Safe pool temperature for various health conditions

Perhaps since you have already fought WWI with the HOA last spring (when you wanted to share the pool with the noodle class) and lost the battle all your friends whose health you are concerned about could fight this one for you. Just give them all your research and let them talk to the mgt. I think you are already on the black list. :( sorry but that's the impression I get from your posts. Every homeowner has an opportunity to present questions and concerns, by e-mail, to the board, in preparation for December 7th's annual board meeting. As a homeowner, I am no more blacklisted than anybody else living in this community. So, I e-mailed the letter I previously posted. As for wanting to "share the pool with the noodle class", I already WAS sharing the pool, since the day the indoor pool opened. It is the noodlers who wanted me and other lap swimmers kicked out of the pool during their classes, so they could have the pool to themselves; all 6-8 of them, most months of the year! Remember, it's a 25 yard pool, 5 lanes wide. I have never seen more than 15 people in class- ever. On most summer days, it's 10 max.

I have a few comments concerning this situation. First, why would anyone who voluntarily moves to an older active adult community be surprised that the community pool is hot? If the average Y is kept at 86-87 with 10% seniors, how in the world could a person have any reasonable expectation that a retirement community would keep their pool at or near competitive swimming temperatures? That's akin to going to the Caribbean and being surprised there isn't an ice skating rink on the resort property. Next, what is the desired end result? It appears to be to lower the temperature so that one or maybe more competitive swimmers can be comfortable while they swim. Balance this against the rest of the community who doesn't want it that cool. Further, the goal of these programs is to get people moving. If you keep the water at a temperature that is uncomfortable many may not participate. Is that really what is desired? If the pool temp is lowered and no one goes to class would there really be a sense of accomplishment? Third, the health angle. It is unlikely noodlers are working hard enough such that 86 degrees will harm them. And, it is more likely they won't come to the class if the water is "cool" (relates to point above). And, you have to wonder if they really need someone else telling them what is and is not healthy for them. I have a soft spot for people with diabetes. Getting them off the couch and moving is really important and water temp is really a very minor concern. Lastly, the location of the poster is within striking distance of a number of awesome USMS teams in the greater Atlanta region, many who practice at superb facilities in nice cold water. While it is always better to practice 1 minute away from home, sometimes you have to make a sacrifice or two, especially when that sacrifice will reap great rewards. I'm not denying this pool is probably too warm. But, that has to be balanced against the aquatic goals of the majority of the participants. First of all, I never expected the pool to be kept at "competitive swimming temperatures"; I'm simply fighting to get it turned back down to 84 degrees where it was. THAT is the "desired result". Sure, initially, I fought for 82, but the HOA manager compromised and we agreed on 84. She broke that agreement. Second, all of the other sister active adult communities keep their pools at 84 degrees. Those are words out of the HOA manager's mouth. So, why is ours at 86? It seems to me if 84 degrees is acceptable to the residents of other communities, it should be fine at ours, too. Geek, it appears as if you did not read my prior posts, including the letter. Go back and read them, so you can see how off-base your post is, regarding my "desired result". Again, as I told Bobinator, it is not about catering to "competitive swimmers". I have never asked to be catered to as a competitive swimmer. If I had, I would have asked for 78 degrees! I am simply asking for the temperature to be put back to 84 degrees; the best compromise for the health and safety of the greater community; not competitive swimmers. Look at my letter; you will see temperature recommendations provided by the experts. Finally, the closest USMS team is located 50 minutes driving distance away, through country roads. And, they swim at night. Not only do I have a part-time job and a part-time business to run; the company who I did contract work for has come back asking me to do a project for them. It starts next week and will last 6 months; probably more, requiring full-time hours. Traveling to team workouts located 50 minutes away, each way, at night, isn't a viable option. Besides, I already pay HOA pools to use these facilities. If I don't suceed with my request, I will continue to train in the 86 degree water and go to the next closest pool, 25 minutes away, when I can carve out the time to do so.

Perhaps since you have already fought WWI with the HOA last spring (when you wanted to share the pool with the noodle class) and lost the battle all your friends whose health you are concerned about could fight this one for you. Agreed. If there are other swimmers who think the pool is too warm they should voice their opinions to the HOA. From the outside looking in it seems like one swimmer (Elaine) complaining under the guise of "I'm doing it for everyone else..." Now, maybe that's not the real situation, but if it's not the HOA sure better know that it's not. A single voice isn't going to win out over a vocal group.

I have a few comments concerning this situation. First, why would anyone who voluntarily moves to an older active adult community be surprised that the community pool is hot? If the average Y is kept at 86-87 with 10% seniors, how in the world could a person have any reasonable expectation that a retirement community would keep their pool at or near competitive swimming temperatures? That's akin to going to the Caribbean and being surprised there isn't an ice skating rink on the resort property. Next, what is the desired end result? It appears to be to lower the temperature so that one or maybe more competitive swimmers can be comfortable while they swim. Balance this against the rest of the community who doesn't want it that cool. Further, the goal of these programs is to get people moving. If you keep the water at a temperature that is uncomfortable many may not participate. Is that really what is desired? If the pool temp is lowered and no one goes to class would there really be a sense of accomplishment? Third, the health angle. It is unlikely noodlers are working hard enough such that 86 degrees will harm them. And, it is more likely they won't come to the class if the water is "cool" (relates to point above). And, you have to wonder if they really need someone else telling them what is and is not healthy for them. I have a soft spot for people with diabetes. Getting them off the couch and moving is really important and water temp is really a very minor concern. Lastly, the location of the poster is within striking distance of a number of awesome USMS teams in the greater Atlanta region, many who practice at superb facilities in nice cold water. While it is always better to practice 1 minute away from home, sometimes you have to make a sacrifice or two, especially when that sacrifice will reap great rewards. I'm not denying this pool is probably too warm. But, that has to be balanced against the aquatic goals of the majority of the participants.

