I did a search but didn't find anything definitive. Is there a recommended alarm that will sound if a pet or kid falls in the pool when the alarm is enabled?
Pool Alarm?
- Thread starter wct097
- Start date
There's a ton of them on Google. Just search "pool alarm".
Some mount to the deck, some float on the water.
Some from Amazon
Some mount to the deck, some float on the water.
Some from Amazon
I recall hearing about a lot of false alarms just due to water movement caused by the wind ... maybe they have improved over the years. I would certainly not want just an alarm to be the main safety system.
Welcome!
How is your house/pool setup? What type of pool? Fenced in yard? Do the gates lock? Dog door? Do you already have a home alarm?
How is your house/pool setup? What type of pool? Fenced in yard? Do the gates lock? Dog door? Do you already have a home alarm?
This would not be the only security measure. Pool also has a fence around it with locking gates. House does not have an alarm. Was looking on Amazon but didn't find anything with high ratings. Obviously don't want lots of false alarms from wind and water movement. Main concern is an unmonitored kid getting in and falling in.
Have a coworker that lost a 4y/o niece that fell in while her father was outside with her but had turned his back for a couple minutes. I cannot imagine going through that and desire to do everything I can to mitigate the potential for that to happen.
Have a coworker that lost a 4y/o niece that fell in while her father was outside with her but had turned his back for a couple minutes. I cannot imagine going through that and desire to do everything I can to mitigate the potential for that to happen.
One simple thing i have done to my house is install locks up high on all door leading to the outside, so the kids can't get out by themselves. Now by locks i actually mean bolts from the hardware isle. They are about 6 inches long, i drilled a hole through the side of the door trim, and into the middle of the door. Insert bolt. I pull on the bolt head about 2" and it slides out of the door such that the door can be opened. I push it back in to lock it.
The reason i did that is i didn't want anything mounted to the surface of the door or door trim. To "repair" this when the kids are older/taller/wiser i just need to remove the bolt and slap a little caulk on the side of the door trim, inside door jam and edge of door itself.
I can take and post a picture if you like. I painted part of the bolt red so at a glance i can see if it's "bolted" or open. See Red it's open.
The reason i did that is i didn't want anything mounted to the surface of the door or door trim. To "repair" this when the kids are older/taller/wiser i just need to remove the bolt and slap a little caulk on the side of the door trim, inside door jam and edge of door itself.
I can take and post a picture if you like. I painted part of the bolt red so at a glance i can see if it's "bolted" or open. See Red it's open.
I'm less concerned with kids exiting the house undetected and more concerned with a kid or pet falling in while already outside. In theory the fence and supervision should prevent this, but there are always situations where those will fail or someone will leave the fence or door open and unlocked. This is just a last line of defense, so to speak.
I hate to sound old fashioned here, but what ever happened to teaching the kids to swim, and swim well?
Isaac-1 said:
I'm not sure what that has to do with wanting an alarm to sound if an unsupervised kid or pet falls in the pool. This has nothing to do with me teaching my future kids or friend's kids to swim. heck, the thing might save me if I were to get clocked in the head and knocked out with a golf ball while checking the skimmer.
I did not mean to sound as if teaching kids to swim was a substitute for security around a pool, but it seems partly in this thread, and in others of its type that there is an attitude of alarms, fences, etc. being a substitute for making sure the kids know how to swim.
Ike
p.s. I grew up around water, my son grew up around water and could swim by the time he knew how to walk, etc. and when I hear a story about a 7 or 8 year old falling in a pool and drowning my first thought is why, and this tends to lead back to parents not teaching the kid to swim when they were 2 or 3 years old, certainly by age 5.
Ike
p.s. I grew up around water, my son grew up around water and could swim by the time he knew how to walk, etc. and when I hear a story about a 7 or 8 year old falling in a pool and drowning my first thought is why, and this tends to lead back to parents not teaching the kid to swim when they were 2 or 3 years old, certainly by age 5.
Just curious, what type of fence is it? Around here the minimum that meets code (i think) is 4 feet high with no cross members that can be used for footholds. Do the gates self close and self latch (I know you wrote they lock)? If the latch is high enough up kids shouldn't be able to reach it to unlatch. If the gates self close they should never be open. I know that's a lot of should's and never's but with all that functioning short of climbing over the fence all should be well.
