Discussion Thread

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"

While growing up, my parents' house had a pool. I didn't realize it as a teenager, but it was an interesting introduction to the world of fluid mechanics:

When it was raining outside, and the pool was about to overflow, my dad and I would go out to drain it. We did this by filling a hose with water, placing one end in the pool, and then placing the other end at a lower elevation, down a small hill in the backyard. In this way, I learned that water can travel uphill without a pump, via a siphon. 

Dye testing was also introduced to me to help us try to find a leak in said pool. When I began working as a water resources engineer, I learned that dye testing is also used in wastewater pipes to determine if a given pipe is connected to another pipe downstream, or to time the movement of flow from one point to another. (We also never managed to find the leak in the pool).

I learned a little bit about coagulation and chlorine contact when we would take apart the filter.

I learned that "bumping the DE filter" reduces pressure in the system, and that occasional backwashing was important too. I also learned that the system needs to "stay closed" and that I shouldn't let air get into the pipes if I was plugging in the pool vacuum.

Finally, I learned a little bit about how pumps work and the differences between pump sizes, electrical demands, and pressure head. For example, all pool and spa pumps are of the centrifugal type.

Did you learn anything while growing up that later turned out to be "engineering?"