Seems like a pool around here either runs the swim team practices at 6AM and turns the heaters off when they close at night and when the team comes in to be ready for the noodler class; or the noodlers swim in the morning then the heat is turned off for the evening swim team practice, then turned back on. It doesn't affect the temperature very much, but even a few degrees make a big difference in comfort level of this multi-use pool. The health club I often swim at has a standard of 84F. It is a reasonable compromise since very few people actually lap swim. The air temperature is warm, there is an adjacent hot tub too. I get hot as my DIY workout goes along; but I do have to admit it's a lot easier to get into the pool at 6AM on a cold dark winter morning. Another pool I frequent had an administrator (who does not swim) run the numbers and decided that it would be much less expensive to keep the water at about 74F. Only the Masters could tolerate that for any length of time - the age group kids just weren't sufficiently insulated. Fortunately the coaches talked sense into him. Worst pool was an indoor pool in an un-airconditioned metal building in Texas. Water temp was about 96F. About 1-2 weeks trying to prepare for championships season.

My old lady's skin gets really eaten up when the pool is too hot. I don't have the problem in cooler water. Also, the air is more heavily chlorinated when the temp is up. Maybe this will help.

That sounds like a nice compromise -- although the air temperature is going to feel cold to lots of people (anyone half in half out of the water)

Guvnah, I feel your pain with everything you have posted!:bighug: I have experienced all the same things at our pool. But, at least you get to swim while they are noodling! At our pool, the noodlers get the entire 5 lane, 25 yard pool; even if there is only one person who shows up. And, since the weather turned cold, there have been 1-4 people in class. They get the entire pool for both the beginning and intermediate class, from 9:30-11:30, M-F. Back on topic, the board of our HOA decided on the following: 85 degrees water in winter, 82 degrees in summer, 50-60% humidity, 80 degrees max on air temperature. That, of course, is in theory. The reality is that our HVAC system is not working properly more often than not. It will be a constant battle...

Unless your pool is open 24x7, or is enormous, perhaps the key to a single facility trying to address all the groups is controlling the thermostat (and water inflow) and the scheduling of groups. As example, set the pool thermostat to have the pool achieve the highest temperature at 12:00 noon each day, making the hours of 10:00AM to 2:00PM the "warmest". Let the thermostat off just after noon and the pool should be the "coolest" later in the evening and most cool early in the morning. This presumes the facility is not maintaining a constantly high air temperature. Or, decide you want it warmest in the morning, coolest in the evening. Everyone cannot have the pool at their prime tempurature ALL the time, so schedules would need to be adjusted to meet the temperature that best meets a class, or individual needs. Oh, if only they could make this work!!! The YMCA here in town has 5 pools around the city. I swim regularly at three of them. It seems that for all of them, if they start monkeying around with the thermostat, the pool temps go haywire. Not sure if it is faulty equipment or incompetence of the people farting around with the thermostats. But they're better off getting to some temp and just leaving it there. The downtown pool keeps it at 82 or so, and the two other I go to try to stick to 84 or so. (And therefore I prefer the downtown facility.) I would LOVe to have the temp cycle you proposed. The "noodlers" (I call them manatees, myself) tend to congregate in the noon-afternoon timeframe. And the bulk of the serious lap swimmers are concentrated in the first few hours after opening. (Most, at the opening bell.)

Regarding the initial question, several years back I called the pool manager at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado to see what studies they had regarding pool tems. They have nothing published (at least at the time I called), but he chatted about their own findings. Temps above 84 degrees do not allow a vigorous swimmer to dissipate body heat adequately. So 84 is a magic number in that regard. This forces your heart and lungs to work harder, detracting from your ability to put that energy into your actual workout. Temps below 76 are generally too cold for aerobic work, and the longer the workout, the more pronounced the effect. The OTC keeps their pool at 80.1 degrees. The temp is chosen to favor the elite athletes (which is the primary demographic that uses the pool anyway.) Those athletes have very low body fat, and their workouts often span extended durations. They can't maintain proper body heat after several hours in water below 80. So the facility has settled on 80.1. YMCAs and other general use pools fight the eternal battle for a water temp that satisfies the largest segment of members. The battle is easier when several pools are in play. (A lot of YMCAs have a lap pool as well as a smaller "instructional pool" that's usually 10-15 yards in length. The downtowm facility I mentioned earlier that keeps the lap pool at 82 also has an instructional pool, and they keep that at 87-90. And most of the low-energy aerobic and noodling classes are done there.) When a pool needs to service a broad range of interests, someone is always going to be unhappy.