have to be in compliance by March 15, 2012. It is very similar to the laws regarding public access to Public Accommodations. Depending on how many linear feeta swimming pool is will determine if it has to provide onepoint of access either by having a sloped entrance or a pool lift, for pools over 300 linear feet there will have to be twopoints of access which can be either a sloped entry, a pool lift, transfer systems or even accessible pool stairs. Wading pools will have to have a sloped entrance, where a spa can have either an operational pool lift or transfer system. There are exceptions to the law. For more detailed information it is recommended to read the Americans with Disabilities guide.Links that pertain to just the pools and spas sectioncan be found hereand alsohere.

Chlorine is a chemical that we use in our everyday lives a lot more than you may think. Not only does it keep our pools clean & healthy, we use it to clean our clothes, sanitize our dishes, & it's even in our drinking water. Just like with most things these days, there are some common misconceptions about the chemical.

The smell of chlorine means there is to much in the water.

FALSE: The smell of chlorine actually is when chlorine bonds with nitrogenous products in your water to form chlorimines or combined chlorine. This is also the culprit for red & irritated eye's. The fact is that properly adjusted water chemistry has no smell, and does not bother the eye's. What red eyes and that overpowering smell actually means is that you need to super chlorinate your pool with granular chlorine because your chemistry is off. If you have a salt system, turn it up to 100%. That lagoon needs a deep clean.

Chlorine will turn blonde hair green

FALSE: This emerald color change is actually due to a combination of alkalinity & copper. Copper & other metals get into the water from pipes, heater coils, filtration equipment, and kids diving for coins. The alkalinity works as a magnet drawing in the metals. Most shampoo's are high in alkaline making the problem worse. There are certain "swimmer's shampoo's" you can use to counter act the reaction. Either way, this is not caused by high chlorine levels.

Swimmingtoo much in a chlorinated pool will result in Swimmer's Ear

FALSE: Swimmers ear is caused by the bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most common pathogen found in pools and spas. Unsanitary pools cause cause a host of issues. Some symptoms of concern are itchy skin rash, an earache, pink eye, diarrhea, stomach pain, a yeast infection or a cough. The symptoms usually show up a few days after swimming. If this does occur, your pool is in need of a major cleaning and chemical adjustment.

As you can see, the culprit to common negative chlorine associations is an unclean swimming pool. Let chlorine (or salt / minerals) help clear this up for you by working with you! For more information on this topic check out our other related articles below:

• Accurate Pool Water Testing
• Why Does My Pool Keep Turning Green?
• The Importance of Ph in Your Pool
• Swimming Pool Chemical Balancing Tips

Swim Happy!

Starting March 15, 2012, all public swimming pools in the U.S. must be equipped with assisted entry systems. When this American Disability Association (ADA) compliance law takes effect, disabled Americans around the nation will be able to enjoy the health and leisure benefits of public pools. As part of the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design, regulations of the Accessible Design for Recreational Facilities will require all public pools and spas to be outfitted with an ADA compliant swimming pool lift or sloped entry.

Such pool lifts will be required for public pools (open to the public at any time or receiving funding or revenue from the government or membership dues) greater than 300 linear feet (91.4 m). Pools greater than 300 feet will need two means of assisted entrance, while those less than 300 linear feet will only require one assisted entry system - either a swimming pool lift or sloped entry. For those pools requiring two assisted entries, a transfer wall, transfer system or stairs will be necessary in addition to a pool lift or sloped entrance. Wading pools, wave pools, leisure rivers and spas will also need a lift, sloped entry, transfer wall or transfer system.

Here is the list of guidelines:

• The pool lift must not be located in water deeper than 48 inches (121.9 cm), with these exceptions only:
• The entire pool is deeper than 48 inches
• There exists another pool lift where the water is not deeper than 48 inches
• When raised, the center of the lift seat must be located over the pool deck 16 inches (40.6 cm) from the edge of the pool to give individuals enough space to move safely from lift to pool and pool to lift.
• The deck space between the center of the seat and pool's edge must not exceed a slope of 1:48 to ensure wheelchairs and walkers do not roll away.
• The deck space on the side of the lift opposite the pool must be a minimum of 36 inches (91.4 cm) wide and extend at least 48 inches (121.9 cm) from a line 12 inches (30.5 cm) behind the back of the lift seat to ensure enough room for safe wheelchair transfer. This deck space must be parallel with the seat and again, have a slope no steeper than 1:48.
• Lifts must have a solid seat and footrests. Sling styles are no longer compliant.
• The height of the pool lift seat (from the deck to the top of the raised seat surface) must allow a stop at 16 inches (40.6 cm) minimum and 19 inches (48.3 cm) maximum to accommodate the needs of both adults and children in a standard wheelchair.
• Pool lift seats must be a minimum of 16 inches (40.6 cm) wide.
• Lifts in swimming pools shall have footrests that move with the seat, but footrests are not mandatory for lifts used in spas.
• Any armrest on the side of the pool lift opposite the water must be removable or able to fold out of the way to make sure transfer from wheelchair to lift and back is easy.
• Lifts shall be capable of being operated from the deck and from the water at all times, and operating devices must be unobstructed when the lift is in use to ensure swimmers are not stranded in the pool and multiple individuals may use the lift in a single swimming session.
• Manual rotating and hand-crank lift operators are no longer compliant and should be replaced.
• The seat of a swimming pool lift must be able to submerge to a minimum of 18 inches (45.7 cm) below the stationary water level to ensure that natural buoyancy aids in getting an individual from the lift to the water.
• Single person pool lifts are required to have a minimum weight capacity of 300 pounds (136 kg) and be able to sustain a static load of at least one and a half times the rated load. This regulation guarantees that lifts can accommodate a majority of the population.

You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. The cost of a solar heating system is very competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many climates. A solar system consists of a pump, filter, flow control valve, and a solar collector (panels). On some systems your existing filtration system will act as part of the solar system requiring no extra equipment.

Pool water is pumped through the filter and then through the panels, where it is heated before being returned to the pool. In hot climates, the panels can also be used to cool the pool. Rather than sending the water through during the hottest part of the day, it will circulate at night.

Solar pool panels are made out of different materials. The type you'll need depends on your climate and how you intend to use it. If you'll only be using your pool when temperatures are above freezing, then you'll probably only need an unglazed collector system. Unglazed collectors don't include a glass covering. They are normally made of rubber or plastic treated with an ultraviolet light inhibitor. Because of their inexpensive parts and simple design, unglazed collectors are usually less expensive than glazed collectors. These type systems will also work for indoor pools in cold climates if the system is designed to drain back to the pool when not in use.

The proper installation of a solar pool heating system depends on many factors. These factors include your climate, local building code requirements, how much sun you get, and safety issues. Always refer to the manufacturers manual for installation and safety concerns.