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The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance

In January 2019, the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) merged with the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) and became the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. 

We have revised this article, which was originally written as a guest blog by the NSPF itself. Now we want to showcase the new organization and what it offers the industry. And as far as we can tell, both the NSPF and APSP still maintain their original websites and content, including guest articles from Orenda and others.

Can a fouled sand filter be cleaned enough that replacing the sand becomes unnecessary? Challenge accepted.

The organization referred to in this article is NSF International, formerly the National Sanitation Foundation. It is separate from the National Science Foundation. Founded in 1944, it exists to provide third-party testing and validation of products available to the public. Directly from their website:

Today, we're diving deep into the fascinating world of Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP). Whether you're a swimmer, a pool owner, or just someone with a thirst for knowledge, understanding ORP can shed light on the science behind maintaining clean and safe swimming pools.

Swimmers pee in the pool

Not only is peeing in the pool disgusting, it also results in harmful disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) being off-gassed from the water. Examples of these DBPs are chloramines (specifically the airborne NCl₃, Nitrogen Trichloride), chloroform, cyanogen chloride, and other gases. They are harmful and cause swimmers like me to develop asthma and lifeguard lung. Ironically, our urine is one of the root causes of the harmful air we breathe. One would think that would be enough to stop swimmers from peeing in the pool. But there are valid reasons why swimmers pee.

Pool builders, plaster applicators, and service techs know that a pool startup can be a real pain. Plaster dust is just the tip of the iceberg. For residential pools especially, most pools have water filling them within hours of finishing the plaster. That means the tap water and its chemistry is immensely important in the curing process (hydration) of new pool plaster.

Keith Coursin clears the air: Pool indoor air quality was a big deal before it became a big deal.

As a follow up to part 1 and part 2 of the history of pool indoor air quality (IAQ), I reached out to Keith Coursin, the President of Desert Aire Corp, a prominent pool dehumidifier manufacturer. Coursin has been in the field of HVAC technology since his 20's; in my personal opinion he's one of leading experts on pool dehumidification in the world. This is my interview with Keith Coursin.

Scum lines are exactly what they sound like: lines of scum that form around the water’s edge, adhering to tile, grout, gunite and even stainless steel. By scum, we mean carbon-based bather waste (such as body oils, sweat, grease etc.), as well as body products (like deodorant, perfumes, sunscreen and lotions). If you are unfamiliar with scum lines, ask any lifeguard. They are often assigned to scrub them off with a brush and cleaning gel, and it takes a good bit of time and labor. Not to mention, a lot of cleaning products.

Continued from History of indoor pool air quality (IAQ) | Part 1.

Indoor air quality problems are usually equated to chloramine issues. Airborne chloramines are an inevitability with swimming pools, and pool operators alone cannot prevent them entirely. It takes a coordinated effort on both the water side and the air side for healthy indoor air quality to occur. This article is part 1 of explaining the issue.

What is Backwashing?

A stunning number of pool operators ask us about backwashing. Of all the topics in pool operation, one would think backwashing is fairly straight-forward. When the pressure in the filters gets to a certain point, backwash. Right? Well, as it turns out, that's not what pool operators—especially inexperienced ones—ask us. It's not about 'how' or 'when' to backwash. It's more like...

Technically speaking, chloramines are chemical byproducts of chlorine oxidizing inorganic ammonia in water. The term chloramines is used generically to describe all disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that result from chlorine oxidizing nitrogen compounds.  Chloramines and these other DBPs are the main cause of air quality problems in indoor pools.