10 Interesting Facts about Swimming Pools
by Mark Garcia August 14, 2015
Pools are pretty much my life, so it's no surprise that I find them interesting. Plus, I do have to find something to write about on this pool blog, so how about some fun facts about swimming pools?
Hat tip to Swim University, who created a sweet infographic chock full of interesting facts and thoughts about swimming pools.
For today's post, I had to dig a little deeper, to really dive into the data, swim-merse myself into the buzzfed world of the sensational and fantastic.
Here's my list, I hope you like it.:-)
10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SWIMMING POOLS
1. POOL WATER IS NO DIFFERENT FROM TAP WATER
Swimming pools aren't chemical soups, full of all sorts of "chemicals". The water straight out of the tap has more chlorine in it than my pool does (at least in my neighborhood). Most pool water is quite sanitary, being filtered daily, with balanced chemistry with very few chemicals used. Your pool water may be safer to drink than your tap water!
2. THERE ARE MORE VINYL LINER POOLS THAN ANY OTHER POOL TYPE
Being that there are 3.5 million above ground pools - mostly all of which are vinyl lined, and about 1/3 of the 5 million inground pools being vinyl, makes it America's most popular choice for swimming pool surfaces.
3. THERE ARE MORE SWIMMING POOLS IN THE US THAN THAN IN NYC
There may be 8 million stories in the naked city, but there's 8.5 million pools in the US, and only 8.4 million people in New York City, which paradoxically is an area with a very low number of swimming pools per 100,000 residents. New York City; one of the largest cities in the world, is a veritable swimming pool desert.
4. THE LARGEST BACKYARD POOL IN THE US IS IN TEXAS
Where else would it be? Just south of Houston in El Campo, Over 600,000 gallons and over 3 acres in size, this is the largest backyard pool in the world. Mike Mobley built this pool to be the biggest in the world, and with a 500 foot lazy river, 21 ft slide and 6 waterfalls, he certainly hit the mark. And now, the world's largest pool could be yours, for the asking price of $5 Million.
5. PRESIDENT GERALD FORD INSTALLED THE WHITE HOUSE POOL IN 1975
After leaving his home pool in Alexandria and living in the Vice President's quarters (which at the time had no pool), the recently sworn in President wasted no time in constructing an outdoor inground pool on the White House lawn. A tunnel passage allows the First Family to reach the pool area without being seen by nosy reporters or spies!
6. THE TITANIC WAS THE FIRST OCEAN LINER TO HAVE A SWIMMING POOL
And would you believe, it's still holding water! Ha ha - but seriously folks - having a swimming pool aboard a luxury cruise liner was a new thing in those days. Sure, the pool was only 10x20' and filled with cold North Atlantic sea water, but to the serious exercise enthusiast with a long voyage and time to kill, it was a real boon.
7. THE POOL FILTER IS 105 YEARS OLD - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Rapid adoption of the rapid sand filter didn't take place until a few years later, but now with filtration and circulation, a pool need not be constantly fed fresh water to stay clean and healthy, but the water can be re-used! On the heels of this breakthrough was the use of chlorine to purify the water, to prevent the spread of disease.
8. 95% OF POOL OWNERS USE CHLORINE IN THEIR POOLS
And the halogen chlorine has remained king for all these years, although many people (12%) are now making their own chlorine with salt water pools. Ozonators, Mineral Purifiers and UV Systems are solidly accepted supplemental sanitation methods, but in most pools, some chlorine is still used at certain times. 5% of US pool owners use natural methods or biguanide sanitizers, the only known chlorine substitute.
9. SWIMMING BURNS MORE CALORIES THAN MOST OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE
If you swim steady, you can burn up to 850 calories per hour in the swimming pool, and active water aerobics is another calorie burner that gets the blood and oxygen moving through the body. Plus, the low impact water workout targets all major muscle groups, and most of the small groups, too! Swimming or water exercise also has many other benefits besides keeping fit.
10. BOB & MIKE SET THE VOLLEY RECORD FOR POOL BADMINTON - 206 HITS!
They said it couldn't be done, but Bob and Mike set out to prove them wrong. In Monroe, Connecticut, on August 4, 2013- a little more than 2 years ago - Bob & Mike hit 206 consecutive hits of the birdie to set the world's record for the number of volleys in a game of pool badminton. Betcha didn't know that! See the video on recordbreakers.com
Thanks for Reading!
Mark Garcia from the poolcenter.com
