Another year of swimming pool fun has come to an end and now it’s time to “Winterize” and close your pool for the chilly off-season winter months.  Learn the proper steps to close your swimming pool to ensure you can easily re-open for next year.

Remove Pool Supplies, Accessories, and Clean The Patio

Start by removing your swimming pool supplies and accessories such as skimmers, cleaners, ladders and other tools from the pool and patio area. Hose off any type of dust and algae, let the products completely dry, and store them somewhere safe like a shed or garage where they can be easily found for next season.

Clean Your Pool One Last Time

Before you winterize your swimming pool, make sure you get rid of all the fallen leaves, silt, as well as other particles and debris that floats around the pool or falls from nearby trees. This will make it easier to balance the water chemistry during the months where the cover is installed on top and also prevent mold and algae from growing or accumulating around the sides.

Using a skimmer you can clean the swimming pool’s surface, and with a pool vacuum cleaner you can get rid of all leaves, dirt, and debris from the floor of the pool. Thoroughly brush the pool’s flooring and also sides to get the water and lining as clean as possible.

Take Some Water Out Of The Pool And Drain The Pumps

Before closing the swimming pool, you’ll need to lower the amount of water in your swimming pool. If you have a mesh pool cover, the water level needs to be at least one foot lower than the skimmer.

Then you will need to drain every filter, pump, and heating unit that’s connected to your swimming pool. Filters need to be cleaned thoroughly and stored in a secure area for use in the next season.

Add Chemicals and Shock To Keep Your Pool Water Clean

One of the last final steps before closing the pool is to add chemicals and shock into the water.  This will kill bacteria, algaecide, algae, and other particles growing inside the swimming pool.  It’s important to do this before putting the cover on top of the pool, to ensure the chemicals spread throughout all of the pool’s surface.

Cover Your Swimming Pool With A Quality Cover and The Help From A Local Pool Company

So now it’s time to place the cover on the pool! Learn about our pool cover installation services and how we help homeowners successfully clean and close their swimming pools for the winter months. This includes services such as:

• Pool “Winterize” Cleaning
• Pool Cover Installation and Maintenance
• Pool Cover Removal and Pool Re-Open Services

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1. Install a pool fence! If you haven’t installed a pool fence yet, now is the time. Your pool should be enclosed by a fence that has a self-closing and self-latching gate with a lock. The fence should be a minimum of 4’ high and have a child safety locking mechanism that is at 54” from the ground.
2. Check your fence. For those who already have a pool fence, this is a good time to evaluate your fence and ensure it isn’t in need of any repairs. Even a small amount of damage can create a space large enough for a child to fit through. This means verifying the gate latches and locks properly, ensuring there are no missing pieces or gaps in the fence and checking for holes in mesh fences.
3. Cover your pool properly. If you’ve already covered your pool with a winter cover, ensure that it is securely anchored to the ground, so there is no risk of a child slipping under the pool cover or getting caught in it, should they try to walk on it. The cover you choose should be able to withstand a substantial amount of weight. You should also maintain the cover by cleaning it regularly and removing debris to prevent it from getting weighed down.
4. Install a pool alarm that will notify you if there is any disturbance in the water. A pool alarm is an excellent backup safety measure, in the event a child manages to bypass a pool fence and pool cover. If you already have a pool alarm, be sure to test the batteries and make sure it is still working properly.

In addition to these steps, it’s important to educate children about the importance of staying away from pools during off season. That includes friends who visit, not just your own children. Whether the pool is in your own backyard or you are renting a house with a pool, it is critical to ensure pool safety happens year round and not just during the summer months.

Life Saver is happy to answer your questions regarding whether your pool is safe and secure for the off-season, winter this year and beyond. Ensure you and your family are safe! We are here for the lifetime of your pool fence, helping you keep it in tip top shape safety wise!

If you need to install new pool fencing, contact us today at (516) 766-5336. While we are in our fall season in New York, there is still plenty of time to have an installation performed.

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For landlords, you may be liable for any injuries sustained because of the pool whether it is a tenant, house guest or even a trespasser. It is important that you have the pool fenced with a self-closing gate that locks. In addition to extra insurance to protect yourself in the event of an incident, you may also want to add an addendum to your lease with rules of the pool, including requiring your tenant to notify you immediately if the pool fence is not functioning properly or breaks.

