In the hot days of summer, a swimming pool can be a wonderful oasis from the heat. Unfortunately, it is also a dangerous hazard for small children and you should take all the necessary precautions to make sure your pool is safe. Fences and Covers These are several ways to keep your pool safe by keeping people away from the water when they don't have permission to be in the pool. A fence is the the most common approach, completely enclosing the pool area and having a locking gate. It's usually recommended that a pool fence be at least 4 feet high and designed to prevent climbing. Some insurance policies will require up to 6 feet, to be on the safe side. Please contact us to discuss your homeowners insurance's requirements. It's important to remember that it is your responsibility to keep your pool area safe, from anyone who could be at risk, not just the known members of your household. That means you it is likely unwise to put up a fence based on what your own 3-year old child can (or can't) get past. Another variety of this approach is the safety cover. Don't get this confused with a seasonal cover that is designed to protect the pool when not in use. A safety cover is made from tougher material and provides a tighter cover over the water. A safety cover can be an excellent choice to prevent small children from falling into the pool, if there is a chance they may get past the fence or gate. Alarms The problem with a fence that if someone does get over the perimeter or through the gate, there is no further protective measures in place. An alarm doesn't stop anyone, but it will alert you if someone is near or even in the pool unsupervised. A basic motion sensor alarm can alert you when someone has entered the area of the fence or if the gate has been opened when no one is around. A more sophisticated option is an immersion alarm that will sound if someone actually gets into the water. They are tripped if the surface of the pool rises, and can be sensitive enough to detect as little as 20lbs entering the water. The catch with alarms is that you need to remember to set them when you are no longer using the pool area, and that they don't serve much purpose if no one is home to hear them go off. Sanitation Not all safety issues are about accidental injury or drowning. Making sure the water is clean is important for your health too. Keep up with the cleaning chores with skimmers and vacuums to get rid of bugs, leaves and other debris. For less visible contamination, test the chemistry of your water frequently, especially when there are a lot of people using the pool. Know the proper chlorine levels and stick to them.