The advantages of using salt to sanitize your pool

When a home owner is searching for a new pool, there are many factors to consider, such as whether he or she wants to use chlorine or salt to sanitize the pool. Although there is no clear winner in the debate of salt vs. chlorine, saltwater pools require less maintenance and are more cost-effective in the long run.

Although the initial cost of setting up a saltwater pool is significantly more expensive than chlorine—the cost can number in the thousands, which may not include the costs of constructing the pool—maintenance is cheaper because (unlike chlorine) salt in the water never disappears. Salt is only added when rain or other factors dilute the pool; therefore, saltwater pools tend to pay for themselves within the second or third year of use. They are also easier on skin and hair than chlorinated pools.

If you are considering adding a pool to your Austin yard, please feel free to call an expert at [firm-name] for a free consultation at [phone-number].

Newly opened Jacksboro public pool receives AED life saving device

A device designed to increase the chances of being able to save a person’s life if they have drowned was recently donated by the Faith Community Hospital (FCH) Charitable Foundation to the management of the new Jacksboro pool on Tuesday, August 20. Jacksboro Economic Development Corporation representative Lynda Pack received the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) from FCH Charitable Foundation president Blain Rumage.

Immediately after the AED was presented, FCH emergency medical services director Jeff Miller supervised American Red Cross Emergency Medical Services training of lifeguards and pool staff.

The portable AED device is used during CPR for cardiac arrest emergencies in order to examine a victim’s heart beat and administer electrical shock therapy when necessary.

Prioritizing safety during the process of building a custom pool is a priority of the team at [firm-name]. To discuss your vision for a new custom pool, call us today at [phone-number].

Celebrating a nationwide Pool Safely Campaign from July 28-August 3

On July 28 through August 3, the Consumer Product Safety Commission will be promoting the campaign, “Pool Safely: Simple Steps Save Lives” with a lineup of activities spread throughout the country encouraging Americans to be safe at the pool every day.  

Some of the things you can do in order to participate in Pool Safely Week 2013 is to partner with a public safety organization to call on residential pools in your area and share water safety tips. You can also conduct swim lessons for parents and children or schedule CPR demonstrations.

By joining the Pool Safely Week 2013, people will have the opportunity to participate in a nationwide campaign that advocates the importance of pool and spa safety, especially this summer.

At [firm-name], we can incorporate pool safety measures into your existing pool or create a customized and safe pool for you. Discuss building a custom pool in Austin or modifying your current pool by calling [phone-number].

Keeping your kids safe in your pool

Especially as Austin makes it way into the middle of the hot summer months, more and more people are visiting local community pools or enjoying their own pools as a way to escape the heat. However, with the enjoyment that pools can bring, they can also pose a serious risk to people, particularly children. As such, it is important to consider certain safety tips when swimming this summer.

One important tip is to be very aware of the features of a pool and how these features affect you and your children. This includes knowing the varying depths of the pool and any special entries into the pool. By knowing these aspects of a pool, you can make sure you and your children stay away from parts of the pool that cannot be safely used.

Another important tip is add fences to your pool or only visit pools that have these fences. A fence can be very useful in keeping small children from wandering into a pool.

With these safety tips and the expert design of our pools, [firm-name] can help you keep yourself and your children safe. Call [phone-number] today to discuss updating your pool’s safety features or building a new, safe pool.

San Antonio program to discuss water conservation and lawn care

As part of the growing concern for the availability of water in the south Central Texas region, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for Bexar County will hold a series of Backyard Gardening programs, one of which will feature the topic “Growing a Lawn and Saving Water.”

Bexar County AgriLife Extension agent for horticulture David Rodriguez said this will be a very timely program  due to the spring planting season and San Antonio possibly reaching Stage 3 water restrictions soon. The event will be held on April 23 at the agency’s San Antonio office at the Conroy Square complex in Suite 208.

Rodriguez also said that Texas would experience difficulty in providing water accessibility for the commercial agriculture sector, the green industry, and home landscaping.

According to Rodriguez and Bexar County Master Gardeners water conservation coordinator Vince Vita, the program will create awareness on how to conserve water for home landscaping.

