10 Interesting Facts About Swimming Pools
Swimming pools can be found in just about every culture and part of the world. We thought it might be fun to share some interesting facts you make not have known about swimming pools and their history. Check out these ten interesting swimming pool facts from our pool installation San Antonio team.
1. Pool Water May Be Safer To Drink Than Tap Water
Many think of swimming pools as big tubs of chemical water. However, the fact is that tap water can often have more chlorine than pool water because tap water is allowed to have higher levels of chlorine in it. Pool water often doesn’t have any more chlorine than ordinary tap water, given that the pool chemicals are supposed to be kept at ideal levels. Just make sure to check if your pool has green algae before you take it.
2. Vinyl Liner Pools Are the Most Common Type of Swimming Pool
Most above-ground swimming pools are actually lined with vinyl on the bottom of the pool. A good one-third of in-ground pools are vinyl lined as well, making it the most popular pool material.
3. NYC Has a Very Low Swimming Pool Ownership Rate
Overall, there’s a total of 8.5 million swimming pools in the US and eight million people living in NYC, effectively making the city a swimming pool desert. This could be because of the cold winters the state gets every year. The state with the most swimming pools is California, with 1.1 millions swimming pools.
4. The World’s Largest Residential Pool in the U.S. is in Texas
The saying “everything’s bigger in Texas” strikes especially true when it comes to swimming pools. This swimming pool in El Campo, Texas carries over 600,000 gallons of water and has an average area of three acres! It also has a 21-foot slide and six water falls. That’s a great pool for a pool party.
5. President Gerald Ford Built the White House Pool in 1975
Gerald Ford immediately built a pool on the White house lawn upon being sworn in. There’s even a secret tunnel allows access to the pool without being spotted by nosy reporters.
6. The First Major Ship to Have a Pool Was the Titanic
The pool in the famous ship Titanic was said to measure 10 by 20 feet, making it around medium-sized overall. The one downside to this pool was that it was filled with cold Atlantic ocean water, so taking a swim wasn’t really as refreshing as it could have been.
7. Pool Filters Have Been Around for 105 Years
Pool filters have been around almost as long as swimming pools have been. A pool filter allows you to reuse the water in your pool, rather than having to constantly reapply fresh water. Before that, swimming pool water wasn’t the cleanest.
8. Around 95% of Swimming Pools Use Chlorine
Although people have started using other pool water cleaners, such as salt, Ozonators, and UV systems, chlorine still remains the number one pool cleaner. Part of the reason is because of its sheer effectiveness at keeping the water sanitary.
9. Our Ancestors Had Swimming Pools Too
There are ancient drawings on walls in Egypt showing people swimming, meaning people have always enjoyed a refreshing swim in water. These drawings date all the way back to around 2500 BCE, so swimming pools are really a part of human history.
10. The Most Popular Swimming Pool Game is Marco Polo
Coming in at a close second is Sharks and Minnows. No one is sure who invented Marco Polo, but the game came about in the 1960s and has stayed, sometimes being called “Mermaid on the Rocks” or “Alligator.” It’s still the most popular game to play in a swimming pool after 60 years.
We hope you found these 10 facts about swimming pools interesting. And if you’re interested in giving your home swimming pool a makeover or installing your own custom built swimming pool, contact Sanchez Pools today.
