Disabling pool alarms

Legally, as most of you know, one is required to put an alarm on every door that opens to a pool area. It gets really annoying to hear that sound when someone forgets to push the button that briefly disables the alarm or leaves the door open too long. Also when the weather is mild, it's just nice to leave the door open.

My husband used to open the alarm box and disconnect the wires to disable the alarm while we're here. Now he's come up with an easier way - he just tapes a magnet over the contact in the door frame.

Obviously don't do this if you have kids in the house. Our youngest visitors are in college.

Yay! No more annoying alarms! :clap_1:

Those alarms are also useful in case any kid in the area happens to stumble into your pool area. The protection if for all kids, not just your own. It is one of the responsiblilities of pool ownership. How would feel if a kid drowns in your pool because your husband disengaged the alarm? Beyond how you feel about the kid dying, how would you feel when that kid's family owns your beach house after they win the lawsuit?

Those alarms are also useful in case any kid in the area happens to stumble into your pool area. The protection if for all kids, not just your own. It is one of the responsiblilities of pool ownership. How would feel if a kid drowns in your pool because your husband disengaged the alarm? Beyond how you feel about the kid dying, how would you feel when that kid's family owns your beach house after they win the lawsuit?

BR did you have a fence put in around your pool? Or did you choose the alarm instead when it was put in? In FL we can have either. I will choose the fence when we get one put in here in Tampa.

Our extended family stayed at a great rental house in Seacrest a couple of years ago. The pool had a nice fence around it (wood, not mesh) with a self-closing gate. Super safe. A non-fenced pool gives me the willies.

If you have a fence around the pool you don't need the alarm.

Yeah SJ but the alarms they are disarming are from the house to the pool not on the outside fence. If you know there are no children in the house and you lock your front door disarming should be fine...as long as you are very careful no wandering unattended children should make it through your house and into the pool area and if they do they can probably swim too. My only concern would be forgetting to turn it back on before you leave.

I think I saw McGuyver do something like that with a gum wrapper

Yeah SJ but the alarms they are disarming are from the house to the pool not on the outside fence. If you know there are no children in the house and you lock your front door disarming should be fine...as long as you are very careful no wandering unattended children should make it through your house and into the pool area and if they do they can probably swim too. My only concern would be forgetting to turn it back on before you leave.

I think I saw McGuyver do something like that with a gum wrapper

O, IC.

Those alarms are also useful in case any kid in the area happens to stumble into your pool area. The protection if for all kids, not just your own. It is one of the responsiblilities of pool ownership. How would feel if a kid drowns in your pool because your husband disengaged the alarm? Beyond how you feel about the kid dying, how would you feel when that kid's family owns your beach house after they win the lawsuit?

Alarms aren't required on gates - just from interior doors. So if someone else's kid went through a door where the alarms are, they'd first have had to break into my house.

BR did you have a fence put in around your pool? Or did you choose the alarm instead when it was put in? In FL we can have either. I will choose the fence when we get one put in here in Tampa.

Our extended family stayed at a great rental house in Seacrest a couple of years ago. The pool had a nice fence around it (wood, not mesh) with a self-closing gate. Super safe. A non-fenced pool gives me the willies.

If you have a fence around the pool you don't need the alarm.

Of course I have a fence around the pool with the required type of gates. But even with a fence, alarms are required for doorways and windows opening onto the pool deck from the house. I would never do anything to jeopardize anyone's life or risk getting sued and lose everything I've worked my butt off for.

Of course I have a fence around the pool with the required type of gates. But even with a fence, alarms are required for doorways and windows opening onto the pool deck from the house. I would never do anything to jeopardize anyone's life or risk getting sued and lose everything I've worked my butt off for.

I was asking because we have looked into putting in a pool, and our understanding of state law was that it was an either/or situation -- you can have a fence around a pool or an alarm system. But as far as I know, if you have a fence around the pool itself, and the pool is contained entirely by the fence, state law does not require an alarm system too. We have a number of friends with newer pools and they have the fence but not the alarm. That is the way we were planning to do it also.

I was asking because we have looked into putting in a pool, and our understanding of state law was that it was an either/or situation -- you can have a fence around a pool or an alarm system. But as far as I know, if you have a fence around the pool itself, and the pool is contained entirely by the fence, state law does not require an alarm system too. We have a number of friends with newer pools and they have the fence but not the alarm. That is the way we were planning to do it also.

The pool alarm from house to pool may be a rental house requirement- we have seen notices in rental houses saying the house alarm was "state law".

The pool alarm from house to pool may be a rental house requirement- we have seen notices in rental houses saying the house alarm was "state law".

I don't know the laws regarding house to pool alarms in FL, but I do recall a few instances in the recent years where kids drowned in their own pools. My guess is that it is a state law for all pools. BR, please enlighten us.

I think I saw McGuyver do something like that with a gum wrapper

And duct tape!

I don't know the laws regarding house to pool alarms in FL, but I do recall a few instances in the recent years where kids drowned in their own pools. My guess is that it is a state law for all pools. BR, please enlighten us.

Maybe there is a rental requirement. I looked up the general law to be sure. From a state website:

515.27 Residential swimming pool safety feature options; penalties.--

(1) In order to pass final inspection and receive a certificate of completion, a residential swimming pool must meet at least one of the following requirements relating to pool safety features:

(a) The pool must be isolated from access to a home by an enclosure that meets the pool barrier requirements of s. 515.29;

(b) The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool cover;

(c) All doors and windows providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with an exit alarm that has a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet; or

(d) All doors providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor.


I like (a) the best when it comes to keeping out unwanted kidlets. I have a 2-year-old and always feel safer around these pools. But just as the alarms can be disabled, so can the fences. Lots of people with older or no kids at home have mesh fences put up to pass inspection and then just take them down. As long as the yard is securely fenced and you don't have lots of pool visitors, I guess that's okay for a private residence. A permanent fence is the only solution IMO for a rental house.

SJ, I am no expert on the law. All I know is that, even before we decided to put our house on the rental market, we were having issues with our alarm system. Cox Pools (who built our pool) kept pushing us to get the contractor to fix it so that a county official could come out and inspect the pool for safety. I wasn't involved in all of that (my husband took care of it), but I got the impression from the way that Cox was so adamant about our alarm that they would be partly liable if our pool safety equipment didn't meet code. Then I remember some pool inspector came out, a form was signed, and Cox stopped sending us urgent notices every week or so.

I'd ask my husband the details, but he and my daughter aren't fond of me being on this message board.

I'd ask my husband the details, but he and my daughter aren't fond of me being on this message board.

why not? they're anti sowal?

why not? they're anti sowal?

They think it's stupid for me to waste time online talking to strangers.

Tell them we think it's silly for grown men to chase each other up trees when they give a girl a necklace! A message board makes much more sense!! ;-)

Tell them we think it's silly for grown men to chase each other up trees when they give a girl a necklace! A message board makes much more sense!! ;-)

Really.

They think it's stupid for me to waste time online talking to strangers.

that sounds familiar - do they know mr.audie ? he says the same thing. but who listens to him ?

that sounds familiar - do they know mr.audie ? he says the same thing. but who listens to him ?

Thank you...I am so glad to be back home on my own computer and back with y'all!!! If one more family member complains about sowal.com, I am not going to be responsible for my actions. I got blamed everytime the internet time ran low...give me a freakin' break and get over yourselves people!!!! audie...I like your style!!!