Tenants who are renting a house with a pool should ensure the fence surrounding the pool is working properly. In addition they should also ensure all family members, especially children know how to swim and are educated with water safety. Tenants should also ask their landlord to install a pool fence, a self-closing gate with locks, pool alarm and utilize a pool cover. Finally, the most important thing any family living in a rental home with a pool should do is supervise the use of the pool at all times and never allow children to use it unattended.

New York State law states that a fence that is a minimum of 4’ high must obstruct access to the pool with a self-closing, self-locking gate that has a child safety locking mechanism that is 54” from the ground. The fence must not sit more than 2 inches above the ground. For above-ground pools, the barrier may be at ground level or mounted on top of the pool structure, however, if it is mounted on the pool the space between the top of the pool and bottom of the fence cannot exceed 4 inches.

Life Saver is happy to answer your questions on maintaining and repairing damaged swimming pool fence to maximize pool safety. Or if you need to install new pool fencing, contact us today at (516) 766-5336. While we are in our Fall season in New York, there is still plenty of time to have an installation performed.

The post Important Considerations When Renting A House With A Swimming Pool appeared first on Poolfence NY.

Swimming Pool Safety News (dot) com, recently published a news report about a 3-year-old boy who nearly drowned in an apartment complex in Georgia. The little boy was able to access the pool through the main pool gate. Luckily, someone noticed the child and took him out of the pool. Another witness administered CPR while waiting for an emergency service. Thankfully, the child survived, however, he is in critical condition and still under recovery.

This incident is just one among the many devastating news stories about small children who drown. A near-drowning accident can happen especially during a moment of distraction. Applying prevention measures can go a long way in safeguarding any home from drowning incidents.

Here are 5 pool safety guidelines to help prevent drowning incidents.

1. Secure swimming pools with the most suitable barriers. Life Saver recommends surrounding your pool with quality fences or barriers at least 4 ft high, with self-closing & self-latching gates. It is also advisable to install a pool alarm can immediately alert you if someone is near or in the pool.
2. When the pool or hot tub is not in use, install a pool cover that can hold substantial weight. It is also important to remove any ladder or steps that can be used to access the pool.
3. Do not allow any child to swim alone. Keep small children under active supervision at all times. Designate a responsible person to watch over kids when they are in the pool.
4. For kids who are inexperienced swimmers, have them wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
5. Ensure there is at least one person who knows how to respond to emergencies especially someone who knows how to perform CPR. It is recommended for homeowners who have swimming pools on Long Island, NY to take water safety and first aid courses.

If you have a pool at home, it is imperative to take proper safety precautions to keep young kids safe while in and around it. Life Saver Pool Fence of New York can help identify the most appropriate pool safety system for your home. We offer expert advice and tips regarding all aspects of pool safety fence and pool gate installations. Contact us for a free estimate and consultation. Call us at (516) 766-5336.

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An off-duty lifeguard was performing CPR trying to help the boy survive when the police arrived. The boy was taken to the hospital but sadly, at 10:30 PM he was pronounced dead. The family was in shocked knowing that the boy knows how to swim and even with many people around, no one has noticed he was drowning. (Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/31803713/police-investigating-after-8-year-old-boy-drowns-in-mission-valley-swimming-pool/)

Drowning is one of the major reasons for children’s accidental death. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. Child drowning is a silent death. There are no splashing or sounds to alert someone that a child is struggling. Additionally, there have been reports about kids being involved in pool accidents that resulted in grave injuries. Homeowners should prioritize and improve swimming pool safety.