Figuring out how to keep your landscape in shape, while dealing with warm temperatures and a lack of water can be difficult. Get in touch with our landscape experts at [firm-name] by calling [phone-number] to discuss your needs and receive the benefit of our experience in creating and managing beautiful landscapes.

Varsity swim team promotes pool safety

The varsity swim and dive team from Lowell High School in Massachusetts traveled to an elementary school in the area in order to discuss water and pool safety with nearly 180 students.

After a drowning occurred at the high school’s pool over the summer, the swim coach decided that the returning swim and dive team starters should do something positive for the community.

Over the summer, a 17-year-old boy drowned in the pool, but it is unknown whether the teenager could swim. The Medical Examiner’s office determined that the death was an accident. After the incident, the state’s Department of Public Health did a review on the school department’s pool safety and multiple citations were given as a result.

The swim and dive team read the book Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim: A Children’s Guide to Water Safety to the children in order to promote the importance of learning to swim. The USA Swimming Foundation has stated that nearly 70 percent of black and Hispanic children do not know how to swim.

Pool safety is a very important topic to discuss with children if you have a pool at your home. If you have  young children, a custom home pool may be the best solution for you so that you can customize the safety features that you and your family need. Contact the Austin custom pool builders today by calling 512-914-0554.

Reasons to upgrade your swimming pool

The Texas summer heat can be somewhat overwhelming, but one popular way to cope with the high temperatures and still enjoy the great outdoors is to add a pool to the backyard. A pool can be the center of many entertaining events and parties for years to come. If you already have a pool but do not think that it is up to par, this may be a great time to make upgrades to it.

When upgrading your pool, you can add multiple features that fit your family’s needs. A few examples of common pool upgrades include adding aesthetically pleasing features such as waterfalls and new landscape, add a new deck to create sitting space for your guests, or add lighting features so that you can see in the pool at night.

If you had the pool built when your children were very young and now feel as if they have outgrown it, you can add depth to the pool or even change the shape to increase the size.

No matter what features you wish to add, contact the custom pool professionals at Athena Pools in order to discuss your ideas and determine the best plan for you and your family. Call our offices at 512-914-0554 today.

Barton Springs pool to close for repairs this winter

Austin city officials have stated that the Barton Springs pool will close this winter for repairs and will not reopen until spring.

The closure will begin in October so that the $2.9 million project to repair an underwater bypass tunnel can begin. The tunnel is in 13 sections and runs for a total of 1,000 feet under the north deck of the pool. The tunnel allows excess flood water from Barton Creek to divert below the pool

Holes were discovered in the tunnel in 2008, as they caused the water level in the pool to decrease dramatically. While the pool is closed for addressing these holes, other minor issues will also be repaired.

If you have a residential or commercial pool that needs repair, you need a company that has the experience and knowledge to complete the repairs efficiently. Contact the Austin custom pool builders of Athena Pools today.

Travis County officials identify pools with West Nile virus activity

Travis County officials have now identified the pools that have had West Nile virus activity. Test results showed that the majority of the afflicted pools are in the 78704 zip code.

Another person succumbed to the West Nile virus last week in Travis County, raising the death toll in the area to two. Officials have said that this outbreak is the worst that the state of Texas has seen in years.

The county has detected 108 pools that have seen activity from mosquitoes that carry West Nile. These pools are spread across 28 zip codes in the Austin area.

The key to avoiding infected mosquitoes is to make sure to drain all standing water to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding. Officials are urging homeowners to drain any standing water that they may have.

To read more on the story, visit KVUE News today.

 

Michael Phelps sets record for most Olympic medals ever

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps set a record last night for the most Olympic medals won by a single person. On Tuesday, he anchored the U.S. gold medal-winning 4×200 meter relay, and with this, he won his 19th Olympic medal.

With barely any time to celebrate this important achievement, Phelps was back in the pool the next day in order to race in the semifinal of the men’s 200 meter individual medley.

After Phelps secured his 19th medal, President Barack Obama congratulated the Olympian via Twitter stating, “Congrats to Michael Phelps for breaking the all-time Olympic medal record. You’ve made your country proud. – bo.”

The custom pool builders at Athena Pools would like to congratulate Michael Phelps for his tremendous achievement.