Do Pool Alarms Work?

Below-surface Alarms

• Alarms that detect movement below the surface of the water are also called subsurface alarms. These alarms detect fluctuations in the change of pressure in the water of the pool, which usually indicates when there is someone or something in the water. Testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission determined that these types of alarms were the most effective at not only detecting movement in the water, but also at not giving false alarms. Another advantage to these alarms is that they are not disrupted by rain or wind, and can be used when there is a solar cover on the pool. Even with these covers, there is still a risk for children drowning; in order to be truly effective, a pool alarm should work even when the pool is covered.

Surface Alarms

• Surface alarms float on the surface of the pool, and detect waves. Many of these can be adjusted as to the amount of disturbance on the water's surface that is needed to sound the alarm. As surface alarms work by floating on the surface of the water and detecting movement, they cannot be used when there is a solar cover on -- a huge disadvantage for those homeowners who cover their pool as a natural way of heating the water. Otherwise, the surface alarms tested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission fared just as well as the alarms put underwater.

Wristbands

• Wristbands are a type of pool alarm that is not on the pool itself, but on the child. The sensor is attached and locked with a key to keep the child from taking it off. These devices have been found to have some level of success when it comes to alerting parents that the child has been exposed to water, but there are also a number of false alarms with wristbands that go off when the child is washing his hands. This will also only sound if that child is exposed to water, and will not be effective in alerting homeowners if a neighborhood child falls into their pool.

Conclusions

• The conclusions drawn from this study and others conducted on the effectiveness of pool alarms indicate that while they can be a good idea, they are simply one aspect of pool safety. Having a pool alarm does not remove responsibility from the owners for keeping fencing repaired and gates locked; even with the alarms, someone should always be supervising people in and around the pool. Not all pool alarms are created equal, and better models will respond faster and more efficiently than others will. This makes it vital for homeowners to do their own research when selecting a brand of pool alarm to ensure they get one that is ranked high in response time.