Category Archives: Pool and Spa Safety

Pool Accessories, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety

When Pool Safety and Festive Fun Go Hand in Hand

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Swimming Pool Lighting

One of the advantages of owning your own backyard swimming pool, whether it be an above ground pool or an in ground pool, is enjoying the freedom of swimming at any time of the day or night. Night time swimming, though, is not safe unless your swimming pool is equipped with pool lights to illuminate the sides and bottom of the swimming pool.* Swimming pool lights come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and shapes, and choosing the right one depends only on the type of pool you have and your own personal tastes.

In ground swimming pool lights are often installed when the pool itself is constructed, but this is not the case for above ground pools. Above ground pool lights must be attached to the pool in one of several ways. Some lights hook over the top of the pool wall, some are mounted to the side of the pool wall, and some are installed directly to your pool’s return line. Each option has its own advantages, but many above ground pool owners prefer lights that hook over the top of the pool wall because this prevents the need to drill holes in the side of the swimming pool and makes the lights easier to remove or adjust.

Another choice to be made when selecting swimming lights is color. White lights are the standard choice, but colors add ambiance and fun to the swimming experience. Some lights offer the best of both worlds — a white bulb and different colored lenses that can be snapped into place as desired. Other lights are able to cycle through a series of different colors for an ever-changing effect.

Some of the most fun and colorful swimming pool lights are floating lights. Floating lights can illuminate both in ground and above ground pools, and they come in a multitude of creative styles. Floating lights that resemble lily pads or graceful jelly fish are just two examples of the unique pool lights available. Some floating lights feature a fountain on the top which sprays colorful streams of water. A favorite choice for pool parties are floating lights whose multiple colors spin and dance underwater like a kaleidoscope.

Having so many choices for swimming pool lights makes the selection process fun, but the choice itself doesn’t matter as much as ensuring that there are some kind of lights installed in your backyard swimming pool. Safety should always be the first consideration.

*Safety Note: Children, even older children who may have strong swimming skills, should never be permitted to swim after dark unless closely supervised by a responsible adult.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Pool and Spa Safety

Residential Pools May Have Hidden Danger

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Compliant Drain Covers for Pools and Spas

That hidden danger could be unsafe drain covers in pools and spas.  Why are pool and spa drains so dangerous? Because if the drain cover is flat, any object or body part that covers that drain can become trapped by a powerful suction from which escape is difficult, and sometimes impossible. Luckily, the Pool and Spa Safety Act, also known as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, was signed into law in 2007. This law requires that every public pool and spa in the U.S. be “equipped with anti-entrapment devices or systems that comply with the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 performance standard, or any successor standard.” Flat pool drains are assumed to be a thing of the past in public pools and spas. The law does not apply, however, to residential pools and spas, and, unfortunately, this is where a majority of entrapment injuries and deaths occur.

Anti-entrapment drain covers for residential pools and spas are readily available and easy to install. The difference is in the design. Anti-entrapment drain covers are not flat, but domed, or shaped in some way that prevents objects or bodies from completely covering the drain and creating a dangerous suction. They offer an inexpensive and simple solution to a serious and sometimes deadly problem.

Pool and Spa Safety

Pool Alarms Add Another Layer to Accident Prevention Plans

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Swimming Pool Alarm

Even if you have safety fencing installed around your in ground or above ground swimming pool, you should seriously consider adding pool alarms to your swimming pool protection plan.  Protecting against accidents in and around the pool requires the implementation of multiple safety devices.

What to Look for in a Pool Alarm

Pool alarms may come with many more features than are presented here, but the following is a list of recommended features to look for when deciding on a pool alarm for your own backyard swimming pool:

  • Easy installation
  • Tamper proof
  • Includes a remote receiver with a range of up to 200 ft or more
  • Low battery indicator on alarm and on receiver
  • Recommended for the size and shape of your swimming pool
  • Able to detect an object as small as a 1 year old child, approximately 18 pounds
  • A loud and distinct alarm should sound within 20 seconds when a child simulator is dropped into the pool.

After you decide which pool alarm you need, performing regular tests of the alarm’s effectiveness will ensure that your alarm continues to function properly over time.

Multiple layers of protection significantly decrease the chance that accidents in and around the pool will occur.  No matter how many safety devices you choose to install, though, constant supervision by a responsible adult should always be part of the protection plan.

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.