Tag Archives: Drain Covers

Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety, Video

Simple Steps Save Lives – Pool Safety

Comment

Pool Safety is simple, and can save lives!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign aims to educate parents and pool owners/operators about the many ways to provide a safe swimming experience for our children.  One important way to ensure that the pool or spa you use is safe is to check that all its drains have safe drain covers.

Non-compliant drain covers can create a dangerous suction that can entrap hair, jewelry, clothing, and body parts.  Many injuries and deaths have occurred as a result of this powerful suction.  That’s why the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was passed.  Now, public pools and spas are required by law to replace old, hazardous drain covers with compliant, safe drain covers.  Owners of residential pools and spas should do the same.

The following short video created by the CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign offers more helpful safety tips related to safety drain covers.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Pool and Spa Safety

Ensure Safe Swimming on Your Winter Vacation

Comment

Are you planning to take a vacation to an indoor water park over this winter break, or will you be staying at a hotel equipped with a pool?  Did you know that many public swimming facilities are still not in compliance with the 2008 Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act that requires public pools and spas to replace old, outdated, and dangerous drain covers with newer, safer drain covers?

Non-compliant drain covers can cause entrapment of hair, clothing, and body parts, so ensuring that the pool or swimming facility you visit this year has complied with the law is essential before you or your kids jump in.  So, how can you tell if the drain covers in the pool or spa you will be enjoying this season are safe?

Learn more about safety drain covers for pools and spas in this helpful and informative video created by the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Pool and Spa Maintenance, Pool and Spa Safety

Major Recall on Pool Drain Covers

Comment

Anti-Vortex Pool Drain Cover
Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on pool drain safety covers that is expected to affect many pool owners and operators across the country. Up to one million pools and spas could be affected. “The recalled drain covers were incorrectly rated to handle the flow of water … which could pose a possible entrapment hazard,” stated the press release from the CPSC. In cases where retrofit or replacement drain covers are necessary, the manufacturer will be responsible for paying for parts and labor. Pools needing a replacement should be shut down until arrangements can be made to correct the faulty drain covers. Please see the list below to find out if your anti-entrapment drain covers are affected by this recall. If you do own one of these drain covers, please refer to the manufacturer’s website below or call the Drain Cover Recall Hotline at (866) 478-3521 (24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week).

Company: A&A
Website: www.aamfg.com
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Company: Aqua Star
Website: www.aquastarpoolproducts.com/draincoverrecall
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Company: Color Match
Website: www.poolfittings.com/drain_cover_recall.htm
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Company: Custom Molded Products
Website: www.c-m-p.com/draincoverrecall.htm
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Company: Hayward
Website: www.ahayward-pool.com/draincoverrecall
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Company: Pentair
Website: www.pentairpool.com/draincoverrecall
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – June 2009

Company: Rising Dragon
Website: www.risingdragononline.com/draincoverrecall
Dates Sold: Dec. 2008 – April 2011

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety

Make Entrapment Hazards A Thing Of The Past!

Comment

Anit-Entrapment Drain CoversAnti-Entrapment System

Pool safety should be of the utmost concern for any pool owner. In addition to pool alarms, fences, and pool safety covers, anti-entrapment systems and drain covers are very important steps in protecting your friends and family in your pool. Drains can be very dangerous in pools if they are not handled properly. Because traditional drains lay flat, any object or body part that covers that drain can become trapped by a powerful suction from which escape is difficult, and sometimes impossible. Thanks to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007, all public pools are required to take anti-entrapment measures to ensure pool safety. This law does not apply to private and personal pools and unfortunately accidents still occur. You can ensure that your pool is safe by installing anti-entrapment pool drain covers or a vacless anti-entrapment system.

Anti-entrapment drain covers are not flat, but domed. This prevents objects or bodies from completely covering the drain and creating a dangerous suction. They offer an inexpensive and simple solution to prevent drain related accidents. To extend your protection further, vacless anti-entrapment systems automatically allow air into the pump in the event of an abnormally high vacuum suction (such as child pulled down on the mail drain). This air will then cause the pump to lose its prime, preventing any chance of entrapment.  Both anti-entrapment measures are very easy to install and you will rest easy knowing that you have taken great measures to ensure that your pool is entrapment hazard free!

Pool and Spa Safety

Anti-Entrapment Drain Covers Make For a Safe Vacation

Comment

Safety Drain Covers

I’m vacationing this week with my family at a hotel with an indoor water park.  Fun?  Yes.  Safe?  Yes!  In addition to having several lifeguards on duty throughout the water park — at the top and bottom of each curvy slide, along the lazy river, near the kiddie spray area — they can also boast a safe hot tub.  Safe because the drains at the bottom of the spa are equipped with Anti-Entrapment Drain Covers, also known as Anti-Vortex Drain Covers.

Anti-Entrapment Drain Covers are domed, or in some way raised from the flat surface at the bottom of the pool or spa so that no body parts, clothing, or objects can ever completely cover the drain and create a deadly suction from which escape is extremely difficult.  Thanks to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007, all drains at public pools and spas must be fitted with Anti-Entrapment Drain Covers.  Most public pools and spas have complied, but it’s worth it to double-check the drains for yourself the next time you visit a public pool or spa.