As a swimming pool owner — especially a new one — you are probably overwhelme with everything you need to do and know and remember and then you need to add to that knowledge — basic pool safety tips. Ask your pool contractor from Express Pool Care for advice on what you can do to make your pool the “safest room in the house.”
Those who live in Arizona know that with summer means everyone will be in the pool as often as they can. If you are the one who owns the pool that everyone is using you need to work with your contractor to make certain the hours spent in and around the swimming pool are safe and fun for everyone.
Basic pool safety tips
The municipality in which you live will likely have basic pool safety equipment you will need to have and measures you will need to adhere to. Those could include the height of the pool safety fence and the need for pool alarms.
There are many types of pool alarms, and there are many different styles for keeping children safe and alerting you if anyone – or anything, like a pet – falls into the pool. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tested various pool alarms including:
- Surface wave sensors float on the surface of the water
- Those that float on the top of the water and will sound an alarm if the surface of the water is disturbed
- Wristband sensors. These are worn by the child and the alarm goes off if the wristband goes into the water.
- Infrared alarms are motion activated when the light beam is broken
The CPSC study tested the devices in different types of backyard pool shapes and depths to determine whether surface and subsurface wave sensors would alarm when a test object entered the pool. The results indicated surface sensors weren’t as reliable as subsurface sensors. The subsurface sensors were more consistent in alarming when they were supposed to and less likely to trigger a false alarm. The wristbands sensors reliably sounded an alarm each time it was submerged to pool water and other water sources – a hose or faucet.
When choosing a pool alarm or other safety device, consider these items:
- Ease of installation
- Tamper resistant/tamper proof
- Remote receiver with range of up to 200 feet or more
- Low battery indicator
- Choose one recommended for the size, shape and depth of your pool
- Ability to detect an object a light as 10 pounds
- An alarm that is loud and distinct enough to not be mistaken for background noises and one that sounds within 20 seconds
A pool alarm is an ideal layer of protection, but nothing compares to havng an adult present when anyone is swimming and to paying attention to everyone in the pool.