Swimming pools are really nice to have in anyone's house. Having a swimming pool close by encourages the homeowner to go swimming on a regular basis, thus improving one's health. Swimming sessions are often therapeutic and relaxing. Sometimes, social gatherings such as pool side birthday parties, pool side BBQ sessions, can be organized. These activities are made possible with the existence of the swimming pool. So yes, the swimming pool is definitely an asset to any homeowner.

But with ownership of swimming pools come additional responsibilities. For example, the pool has to be kept clean and maintenance has be carried out on a regular basis. But keeping the pool clean is just some menial chore that can be taken care of easily. The hardest part of owning a swimming pool is to ensure that the pool does not become a hazard to family and friends. Drowning accidents are very real. They do indeed happen and can happen to anyone, any time. The water poses a hazard to all non-swimmers, people who are too weak to swim or are handicapped, and young children. These people are most at risk when there is a swimming pool around. All swimming pools are designed not to have guard rails around the pool so that it's convenient for anyone to jump into the pool for a swim. Because there are no guard rails around, it's also easy for anyone to fall into the pool easily. And if this person happens to be someone described above, then we may have a potential disaster on our hands.

So as a swimming pool owner, it is important to realize these potential dangers, and to do something about it. For example, it is always a good idea to have a qualified lifeguard at the pool whenever there is a social gathering that involves kids running around the pool (especially for big events). Having someone dedicated to keeping a lookout for the safety of everyone means that there will be someone responding quickly in case there is an accident.

However, having a professional body guard around isn't always a practical thing to do. What if the function is a small private event that involves only family members? It wouldn't sound right to have a stranger around then. So somebody came up with the solution of having pool alarms. Pool alarms have so many advantages that any pool owner will be crazy not to have one installed.

For one, it is like having someone keeping watch at the pool round the clock. Anytime someone falls into the pool, the alarm goes off, so that anyone near enough to hear the alarm can do something about it. To choose a pool alarm, make sure that you install one that has been tested to work.

A good pool alarm should sound with an alarm that is at least 85 decibels and above, so that it's loud enough for anyone nearby to hear it. It should also sound within 10 seconds when something heavy falls into the pool. This is important because taking into consideration the reaction time, whoever falls into the pool will have to wait up to 50 or 60 seconds before any help arrive. Any later, and the efforts will be futile. Finally, there shouldn't be too many false alarms. That means it shouldn't be triggered when there is a strong wind, or when a basketball falls into the water.

So when choosing a pool alarm, make sure that you pay attention to the response time, the weight required to activate the sensors, and how loud the alarm is.