Pool Safety Act- Smartlocks?

[CowChow]

I live in California; we are required to have two security measures in place. We will have a rolling pool deck cover that will count as one…
We are redoing our “public facing” fences and installing our swing gates. For the second security measure, my contractor is suggesting latches mounted at 5’, but I really don’t want these. I will be installing smart locks that require a code to enter, and the latch will auto-lock immediately. Has anybody had success with these counting for inspection? If the point is that a child can’t randomly enter your yard from the street, this seems like it should count. Height shouldn’t matter because they require a code to be unlocked.

 

[PoolStored]

Is the pool isolated from the home by the fence. Said another way, can you get to the pool, from the home, WITHOUT going through a fence?

 

[newdude]

If the locks are there at inspection time, it would count IMO. If you're installing them after, then the inspector will still want to see a lock.

 

[randytsuch]

FYI, here's the law
Doesn't look like smart locks will help.
You could add alarms per the law.
I'd fail, but I've had a pool forever.

 

[mknauss]

I'd fail, but I've had a pool forever.

Don’t sell your home, you will have to meet the law to pass inspection.

 

[randytsuch]

Don’t sell your home, you will have to meet the law to pass inspection.

Wife's already decided my girls will inherit the house

 

[CowChow]

Is the pool isolated from the home by the fence. Said another way, can you get to the pool, from the home, WITHOUT going through a fence?

No, there will not be a “pool fence” but we will have an automatic cover.

 

[CowChow]

FYI, here's the law
Doesn't look like smart locks will help.
You could add alarms per the law.
I'd fail, but I've had a pool forever.

I guess that’s my real question. Do inspectors take the laws literal or use common sense to the implied intention? The objection is a latch mechanism that keeps stray children from entering a yard… a lock that requires a code and is set to auto-lock meets that criteria.

 

[newdude]

Do inspectors take the laws literal or use common sense to the implied intention?

Depends on the person standing there, and you know what they say about opinions.

 

[Leebo]

Depends on the person standing there, and you know what they say about opinions.

Mine is always right?

Couldn’t you add alarms to the windows and doors that utilize about the same smart-home technology? Grab a few sensors and a hub which can easily be armed and unarmed using a phone or other device.

 

[newdude]

Mine is always right?

Everybody, um, 'has one'.......and they all stink.

Couldn’t you add alarms to the windows and doors that utilize about the same smart-home technology? Grab a few sensors and a hub which can easily be armed and unarmed using a phone or other device.

The birthday challenged inspector who came would have been all for it. The abundant birthday having inspector that also came probably would have been wary of the new tech with questions like 'what happens when the WiFi is down ?' It all comes down to the inspector.

 

[PoolBrews]

The 5' height for locks is so that small children can't physically reach the latches or doorknobs to open the door or gate. This a specific code that is enforced in every state that I know of. Using a smart lock won't work, as a small child will still be able to reach the lock and (so the argument goes) could potentially accidently guess the right combination to open the door.