10 Safety Tips For Your Arizona Pool

Mar / 08 15

10 Safety Tips For Your Arizona Pool

Posted by downunderpool In Category : Pool SafetyIn tag : American Academy of Pediatrics,Pool fence,pool safety,Sunscreen,Swimming pool,West Nile Virus

“Let’s go swimming!”

This simple statement is enough to get your kids grinning from ear-to-ear! Unfortunately, there are a few things about swimming pools that don’t make us parents smile. They cause us to worry and stress… And for good reason!

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that drowning is the leading cause of death among children under the age of five here in the United States. Scary!

As Arizona pool owners, how do we keep our kids safe, all while still letting them experience the joys of splashing around in our backyard pools?

All of us here at Down Under Pool Care want you and your family to safely enjoy your pool! Here are ten safety tips all pool owners should know and follow:

1. Install A Pool Fence With Latching Gate & Alarm

I know, I know! We hear this all the time… Make sure your pool is fenced off. It seems like every summer we tune into the Arizona evening news and hear about an accidental drowning in a pool, as an unattended young child was reaching into a pool for a toy and fell in. It’s heartbreaking!

Many of these accidental pool drownings, which are the leading cause of death among American children under age 5, can be prevented by installing fences around our backyard pool. Make sure the fence is over four feet tall, has a self-closing and self latching gate, and has an alarm. Make sure you ask all of your neighbors to do the same.

If your house serves as one of the sides of the pool fence around a pool, make sure your doors have alarms on them as well. For an extra measure, consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm so you know if someone accidentally falls inside your pool.

2. Professional Pool Chemical Services

One of the most significant mistakes pool owners make is not keeping up with the adjustment of their pool’s chemicals. Doing so is a safety hazard, as swimming pools with insufficient or improper chemicals can lead to breeding grounds for bacteria, algae, and other pathogenic contaminants. These conditions have been associated with numerous recreational water illnesses like swimmers ear, skin rashes and infection.

The good news for Arizona pool owners is that Down Under Pool Care offers professional and convenient chemical services, where your pool’s chemistry will be checked and adjusted as needed. Our highly trained pool professionals know the proper safety precautions that must be followed when adding chemicals to your pool. If your pool’s chemicals are mixed improperly, serious reactions can occur that can cause injury. Additionally, Down Under Pool Care also stores the chemicals for you, so you won’t have to worry about your little ones getting into them.

3. Proper Pool Safety Devices

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly suggests that every pool have lifesaving devices approved by the U.S. Coast Guard in close proximity of your pool. Inflatable toys, rafts, air mattresses and water wings should never be used as a substitute for appropriate lifesaving devices (i.e. lifebuoy rings, rescue hooks, rope, etc.)

Additionally, your swimming pool should have a first aid kit on hand. We all know that bumps and bruises are a part of childhood, but minor injuries can quickly escalate to more serious ones. Have cleaning pads, antibiotic ointment and bandages readily available in case of minor injury; that way your fun in the sun can quickly continue when those scrapes and bumps occur!

4. Properly Inspect Pool Equipment

Another important part of pool ownership, and a necessity for pool safety, is the proper monitoring and maintenance of your pool’s filters, pumps, and equipment. Much of this equipment is mechanical, meaning it’s electric. Injuries can occur if they are not functioning properly.

Get your pool inspected on a regular basis by a professional who can pinpoint possible hazards. Our professionals at Down Under Pool Care can inspect your pool, and make recommendations. We can repair your pool’s inlet and outlet PVC piping, replace pumps and filters as needed, replace bulbs and seals on your pool lights, and even repair your pool’s motor.

5. Pool Supervision- Don’t Step Away

According to the CDC, most accidental residential pool drownings among children happen when the victims were reported being seen five minutes prior; while in the care of at least one parent. Never leave your children unsupervised while swimming, even if you’re only stepping away for a few minutes to check on dinner.

6. Clean It Up

Despite being an essential aspect of pool maintenance, regular pool cleanings are often overlooked by many Arizona pool owners. This can be a big mistake and lead to unsafe and unhealthy swimming conditions for you and your family. Keep up with your pool cleaning and maintenance so the water doesn’t become a breeding ground for bacteria, algae, and other contaminants that could make your family members ill.

To keep safe, Down Under Pool Care recommends you clean your pool weekly; and we’re here to help with our weekly pool cleaning services. Not only will this service assist you in keeping your pool water safe (in combination with our chemical services), it will also ensure your pool is looking its best year-round!

7. Keep It Mellow- Enough With The Horseplay Already

Part of enjoying your residential swimming pool, is all the fun, splashing, and goofing off—But it can be taken too far! Horseplay, especially among young children, can lead to injury while in the water, thus increasing the risk of drowning. Activities, such as dunking, diving head first, running along the deck, and hanging on to someone or allowing them to hang on to you while in the water all pose hazardous threats. Have fun, but play safe!

8. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, SUNSCREEN

Put on sunscreen… I sound like my mother! My mom was always obsessed with lathering us in sunscreen, and as a parent now I happily do the same with my daughter. There’s good reason for this sunscreen over-protection… The Arizona sun is strong! Even if kids are outside for just a few minutes, they are prone to sunburn. Take the time to apply waterproof sunscreen, with a high SPF, before spending time in your pool. Reapply often!

9. Regularly Clean Or Replace Pool Filters

Whether you have a cartridge or DE filter, they need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. As filters become dirty and clogged with debris, your pool’s water becomes more difficult to circulate properly. Untreated, stagnant water can lead to the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects that can carry diseases like the dangerous West Nile Virus. Additionally, pool filters are used to filter out pathogenic contaminants which can cause recreational water illnesses. Make sure they are clean and functioning properly.

Down Under Pool Care offers filter cleanings and replacements, at an affordable value to pool owners, so that you and your family can swim safely!

10. No Swimming During Storms

Because it doesn’t rain much here in Arizona, with the exception of monsoon season, it’s tempting to sit in your pool and fully take in the magnificent rainstorms. They can be a thing of beauty, but can also be dangerous. During thunder and lightning storms, large numbers of lightning strikes hit lakes, ponds, and yes swimming pools. Since water is such a good conductor of electricity, a lightning strike even in the nearby vicinity of your pool can cause significant injury or even death to swimmers. Please stay out of your pools during thunder and lightning storms.

All of us here at Down Under Pool Care want you and your family to safely enjoy your pool, and we can help with many of our excellent services. Whether it’s our weekly cleaning services, filter cleanings or replacements, or chemical services, we’re here to serve you.