Here are 3 safety tips that will help prevent child drowning and improve pool safety:

1. There is no substitute for active adult supervision. It is very important to actively supervise your children whenever they are in and around your swimming pool. This means that your kids, especially if you have infants or toddlers, should be within arm’s reach. If there are several children swimming, designate someone to supervise for a certain amount of time to prevent gaps in supervision. Having someone who knows CPR is also important and will give you peace of mind. It’s a skill that will save anyone’s life.
2. It is also important to first educate your kids about swimming safety, especially if it’s their first time to swim in the pool. You can enroll your children in swimming classes if you think they are ready. It is important to teach your children with the basics like how to float, tread water, and stay by the edge. You also have to make sure they only swim in designated areas. They need to be aware of how deep the water is and for uneven surfaces. If it’s their first time, teach them to never go in the pool unless you are present.
3. Take extra steps by installing pool fences and alarms. Installing high-quality fences should be a priority for homeowners who have little ones at home. Having fences surrounding the pool can block access to smaller kids and can essentially prevent any accidents. You should also install pool alarms to alert you if someone is around the pool or if something has fallen into the water. They can be considered as your last line of defense.

Life Saver Pool Fence of New York understands the need and importance of installing pool safety fences and alarms. We can help you improve pool safety. Contact us for free estimates and consultations. Call us at (516) 766-5336.

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A big float drifted in front of them and they couldn’t be seen. So now they were both under the water, silent, and no screams for help and there were adults, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all around them, some within arm’s reach. They were drowning and no one knew. I scanned the pool and couldn’t find my daughter Alexa. So frantically, I searched around the pool, looking for her in the sea of waves, laughs, and games. I got to the other side of the big float and then I saw Alexa and Douglas, under the water, drowning right in front of me and their entire family.

She had her floaters on, but she and the floaters were completely submerged under the water. I jumped in without thought and grabbed Alexa and Douglas. They were fine, it turned out I was just in the nick of time, and it was within seconds of this happening I pulled them out of the water and put their little feet on solid ground.

The most astonishing thing to me was because they were safe and I got them, it was OK. Everyone immediately went back to having fun. For me it was life changing, right then I knew that my eagle eye, my fatherly instinct of protecting my daughter was not enough. I turned my attention for a few moments, and the worst nightmare any parent could go through could’ve happened to me and my family. SUPERVISION CAN AND DOES FAIL! Drowning is a silent death with no cry for help. Thank God it didn’t happen to me.

Now I have my rules and it’s all about safety.

When planning a pool party for our children, we tend to put more focus on the fun and games of the party. Any successful event is an event without accident or injury. Pool safety should be our first priority when owning a pool or when planning a swimming pool themed event for our children. Our guests will feel more at ease and more comfortable when we have instituted layers of protection. We need to come as close as possible to a fail-safe system of preventing drowning and near drowning incidents.

THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WHEN IT COMES TO POOL SAFETY. WE ARE DEALING WITH A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION.

Have a set of Pool Rules.

We all have tendencies to give a little leeway on rules with our children. But with a pool, our rules must be definite and our children must abide by them.

Supervision is our first and most important layer in our rules. When having a party share the responsibility with other parents and adults attending. Get a whistle and a timer, set the timer for 20-30 minute intervals and put the whistle in the hand of the adult in charge of supervising for that time period. What the whistle does more than anything else, is it becomes a reminder for the entire time period that you are the Life Guard, it’s your job, you cannot be focused on anything else whatsoever at all. It also gives everyone a chance to have fun knowing that there is someone doing nothing else other than supervising the activities in and around the pool. Your guests must understand that for that time period, the person supervising cannot be distracted.

When having a pool party, sometimes the pool can get a bit crowded. You may have older kids jumping in the pool and creating waves. If there are younger ones in floats or swimmies these waves could cause them to take on the water. Just like a blow-up bouncer for a party, we never let older kids and toddlers in the bouncy at the same time. Why? Because we don’t want our little kids to get hurt. It is the same idea when it comes to a pool but 1 million times worse. We need to keep horseplay to a minimum and to separate the pool time for older kids and toddlers.

Don’t allow for any circumstance an adult to take a child into the pool without a life vest. This gives the toddler a false sense of security. It says that it’s ok to go in without a life vest. Maybe their older brother or sister isn’t wearing one because they are a strong swimmer, they’re fine and they’re having fun. The toddler figures their having fun it must OK. We tend to get more involved in the fun rather than focus on the apparent danger.

