Allowing your kids to swim in non TFPC pools

[bmann71]

I searched this topic but couldn't really find a discussion about it so I apologize if it's been discussed before.

With the summer in full swing my kids (ages 11 and 14) are continually being asked to swim parties at their friends house(s). I'm fairly confident most of the parents don't use this method of caring for their pool.
My concern is the water condition (mainly the FC) of these pools. I've talked to one of the families and they use the test strips and add 1 gallon of chlorine once a week! They use the pucks but in a 18,000 gallon pool there is no way a once a week bleach add along with pucks can maintain a healthy FC level. (can it?)
Somehow their water is clear so they assume all is well.

My question is, do I allow my kids to swim in friends pools when I don't know the condition of the water? Perhaps I'm just being a worrisome parent...

 

[Husky25]

Pucks do indeed have chlorine in them. It's just stabilized. I'm sure there are TFP'er who chlorinate primarily via pucks. They just need to watch their CYA levels and adjust accordingly with a water dump/refill. Adding a gallon once a week just "shocks" the pool. Depending on how large the pool is, a gallon might raise NaClO to SLAM levels for a period of time and that might be enough, but it doesn't mean the pool is unswimable. THink of it this way, have your kids ever swam in a lake or pond? I would let them. However tell them to use goggles or not open their eyes underwater. Also, have them clean their ears out and take a shower when they get home.

 

[domct203]

One gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine will add just under 7ppm of FC, hardly a shock level if there is any CYA in there.

When end my kids go in any water other than our pool I instruct them to limit their time under water, not to drink any, and to shower afterwards.

Dom

 

[bmann71]

Yep, we do indeed boat/ski in a lake near us. Probably not a high level of available FC in there neither.

 

[Husky25]

One gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine will add just under 7ppm of FC, hardly a shock level if there is any CYA in there.

When end my kids go in any water other than our pool I instruct them to limit their time under water, not to drink any, and to shower afterwards.

Dom

I did not see the size of the pool in my initial skim, but we are on the same page. Keep your eyes closed and take a shower.

 

[gwegan]

Just because you are not using TFP doesn't mean the pool is unswimmable. If the pool is clear and looks maintained I have no problem. Pool services maintain thousands of pools without major problems. Now while I wouldn't maintain my pool that way as long as it's sanitized I don't really have a problem. My children are much pickier than I however.

 

[michaelrbanks]

We all probably swam in pools of similar nature as kids, had fun, made memories and didn't die. While yes, now in retrospect we collectively realize the truth, kids should be kids. Goggles, showers, etc. as others have mentioned, but also a word of caution regarding water clarity - if you/they can't see the bottom of the pool, there is a significantly higher risk for drowning. I think that might be my only criteria to not allowing swimming.

 

[Pauls234]

While I understand that poorly maintained pools present risks greater than well maintained pools, isn't even a green pool where one can't see the bottom essentially equivalent in safety terms to any lake?

 

[pooldv]

No, it is not because lakes are millions of gallons with creeks and rivers continuously feeding them. A pool is a few thousand gallons and can be a bacterial and viral cesspool without chlorine. Bacterial colonies double in size every one to several hours. And even with millions of gallons of water people still contract infections and illnesses when swimming in lakes and rivers.

 

[camueller]

I have the same concerns as the OP. In my mind, a pool is not like a lake or river because the water is not moving the same way. And you are essentially adding sewage and viruses when you swim. So with no chlorine, all that bacteria and virus breads and spreads to anyone who is in the bath tub...I mean swimming pool...with you.

When my kid gets old enough for this to be an issue, I'll tell her to not drink the water, wash your hands when you get out, etc. But honestly, kids don't care about germs. And I guess as long as it doesn't kill her, no harm. For me, I'm staying away from other people's pools if I can.

 

[Caco]

I'm a definite "no" on that one, but then my son caught meningitis from a public pool and almost died. Several other kids weren't so lucky

Yes it was crystal clear too.

However the odds on that happenng have to be very very slim