My concern is that somebody has to be around to hear the alarm to do anything about it going off. So if you are by yourself, get hit with a golf ball in the head while checking the skimmer, then get bit by the snake hiding in the skimmer, then fall into the pool face down and the alarm goes off but nobody else is around did the alarm really go off?
My concern is that somebody has to be around to hear the alarm to do anything about it going off. So if you are by yourself, get hit with a golf ball in the head while checking the skimmer, then get bit by the snake hiding in the skimmer, then fall into the pool face down and the alarm goes off but nobody else is around did the alarm really go off?
Fence is at least 4ft high. Gates self close, but are old enough that the latches don't always automatically work. One was stuck closed when I bought the house and hopping the fence for someone my size (6ft adult) was troublesome.
My expectation of an alarm is that the wife or myself would hear if we were in the bedroom (looks over the pool) or outside in the yard.
My expectation of an alarm is that the wife or myself would hear if we were in the bedroom (looks over the pool) or outside in the yard.
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,763
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
If its only one kid there are wireless wrist bands that set off a remote alarm when they get wet. The splash type pool alarms false alarm at any breeze that ripples the water. I'm guessing they might be OK for an enclosed pool though.
One can never be to vigilant. I've seen some real tragedies in my 40 plus years in the Fire Service, and it only takes a moment of inattention for something horrible to happen. Unlike what people expect, there is no flailing and gasping, someone just notices a body in the pool. That's why they call it a silent killer, and the results of so called "near drowning" can be even more heart breaking.
I can't believe there are people who alarm doors to meet pool codes then remove required safety features after they pass inspection. There are no children at my house but every door to the pool has a self closer and a high latch and you have to go through two latched gates to get there from the front.
One can never be to vigilant. I've seen some real tragedies in my 40 plus years in the Fire Service, and it only takes a moment of inattention for something horrible to happen. Unlike what people expect, there is no flailing and gasping, someone just notices a body in the pool. That's why they call it a silent killer, and the results of so called "near drowning" can be even more heart breaking.
I can't believe there are people who alarm doors to meet pool codes then remove required safety features after they pass inspection. There are no children at my house but every door to the pool has a self closer and a high latch and you have to go through two latched gates to get there from the front.
Harleysilo, I'd love a picture of what you did to your doors if you don't mind. Sounds like a great idea. Thanks.
The Safety Turtle is among the best if you can be sure to put them on before the kids are outside.
Most others are prone to so many false alarms that they quickly are abandoned.
In addition to fences and locks, my grandchildren have it drilled into their heads that they are not to be in the pool area alone or they will not be allowed to swim for a long time.
Most others are prone to so many false alarms that they quickly are abandoned.
In addition to fences and locks, my grandchildren have it drilled into their heads that they are not to be in the pool area alone or they will not be allowed to swim for a long time.
i also had the same worry mostly for kids of the family but also of neighborhood kids jumping the fence to swim. I got the Poolguard InGround Alarm (link below to it and several other alarms). It did have a lot of false alarms and it was difficult to silence it. However it will meet your needs as it sounds an alarm both inside the house and outside at the pool.
I did not use it last year but plan on putting it back into service this year as my son is going to be about 4 years old and a little more daring.
here is the link i have: http://justpoolalarms.com/index.aspx?gclid=CJXHk8Xapp0CFQRM5QodtWGl8g
I did not use it last year but plan on putting it back into service this year as my son is going to be about 4 years old and a little more daring.
here is the link i have: http://justpoolalarms.com/index.aspx?gclid=CJXHk8Xapp0CFQRM5QodtWGl8g
I strongly suggest going to Amazon.com and reading the reviews of some of these units. To pass NY code, one was installed with our pool, with the pool builder's installer being very up front that post people rip the out the second the code inspector had left.
The unit we got sure is a $300 piece of junk. Pool Eye PE23. It turns out there is very clear consensus on Amazon that totally backs up my experience. Ours was on the pool for three days before passing code and being ripped out.
I think the idea is good, and from Amazon it seems some of the units are good, but there clearly are some bad models on the market. Pool Eye even has some other ones that get good reviews.
The unit we got sure is a $300 piece of junk. Pool Eye PE23. It turns out there is very clear consensus on Amazon that totally backs up my experience. Ours was on the pool for three days before passing code and being ripped out.
I think the idea is good, and from Amazon it seems some of the units are good, but there clearly are some bad models on the market. Pool Eye even has some other ones that get good reviews.
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