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Pool fog is a great pool effect. It can enhance a swimming pool's lighting, and give it a more mysterious appeal. Fogging a swimming pool was difficult and expensive before, but now, advancements in technology have allowed swimming pools to be fogged safely and efficiently.
Traditionally, dry ice was used to create pool fog. Dry ice is the solidified form of carbon dioxide. When exposed to very low temperatures, this naturally occurring gas freezes and solidifies to form blocks of dry ice. It is used as a cooling material in portable coolers and ice cream carts. It releases a hazy gas when exposed to higher temperatures.
Swimming pools have a higher temperature than dry ice. This causes the blocks of dry ice to break down and release carbon dioxide gas when they are immersed in the pool water. The gas is heavier than ambient air. It settles on the surface of the swimming pool, creating a fog effect.
However, people have raised some concerns about the use of dry ice in pool fogging. Carbon dioxide is a potentially poisonous gas. Prolonged exposure to it can cause permanent respiratory tract damage and even death. Also, a pool fog created by the use of dry ice lowers the temperature of the pool water. This makes it almost impossible to swim in it. Swimming in cold water can result to hypothermia.
New technology
The entertainment industry has long used fog and haze machines to create spooky and hazy visual effects, and the manufacturers of pool equipment have caught on to this idea. They created recesses and depressions near the swimming pool to house these machines.
Fog machines that create pool fog use a glycol- or glycerin-based liquid as a fog generator instead of carbon dioxide. This liquid is sprayed onto a heating block within the fog machine, causing it to vaporize. The vapor exits through the machine's exhaust. It turns into smoke or fog when it comes into contact with the cooler ambient air. As with fog created by dry ice, the fog created by a fog machine tends to settle and is not easily dispersed.
Haze machines work in the same way but on a much larger scale. They have turbines and fans to direct the fog. Some models can even make shapes out of the fog. Because they produce more fog than fog machines, haze machines are commonly used at large gatherings like rock concerts.
Safety concerns
Despite its creative effect, it can be dangerous to have fog around a swimming pool. Pool fog can reduce visibility, and unwary people can accidentally fall into the pool because of it. Most people who have pool fog machines usually fence off their pools to prevent any accidents. Also, fog created by fog machines is an irritant to asthmatics and those with respiratory illness.
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