Author: Sara May

Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety

Above Ground Pool Ladders That Can Save a Life

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Anyone who owns an above ground pool knows that getting into and out of one requires a safe and sturdy pool ladder.  When swimming is over for the day, though, do you remove your pool ladder?  To help prevent access to your above ground pool when a responsible adult is not around to supervise, it’s essential to remove your pool ladder from the pool after each use.  Yes, pool ladders can be heavy and awkward — removing and installing them each time you wish to use the pool is not always convenient.  Fortunately, safe alternatives exist.

Choosing a pool ladder that has safety features built-in is the best way to prevent pool access while also saving you from the hassle of removing the ladder after each day the pool is used.  Here are 3 common options:

1.  Pool ladders that are equipped with locking gates are one option above ground pool owners can choose to prevent pool access.

2.  A ladder that features a unique rolling barrier is another way that above ground pool owners can block access to the pool.

Roll-Guard A-Frame Ladder

3.  A third alternative to standard above ground pool ladders is one whose outer steps can swing into an upright position and be locked into place to keep ladder rungs out of reach.

Eliminator A-Frame Ladder

 While convenience is certainly a benefit of the pool safety ladders shown here, safety is at the heart of their importance.  Sure, you can save your time and your back by not having to haul the ladder out of the water at the end of each swimming day, but you may also save a life simply by ensuring that the safety features are engaged before leaving the pool side.

Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety

Pool Fences are Just One Part of the Protection Plan

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Pool Safety Information

Ensuring the highest level of safety around the backyard swimming pool means creating a plan of protection that makes it extremely difficult for children or pets to gain entry to the pool water.  Proper adult supervision is one important part of this plan, but it doesn’t provide the entire solution. 

Along with supervision, a pool fence should be installed around the pool to prevent entry.  Pool fences that surround in ground pools should be at least 4 feet in height and should be constructed of a material that cannot be climbed.  Gate entry points should always remain locked, and gate handles should be out of reach of small children.  

Pool Fence for Safety

If the side of your home makes up the 4th wall of your fenced pool area, be sure to install a door alarm on the door that allows entry to the pool area.  Keep the alarm on at all times, and make sure it’s loud enough to hear in all parts of your home.

The same fencing will work well around an above ground swimming pool, but you should also consider installing a safety fence on the pool itself.  A safety fence designed specifically for above ground pools provides an additional safety barrier that prevents unauthorized entry to the pool.

Above Ground Pool Safety Fence

There’s no such thing as too much safety when it comes to backyard swimming pools.  Responsible adult supervision and proper pool fencing are just two parts of the protection plan that homeowners should implement to help prevent accidents in and around the pool.

Pool and Spa Safety

Pool Safety Tip — Proper Supervision Defined

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Supervising children during pool time play is only one of several important steps parents and caregivers should take to help prevent accidents and drownings in the backyard swimming pool.  But, what does proper supervision really mean?

Adequate supervision is active supervision.  The designated “water watcher” should keep his or her attention focused on the children in the pool at all times.  Books, cell phones, conversations with friends, and other distractions should be put aside until another responsible adult takes his or her turn providing supervision.

Accidents can happen in a split second, so keeping both eyes on the action in a swimming pool is essential to ensure safe swimming.  Learn more about proper pool supervision in the following video produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign:

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Pool and Spa Equipment

How to Make 2012 the Year of the Energy Efficient Pool — Part 4 of 4

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Why should you care about making your swimming pool more energy-efficient in 2012 and beyond?  Saving energy is one excellent reason, but saving money is another good one, too.  Greening your pool means keeping more green in your wallet.

This series of posts on creating an energy-efficient pool has so far recommended Solar Pool Covers, Solar Pool Heaters, and the Pool Filter Timer as three sure-fire ways to cut energy consumption and costs.  The last and final recommendation in this series is the Pool Pump.

4. Swimming Pool Pump

The fourth way to increase energy-efficiency in your swimming pool is to install and operate a swimming pool pump. You can conserve energy and sustain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pump and by operating it less frequently.  In a study of 120 pools by the Center for Energy Conservation at Florida Atlantic University, some pool owners saved as much as 75% of their original pumping bill when they used these energy conservation measures.

Hayward Swimming Pool Pumps

These aren’t the only four ways to increase energy-efficiency in your backyard swimming pool, but they do offer a variety of options for accomplishing the task.  Whether you decide to take on these four recommendations one at a time, or choose to adopt them all at once, any steps you take toward greater energy-efficiency will make a positive difference for the environment and for your wallet.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment

How to Make 2012 the Year of the Energy Efficient Pool — Part 3 of 4

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Sometimes, the most simple of devices can increase energy-efficiency.  Replace your incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, for example, and the energy savings happen automatically.  When it comes to swimming pools, one simple and inexpensive device that can decrease the amount of energy used and dollars wasted is the pool filter timer, the 3rd recommendation in my series of four on how to make your swimming pool more energy-efficient in 2012.

3. Pool Filter Timer

A third way to save energy is to use a Pool Filter Timer. Automating a pool’s filter operation pays for itself in energy savings within the first couple of months. Except during times of heavy use, most swimming pools only need to filter 12 hours per day. Pool filter timers can save you money on electricity and chemicals. Look for a pool filter timer that is weather proof, durable, and has multiple settings to give you ultimate control.

It’s the simple solutions, like this one, that can be the easiest ones to adopt first.  On your journey to greater energy-efficiency and money savings, the pool filter timer is a good place to start.  Once you start seeing your energy bills decrease, you can take on one or more of the other three recommendations in this series — Solar Pool Covers, Solar Pool Heaters, or the subject of my next post…coming soon.

Pool Filter Timers