Then look closely at the deck for signs of cracking, sharp edges,and other areas in need of attention.

Interior.

Now, look at the interior of the pool. If the walls and floors are made of concrete, check for cracks, staining, and sharp edges. If you have a vinyl liner, look for tears, folds or bunches that need attention. Look at your skimmers, skimmer baskets, weirs, drains, etc. to make sure they appear in working order. Of course, check the main drain to make sure it is not clogged. Also, check the main drain cover to make sure it is tightly secured. (Children like to play with drain covers and can easily be trapped under water if covers are loose).

Electricity and Drains.

After looking at the pool, think about electrical hazards. Your pumps and filters should have an emergency shut-off switch which should be easy to reach and adequately labeled . If a swimmer should become trapped by the suction of the main drain, you must be able to turn off the electricity quickly. In fact, suction drain entrapment is so serious that a federal law was passed in 2007 (the Virginia Grame Baker Act) to address entrapment hazards in public swimming pools. You should make it a point to read those requirements. Although the law is not applicable to private backyard pools in general, you should seriously consider its requirements regarding suction drains and entrapment concerns for your pool.

Pool area.

Look around your pool area. Are there any safety signs? You should have them even though the pool is in your back yard. You may want signs that warn of safety hazards such as NO DIVING, NO RUNNING, NO EATING OR DRINKING IN THE POOL, NO LIFEGUARD, POOL CLOSED, NO GLASSWARE or anything else you think is appropriate. Remember, others outside of your pool area may still be able to see the pool. (SWIMMING POOLS ATTRACT CHILDREN!).

You may also want to have other safety equipment on hand, for instance a first aid kit, a reach pole (in case someone needs help getting out of the water), a sign containing emergency telephone numbers (and the location of the nearest telephone), a ring buoy or other floating device that can be tossed to someone in trouble, a back or spine board in case someone injures their back or neck when jumping or diving into your pool, and the list goes on.

Pumps and Filters.

After you've taken a good look at the immediate pool area, its time to look at your pump and filter system. If you have sand filters inspect them to make sure there is adequate filter media (sand) and that it has not hardened. Replace the sand or backwash the filter, if necessary. If you have a cartridge filtering system, remove and clean the cartridges. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning the cartridges (usually it includes a soaking solution, scrubbing with a brush and spraying with a water hose, all of which are available at your local pool supply store).

Water quality.

Inspect your water sanitization system, making sure you have adequate sanitizer. While you are at it, make sure that you have a good pool water test kit with fresh reagents and a good supply of other chemicals to balance chlorine/bromine, pH, alkalinity, hardness, or whatever other water quality parameters are appropriate for your water source. The clarity of your pool water is the quickest and easiest way to gauge whether everything is working correctly. (Look at the bottom of your pool when it is filled with water. Can you clearly see the main drain?)

To help make use of this information, I am including a brief Pre-use checklist that will help guide you through the inspection of your pool each year. Please feel free to print it out for your own use.

Have I forgotten something? OH YEAH, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FAMILY KNOWS HOW TO SWIM!

 

Want to know where you can take them to get swim lessons? Click here.