Swimming pool care and equipment

If you own or are thinking of installing an outdoor swimming pool, you have a number of additional items that need to be added to the equipment list. At least if you want a clean warm pool that you can use throughout the year – whatever the weather.

Outdoor swimming pools can be great fun, but they can also be cold and unappealing for much of the year in cold climates. For this reason a pool heater is an important necessity as it can bring the temperature of the water up to pleasant bathing levels. This means that you can swim out of season or in the evenings, even if it is cold outside. Heat sources include solar power, heat exchangers, boilers and electric heaters.

To benefit from the heat generated by a heater the warm water needs to circulate around the pool and this requires a pump. A pool pump quite literally pumps the water from the heater into the pool and back again. This way the water is circulated form pool to heater with more top up heat on a continual basis.

If you want clean water, then you also need a filter. The filter removes impurities and dirt and this is done as the water is passed through the filter, courtesy of the pump. There are a number of different filtration methods, the main ones being sand, D.E. and cartridge. A cartridge is suitable for a small pool, but larger swimming pools need sand or D.E. filter systems.

Another consideration is the way in which the pool walls and floor are lined. The old way is to cover the entire internal area of the pool with tiles sealed with a special water resistant grout. However, the popular method for most home based pools is to use a vinyl swimming pool liner that is made to the exact measurements of the pool. These liners can be fitted quickly and they are much cheaper than the old tile method.

There are two types of liner. One hangs over the top of free-standing pools whilst the other has a much tidier finish and uses a liner with a beaded top the slots into a special track.
Other pool equipment includes cleaners. These can be manual vacuum pumps, brushes and nets. But there are also automated pool cleaners that do the cleaning job without any help from a human. These cleaners are called pool cleaning robots.

Chemicals are need to keep the pool water clean, healthy and sparkling and they need to be added very carefully based upon water quality testing. These chemicals are evenly distributed throughout the pool by the action of the pump.

Household disability aids

Author: Martin lambert

Although there are many very obvious health and mobility aids like scooters, bath lifts and ramps, some of the most useful aids are the ones that are used for vital tasks like eating, drinking and getting dressed. Having aids and devices that assist with these jobs can be the difference between independent living and dependency on a carer.

Naturally continued independence is a highly desirable attribute for people entering the later phases of their lives and it is equally important to anyone with an injury or an illness like MS where certain tasks become more difficult as an illness progresses.

So what is on offer when it comes to help with routine daily tasks?

The answer is quite a lot. There are a great many aids aimed at extending independent eating, drinking and food preparation and many clever devices for making the challenge of getting dressed easier.

Starting with eating, there are ergonomically designed items of cutlery that have larger than normal handles and some have handle extensions that curve around the wrist for additional support. For those who want to retain their original cutlery there are attachments that slide over normal handles or even allow a hand that has lost its gripping power to still hold and work a knife, fork or spoon.

Various devices exist that make food and drink preparation easier. These aids cover bigger handles, angled handles and attachments, all of which keep the kitchen a room that can still be functionally used.

Dressing is another area where several ingenious devices have been invented to make the putting on of clothing items like socks and stocking possible for those who have trouble bending. Further aids can help the pulling on and over of jackets and cardigans and the pulling up of pants and trousers. Even buttoning up a shirt can be assisted with some smart devices that save the need for third party intervention.

Another area that can prove difficult for everyone is the removing of bottle and can tops. Designers of these products often assume super-human strength in there customers and these irritating tops and lids are a pain for able bodied and physically challenged people.

The solution is a number of lid, top and cap openers and removers. Some that use a twist mechanism, some that cut and turn and others that use their own version of brute force.

What all of these devices manage to do is solve an access to container held food or drink by taking off the protective covering in a safe and simple way.

If you want a greater level of insight into some of the aids and devices briefly describe above, do some research online and in disability shops.