How Pool Alarms Prevent Accidental Drownings

If ever there was a great idea this is it! How many times when we were kids did we hear about some kid falling into a neighborhood pool and drowning? It seemed like a fairly common occurrence here in Arizona, where there are so many pools. Had they had effective pool alarms back then, in the 60′s, these tragedies could have been mostly avoided. The technology was certainly available at that time, but no one had yet put it to this particular use.

Today, there’s no excuse for anyone owning a swimming pool not to have it properly protected to prevent someone falling in and drowning. There are many, many options for accomplishing the installation of a suitable alarm system for your swimming area. Some are as simple as pulling a small unit out of the shipping box, turning on the switch and placing it in the pool to be protected.

Most legal jurisdictions require that any pool being constructed must be built to certain codes. These regulations will almost certainly require erection of a protective barrier around the pool area, such as a fence. There’s a good chance that said fence will contain some type of entryway, such as a door or gate. Alarms are available for the purpose of alerting the home occupant when someone has opened the entryway, thus warning them that someone has entered the pool area.

Of course, every parent should know that having an infant, especially a toddler, around a swimming pool requires extra vigilance. Children aren’t conscious of the risks involved but, as non-swimmers around a body of water, they are in constant danger. Diverting your attention even briefly could spell disaster. Fortunately, there are means for reducing this risk to almost zero.

One of the most popular alert systems for pools is also one of the easiest to operate. It consists of a unit that floats in the water and sends an alert whenever a wave upsets its peaceful tranquility. The sensitivity can be adjusted to preclude false alarms, such as those from a water feature in the pool.

Another frequently used design of alarm utilizes ultrasonic technology, similar to that employed by dolphins and submarines. A unit is placed in the body of water to be protected and the child at risk is fitted with a wrist or ankle bracelet. The alert is sounded any time the bracelet makes contact with the water. One advantage of this system is that it is totally transportable, meaning you can take it on vacation or to the neighbor’s pool to protect your children there too. Collars are also available to protect your pet in the same manner.

This ultrasonic system has the advantage of being effective even while others are using the pool. The wave sensitive type will have to be removed while people are using the facilities, since they will certainly be making waves. Windy conditions can also be the source of some false alarms with this type of set up.

There is a slight brouhaha afoot concerning some Asian manufacture of alarm systems that very closely resemble more expensive, American made products. Many of the Internet sites selling pool alarms proudly proclaim their units to be Made in the U. S. A. And that in itself might be a good selling point. There is definitely a difference in the quality of construction. You decide what’s best for your particular purposes but, if you own a pool, please make sure you also own an alarm.