If you owned a boat and got stopped by the Coast Guard, and they did a check of your boat. They would first make sure that you have enough life vests to accommodate all your guests on that boat. When you have a pool party, wouldn’t be wise to have life vests for at least your young guests on hand? Swimming pools are a leading cause of child drownings and yet we never think about what we could do to make our pools safer. You would never leave a loaded gun on a coffee table in your house, especially with children around. Then why would we have an unprotected swimming pool around our kids? The outcome of both is the same and there really is no difference. It’s just a matter of time until that gun goes off.

Safety is all about planning and getting as close as possible to that fail safe system. Have as many layers of protection as possible when you own a pool. Have a definitive set of pool rules, where there is no leeway only your way. Be a dictator when it comes to those rules. Lives depend on it.

For more information visit: http://www.poolfenceny.com/swimming-pool-safety/.

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Children see their backyard swimming pool as a place where family fun happens. To them it’s a place where the family gathers in the summer and it’s a safe fun place where nothing bad can happen. They have no fear because all they see is fun. As parents this is very concerning and we need to have a plan to make sure our kids are safe.

In this coming New Year we will more than likely be spending more and more time in our own backyards, especially with what’s happening outside of our homes. But in our homes we have the say, we are the ruler of that kingdom. It is our job to make sure that the environment that we created is Safe Secure and Comfortable for all of our children.

Pool Safety comes in layers meaning. If one layer fails there must be other back up layers in place. It should be our New Years resolution to have a failsafe system in place with multiple back up layers of protection. Having a swimming pool in our backyards comes with great responsibility. Their lives truly depend upon our decisions, so they should be planned and well thought through.

Direct parental supervision is always the 1st layer of protection and we need to have rules in place so we don’t ever turn our focus from watching our children. Research has shown that 69% of all Drowning incidents happen when 1 or both parents were responsible supervising their child. So this tells us that we need other layers in place.

The second layer of protection is high locks on all home doors and gates leading into the backyard. If you have older children in your home who can reach these locks you may want hide the key so if they want to go out than they need to ask you.

A third Layer of Safety is Alarms on doors and gates leading into the backyard. Most homes have an alarm system in them and all have the chime mode feature, which will alert you if a door or window has been open. There are also several companies that make door alarms that also alert you when a door is open. Some may see these alarms as very annoying and opt out from using them, however when they sound they are doing what there supposed to, alerting you of a breach in your security. Get used to it – It Can Save A Life!

Another Layer is a Pool fence that blocks all access points to the swimming pool. It should have a gate that is self – closing and self – latching. The gate latch should be key lockable and mounted higher than the fence. The pool fence should be 4’ tall but always check your local codes for height regulations first. Your Pool safety fence should not have any staging platforms such as a table or a chair near it. It should also be see through, having a fence that blocks you from seeing the pool is not a good idea. You always want to be able to see the pool. Some people think that a pool fence will take away from the looks of your pool. Or say that they don’t want the holes in their deck and see it only as a eye soar. An unprotected pool is a huge threat to a child! Leaving a loaded gun on a coffee table in the living room is something none of us would ever do. But why are there so many unprotected Swimming pools then. The truth is there is no difference of that loaded gun and that unprotected pool they both have the same outcome. A pool fence is one of the most important layers in our failsafe plan.

A pool alarm that is in the swimming pool will sound if there is a disturbance to the water. They sound at the pool and in your home, there purposely set up to make you go to the pool to deactivate it from alarm mode so you must inspect the pool. Some believe this is annoying, again the pool alarm is doing it’s job when it sounds, even if it a false alarm from high winds it’s still doing its job. A pool alarm is a huge back up to a pool fence and should always be considered.

Swimming survival lessons is also very important for children and they should go from the time they can crawl. There are many programs available and should always be considered.

A Failsafe plan is a plan with multiple back up layers. Therefore for a drowning to occur – no ones watching the child – the door was left open – the door alarm was removed – The pool fence was taken down – the pool alarm was removed – the child never had swimming lessons. When you think pool safety you need to think hard core and you need multiple back ups. A safer happier family at pool time only happens when we have back up layers of safety.

If you live in the New York Area, remember that it is never too early to start planning for Spring Pool Safety! Share this with a friend if you have found it to be helpful.

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