Pool pump has been a bit weak lately: The stream of water pouring out of the hot tub “waterfall” into the main pool had become more like a trickle. This usually indicates a significant clog or that the pool filter needs cleaning.
Considering I haven’t cleaned the filter in almost a year I figured that was likely the problem. It wasn’t 😮💨
Turns out that there’s something stuck in the intake at the bottom of the pool which means I have to dive deep with a screwdriver in the super cold water and carefully clear out whatever is in there. Probably a plastic bag or similar.
Note: Never attempt such a thing while the pump is on! In fact, lock it down with some tape and maybe a warning label that says not to turn it on while you’re doing your difficult work.
Been a long time since I had to hold my breath under water. I wonder if I can still reach 2 minutes? 🤔 Probably not with this water temperature 🤣
Do NOT do this if the pool is more than a couple feet deep. There is a good reason snorkels are short.
And that reason is?
The carbon dioxide won’t leave the hose before you suck it back in expecting oxygen.
I imagine you could get a super long snorkel as long as you had a different intake and outtake valve? Suck air in, blow out into water? Maybe there’s a limit on that as well, but longer to some extent?
But with CO2 you’ll know. It just won’t work and you’ll have to come up.
There’s two. One, the average breath size is only so much volume. You take that first breath, you get air with oxygen in it. Breathe it out, and a short snorkel expels it into the surrounding air, letting fresh air take its place. A long snorkel has enough volume to partially trap your exhale, with less and less oxygen available with each breath. Two, pressure differences. The deeper you go, the more pressure the water exerts on your body. Not just your lungs, but your sinuses and other tissues have to deal with that pressure while breathing. The forces need to be balanced. Surface air doesn’t cut it beyond relatively shallow depths.