Is it normal to have a fear of pool drains?

There are a lot of people who claim to have an irrational fear of pool drains. This may be partially from Hollywood movies showing death and drowning due to pools drains, but it could also be due to the fact that there is some truth to the danger. Simply swimming near a main drain poses no concern for entrapment.

What is the phobia of drains?

cloacaphobia is a fear of sewers.

Can pool drain kill you?

“There’s too much at stake.” The vacuum effect in pool drains is powerful enough to hold swimmers, especially children, to the bottom of a pool. Swimmers can die from drowning or evisceration. From 1999 to 2008, according to CPSC data, there were 83 reports of suction entrapment, including 11 deaths and 69 injuries.

What is the pool drain called?

A pool’s so-called main drain is not actually a drain; that is, it is not used to drain the pool. Instead, it is an outlet, housing a pipe that runs to the pump, which sucks water through a skimmer, then through a filter, then through a heater (if you have one), and then back to the pool via multiple inlets.

What are the symptoms of Thalassophobia?

Some of the common physical symptoms of thalassophobia include:

Dizziness.
Lightheadedness.
Nausea.
Racing heart.
Rapid breathing.
Shortness of breath.
Sweating.

Why are people afraid of the pool drain?

For some people, the drain represents something which will do them physical harm. For others, it’s just scary and something that has to be avoided at all costs. People will, literally, swim around it or change lanes to avoid it. Crazy huh? For some, the ‘pool drain’ phobia extends to the swimming pool lights and filters too.

Why are there no drains in swimming pools?

The concept that swimming pools do not need main drains comes from the fact that main drain pipes are hard to fix when they break, and as a result many pools have the main drain lines decommissioned and sealed on both ends. These pools are still able to operate and stay clean…so everything is good right?

Is there such a thing as an underwater phobia?

Ever been out swimming and felt a little unnerved about what’s lurking beneath you? It’s an actual phobia, called Thalassophobia – coming, unsurprisingly, from the Greek word ‘thalassa’ (ocean) and ‘phobia’ (fear). It’s not as uncommon as you might think. In fact, you may not even realise you have it.

Which is the most dangerous type of pool drain?

The “most dangerous” plumbing configuration is an active suction system where there is a single suction main drain connected via a single pipe directly to a pool pump. This is the most likely installation style to result in an entrapment.

Why do I have a phobia of the pool drain?

For some, the ‘pool drain’ phobia extends to the swimming pool lights and filters too. Affecting people in different ways, the causes are unknown. Could it be down to childhood experiences – memories of old films such as Piranha, Jaws and Open Water?

Why are some people afraid of the water?

If you’re afraid of man-made objects, machinery, old shipwrecks under the water you could be suffering from submechanophobia. Snorkelling has become part and parcel of your average beach holiday.