1st timer, getting my bearings

Jump to latest Follow Reply
R

Reebo

0
Sep 13, 2015
2
Cumming, ga
Hi all.

My wife and i are about to purchase a house with a pool. I have not had a pool since the 70s so think of me as completely out of touch and needing to have everything explained :)

our foundation issue is this. Everything we have read about chlorine pools indictae that they are very harsh on psiorasis. So that presents us with a big obstacle to using the pool. However "salt water pools" can be beneficial to psiorasis sufferers I see a lot of terms tossed around soch as salt water generators and such, but its unclear to a newcomer which of these terms and setups are really what one would call a "salt water pool"

any advice or a pointer to a good starting point to read that explains this without jargon would be greatly appreciated. Also any information on what method is best for affordable salt water pool management as that is the direction we apparently must go

thanks in advance for any life perserver you care to toss my way before i do something stupid :)
 
Welcome to TFP!

You have come to the right place to the info you seek. We have a comprehensive guide to all that you ask, it's called Pool School. See the link at the top of the page. In there you will find an explanation of all the acronyms we use, and much, much more!
 
Welcome to the forum. As the good advice above says, a salt pool is simply a different way of delivering chlorine to your pool. A well balanced and maintained chlorine pool seldom has ANY bad effects on skin. It is when they get mismanaged or neglected that ANY pool can give you skin irritation. The issue is virtually never chlorine.....the issue is proper management.
 
(Oops cross posted with dave, forgive repetition!)
Welcome to TFP. I hope you're enjoying pool school.

Are you building a pool, or have you purchased a new home with an existing pool?

I'd like to give you a bit of possible reassurance re this comment:

Everything we have read about chlorine pools indictae that they are very harsh on psiorasis.
Click to expand...

I suspect you may find differently. The idea is that chlorine creates dry skin, which can exacerbate psoraisis. however, water also softens it, and being out in the SUN helps it too -- so the net effect can be quite contrary ;)

I have eczema, and pool ownership has virtually eradicated it in season, including very severe dyshydrotic type eczema.

I use TFP chlorine parameters, which you will find in the chlorine: cya chart in my signature link. By maintaining chlorine to the correct level you have few 'combined chloramines' -- which are the harsh by products from public or improperly managed pools.

I also use "Borates" to condition the water - make it feel silky, sparkle, and help stabilize TA/ph. Borates in the correct proportion are generally good for the skin -- that's what's in bath bombs, some types of lotion, and eye washes ;)

And although I do not (yet) have a SWG -- salt water generator, which I should note, produces chlorine, meaning "salt" pools are still "chlorine pools" -- I now use softened water to top up my pool due to a well, and my salinity is actually exactly that of a salt water pool. (3500 ppm, about a tenth of sea water.)

You can add salt even if you don't have a salt water generator to create the same gentle salinity that makes the water feel softer.

So don't be afraid of pool ownership for your psoriasis. I'm betting with proper TFP water care and possible use of salt and borates, you may find owning a pool has a net positive effect on your condition. I certainly did!
 
If salt water is easier on Psoriasis, so much the better - I've never heard that. It is also easier to maintain since you won't be going out every other day to put chlorine in and you can leave the house a couple of days without worry. I like to compare salt water pools to treatment for diabetes. In the old days people had to give themselves a shot and their insulin would go up too high possibly and then too low possibly later in the day. Now there are insulin pumps that dispense a set amount into the body all day. With salt water pools people like the silky feel of the salt in the water and the chlorine is easier to maintain at a constant level.
 
Everyone,

im floored by the responses. Thank you all so much for aking the time to help out a noob/stranger.

From the comments above it sounds more like we should give it a try and see how things go before making a salt water decision. In the meantime, adopting the TFP method sounds emminently reasonable. We keep fish as well (african cichlids, yellow labs for anyone interested) so regular wate testing and adjustments are second nature for us :)

so once the house closes and we move in, im sure ill be back to ask some follow-up questions.
 
I have a daughter with pretty bad eczema as well. For her it usually flares up during the drier and colder months where we don't get as much sun as in the summer. I can tell you that it has flared up on her when she's gone to a hotel, water park or health club pool for a birthday party or otherwise but it always gets better after she's been in the sun and swam in our Trouble Free Pool. I'm not saying it will make your skin better but if managed properly, it should not irritate sensitive skin conditions.

Welcome to TFP! :wave:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply