Getting itching rashes after swimming

Our pool just reached a nice temp to start swimming and we are getting itching rashes after swimming. No raised bumps, just pink itching rash.

Chlorine is a little high, which has never caused a problem in the past, and pH was high but is now corrected with muriatic acid.

After closing the pool last fall I had an algae flare up and used a new (to me) algaecide from Home Depot. I didn't keep the details, but it was $50 and 2 small bottles to treat a 27,000 gal. pool and did kill the algae as never before.

Otherwise I only add liquid chlorine or muriatic acid.

Hm. Not sure what that is, but I get a similar reaction when I stick my hand in the skimmer well to retrieve the basket sometimes. I haven't got that as a result of swimming. I chalked it up to an allergic reaction to something that was skimmed off the surface of the water, and concentrated in the skimmer well.

Heh, not much help here, but a similar experience. Doesn't happen all the time either.

Michael

Thanks. That was food for thought. We ahve left the pool uncovered this year with record pollen and have not been running the top skimmer. We're hoping it was just concentrated pollen from the pool top.

I have the same problem which had me read everything I could, including comparing my rash to pictures. It looks identical to rashes casued by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a microorganism/bacteria which casues folliculitis.
http://crutchfielddermatology.com/tr...bfolliculitis/

It's hard to get rid of from your pool, is usually casued by not enough sanitizer in the pool, and is more common in hot tubs because of the higher temps in the water. In my case, I found that my CYA is way high 200+ and that keeping a FC level of 2-4 basically renders the chlorine useless and allows bacteria to grow. My water is crystal clear so I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the problem might be - this forum has been a great help.

This forum suggested a chart to base the FC level on the CYA level, so in my case, instead of a normal CYA of 30-50 and then a FC level of 1-3 or 2-4, I end up having to raise my free chlorine level to 8-12ppm to have the same sanitizing effect as a lower FC would have with lower CYA values.

If your situation is anything like mine, I'd check the CYA (Cyanuric Acid) level and adjust the Free Chlorine level up if the CYA is high. The FC vs CYA chart is in this thread: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365
In case you're wondering if it's hazardous with that high of an FC level - posters have explained to me that since the high CYA neutralizes, or makes the chlorine weak, the higher level of FC is the same as a lower FC with lower CYA.

HTH
Matz

Two of six swimmers in our pool have experienced the same itchy rash. Our chemical readings are fine and the pool is clear. Is there a test that can be performed to determine if we do indeed have Pseudomonas aeruginosa? Also, are there other possibilities that could cause this type of rash?

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Originally Posted by chip85

Our chemical readings are fine and the pool is clear.

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I would bet that 90% or more of the people who post that on this board have a significant chemical problem that they aren't aware of because they got bad information from a pool store. That's why everybody asks for numbers. Unless you know your CYA level, you can't know what level of chlorine is safe, and most pool owners don't have any idea what theirs is.

Well, put me in the 10% then because I know what our numbers are (including CYA) and I gathered them and tested them myself. I don't have tests done at pool stores ...never have, never will. I didn't bother to post them because I know what they are and they are fine and ....I didn't ask for a solution to a chemical problem.

As for the rash ...I suspect the cause is from a new brand of suntan lotion the child is using, but saw this thread and it caught my eye. We have visited other pools, one specifically, where the children broke out in rash within two hrs of being in the pool. The owner uses a non-chlorine solution and we attributed their rash to that fact.

Some people have reactions to chlorine (or other chemicals for that matter). I was looking for a knowledgeable answer to two questions ...Is there a test for Pseudomonas aeruginosa? Are there similar reactions (rash) caused by an alergic reaction to chlorine based pool chemicals?

PaulT ...there are better ways to gather information from people prior to calling them ignorant

Chip85:

Nobody called you ignorant--I guess the "chip" is the one on your shoulder. JohnT told you EXACTLY what I would have told you: Post your numbers, FIRST, then let's see.

99.99% of the time, there's something in the numbers the poster didn't see, but someone else does. And the solution is usually pretty simple. But once in a blue-moon there's a head scratcher.

We are all here to help each other, but nobody can help you with your problem if we don't have complete information. We ALL start there when we have a problem, even if we've fixed it but are wondering how it started. We don't just put up numbers, we explain what we have done--trying to give whoever is reading it a CLUE to an issue we are not catching.

We start by eliminating the obvious: A problem in the basic numbers. From there, we move on to other possibilities.

You say your numbers are "fine". What does "fine" mean? Some of our users like to run with CYA=60 or 70. For them, they feel that's "fine". But for me, that's most definitely NOT "fine". We have an honest disagreement about what "fine" means.

We'll do what we can, but you, on your side, have to do your part, too. That means posting numbers--complete information. Without that we cannot help you.

At the moment, my hypothesis is that your chlorine levels are off and something is contaminating you and your pool with an irritant. A further stretch of the hypothesis is that you need to shock your pool, and shock it good to destroy the contaminant. If I see your numbers and I see something that says that is possible, I will say so. If I don't, I'll say so too.

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Originally Posted by chip85

Well, put me in the 10% then because I know what our numbers are (including CYA) and I gathered them and tested them myself. I don't have tests done at pool stores ...never have, never will. I didn't bother to post them because I know what they are and they are fine and ....I didn't ask for a solution to a chemical problem.

As for the rash ...I suspect the cause is from a new brand of suntan lotion the child is using, but saw this thread and it caught my eye. We have visited other pools, one specifically, where the children broke out in rash within two hrs of being in the pool. The owner uses a non-chlorine solution and we attributed their rash to that fact.

Some people have reactions to chlorine (or other chemicals for that matter). I was looking for a knowledgeable answer to two questions ...Is there a test for Pseudomonas aeruginosa? Are there similar reactions (rash) caused by an alergic reaction to chlorine based pool chemicals?

PaulT ...there are better ways to gather information from people prior to calling them ignorant

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Excuse me, I wasn't calling you ignorant, just asking for info. Sorry if I offended.

There is a test that can be done for pseudomonas according to this site: http://www.watersafetestkits.com/html/poolkits.asp

Google "Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pool water" to find out more about the bacteria. In one of the .gov threads I read that a study showed that nearly 60% of pools across the US has Pseudomonas, I believe it was a study mostly for public pools. That percentage (if true) tells you how many pools aren't properly sanitized.

The reason the guys asked for the numbers is that in my case for example - I thought everything was cool, water was sparkling and my FC, TA and PH where "fantastic"...what I didn't know was due to my extremely high CYA of 230...my perfect FC of 2ppm was basically doing nothing. Now I learned from here that my FC should be at least 8ppm. I'm taking my "test dip" this weekend...if I don't get a rash...and don't disintegrate from the FC...I'm good to go :)

You will find Pseudomonas aeruginosa in almost any stagnet water. The problem in pools and hot tubs it rises to infectious levels due to bather use and warmer temps. If I rember correctly Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a nitrate lover so you may want a nitrate level checked. If the rash is a true Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection you NEED to see a MD. Folliculitis can become life threating quickly if the person scratches it. The worst thing you can do for a person in the hospital is take them flowers due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the water. We no longer allow flowers where I work.

For any kind of infectious agent in the water, the answer is:......MORE CHLORINE!!!!

If you have such an agent, and your CYA is 230, you'd best use Poconos's plastic sheet method to do a 100% replacement of your water, then shock the heck out of the new water to kill anything and everything hanging around on the plumbing and fitting.

Nitrates, phosphates, etc: I take a dim view of addressing those before the KISS method. If you have something growing in your water, you need CHLORINE, lots and lots of CHLORINE!

With a CYA of 230, I wouldn't pay any attention to nitrates and phosphates. Your problem is as unsubtle as dump-truck--your CYA is way, Way, WAY too high and you must get it down. Ben's discussion of high CYA is for 100ppm, to 200ppm (a theoretical max) and you are beyond THAT!

You must lower your CYA. Period.

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With a CYA of 230, I wouldn't pay any attention to nitrates and phosphates. Your problem is as unsubtle as dump-truck--your CYA is way, Way, WAY too high and you must get it down. Ben's discussion of high CYA is for 100ppm, to 200ppm (a theoretical max) and you are beyond THAT!

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Carl I didnt notice the CYA of 230.
Steve

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Originally Posted by medvampire

Carl I didnt notice the CYA of 230.
Steve

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Not to worry...I'm just forceful in my arguments, not meant to be personal at all. It's about facts, logic and ideas, not people. You missed a key fact--I've done that plenty of times myself and will do so again in the future--and I hope someone catches me next time it happens.:rolleyes:

You just want what I want: To help Happi2b clear up the rash problem.

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Originally Posted by medvampire

Carl I didnt notice the CYA of 230.
Steve

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Steve;
The only 230 I see is from candyass talking about a cya problem they solved not from any of the posters with a problem.
Jo

That'st correct - it was 230 before I emptied half the pool and replaced the water. The pool store's CYA read 230 before water replacement and 217 after. Posters suggested that CYA readings become inaccurate when they get up to a certain point - so I dilluted the water with 3 parts distilled water and 1 part pool water, then tested it with the Taylor test kit and multiplied the new value (35) by 4 to get the CYA number. That number came to 140 - so I'm within Ben's 100-200 range for min 8ppm.

I just want to be able to swim this summer without spending too much $ on a full water replacement since I will be redoing the whole pool in the fall - so the chart hopefully lets me do that after lowering the CYA to 140.

OK,
I never thought you could dilute the CYA solution but it makes sense.

It's a best-guess table, so I always view the range of FC as connected to the range of CYA. If you have a CYA of 140, I would not let my FC be 8. It's PROBABLY Ok, but if you are having troubles at 8 then you should be at 11ppm or greater.

You can still dump and refill to get your CYA lower--140 is high, but you can use the high CYA methods safely.

The main concern for me was the possabilty of Pseudomonas and if so they need to see a MD. I have seen a few cases of Pseudomonas septcemia caused by a hot tub. Talk about some sick peps. One or two cases was from skin infection and the others from resportory source. I guess that is why I am over cautious with the kids and our pool.
I agree we are all here to help each other and we will miss things.
Thanks
Steve

It sounds like a very unpleasant condition.

But that's not my dept.:rolleyes:

Luckily, chlorine kills just about everything.