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Pools and Spas – Natural versus Chemical or "Our Dog Knows"

Pools and Spas – Natural versus Chemical or "Our Dog Knows"
April 27, 2011 SNH Editorial Team

Most pools still have chlorinated systems installed. I personally wonder why. We had a fancy newly built chlorinated swimming pool. The smell of chlorine was unpleasant and, I would today add unhealthy. My vain side points out that over the course of the summer my hair developed this yellow-ish tint. Our dog would be the first to run into ocean water but shirked away from even putting a paw into the pool. We always wondered what that was all about….

The CDC describes health risk to chlorine as follows:

“If chlorine gas is released into the air, people may be exposed through skin contact or eye contact. They may also be exposed by breathing air that contains chlorine.”

“When chlorine gas comes into contact with moist tissues such as the eyes, throat, and lungs, an acid is produced that can damage these tissues.”

With the purchase of another house came the immediate conversion to a saltwater system. While this is certainly an upfront expense, health considerations made this inconsequential. Given the high cost of chlorine, the initial expense is recouped in a single season!  It’s a no-brainer. Weekly maintenance of a saltwater pool is so much easier too.

The water in a saltwater pool feels soft. Once in a while the water can have an ever so slight salty taste. But this is not unpleasant. In fact, you feel like you stepped out of the ocean.

We always wanted to rinse off under a shower when coming out of our chlorinated pool, yet with the saltwater pool neither we, nor our friends ever wind up showering post a plunge in the pool.

The moral of the story: We should have trusted our dog’s nose and his instincts all along.