It is mandatory for a swimming pool owner to equip it with a safety device. The latter can take several forms.
Protecting your swimming pool
The law requires that all private and in-ground swimming pools must have a safety system. Above-ground pools are not affected by this obligation since it suffices to remove the ladder to secure them. Thus, the protection device can take the form of a barrier, an alarm, a cover or even a shelter. The choice depends on the situation of the basin as well as your budget. In all cases, the device must be able to meet the standards and have been tested in an approved laboratory. It is then possible, and even advisable, to install a pool alarm.
The different types of pool alarms
There are two main types of alarms:wireless and wired. The latter are more restrictive to set up since they require work to place the cables in the ground. It is therefore advisable to install a wired alarm when building the pool. Nowadays, wireless alarms are more and more present on the market. They are much easier to set up and take down and perform just as well.
Alarms can also have different functions.
- The submerged alarm is composed of a box that must be placed in the pool water and a control unit that must be placed in the house. Thanks to its probe placed in the water, the alarm picks up the acoustic waves generated by a fall and is triggered.
- The infrared or peripheral alarm is made up of several terminals that must be placed all around the pool and a central unit that must be installed in the house. The terminals are equipped with infrared detectors which allow them to delimit an invisible perimeter. If someone crosses it, the control unit is notified and sends a signal.
- The bracelet alarm is, as its name suggests, a bracelet that is worn around a child's wrist. When it falls into the water, the object alerts the control unit placed in the house, which is triggered. However, this type of alarm is not NF P90-307 approved, so it is not up to standard.
How to install a swimming pool alarm?
The placement of the alarm may vary from type to type.
- The installation of the casing :whatever the type of alarm, the control unit must be installed in the house and connected to the external device. To do this, start by connecting the control unit to the electrical panel following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The box must then be fixed to the wall, respecting precise distances.
- The installation of the detector :it must be placed on a pool coping or below. The probe for a submerged alarm should also be placed here.
- The laying of bollards :they must be placed around the pool. Usually they are four but it is possible to put more. They must be linked together using a buried cable and then be placed 3 m from the edge of the pool. There should be no more than 18m between them.
