Pool Safety Gates Tips
Read these 9 Pool Safety Gates Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Pool Safety tips and hundreds of other topics.
Keep Hinges on Self-Closing Gates Well-Maintained
Keep self-closing gate hinges oiled and well maintained. Self-closing gates around the safety barrier of your swimming pool need to be maintained regularly. If the hinges, or any other part of the self-closing gate, needs to be fixed or maintained beyond adding oil, call a repairman or contractor who has had extensive professional experience in maintaining and repairing swimming pool fences with self-closing gates.
Self-Closing Gates Should Open Outwardly
Always remember that a self-closing gate should open away from the swimming pool. When your swimming pool fence is being constructed, make sure that the self-closing gate to your swimming pool will swing outward and away from the pool at all times. A gate that opens inward presents a hazard because it could help to propel a child into the water upon entry.
Gates Should Be Able to Be Supported Without Frame
Consider purchasing a self-closing gate that can support itself with or without the frame. This way, if the frame is eroded or damaged for any reason, your self-closing gate is still there to stop anyone from entering the pool area unsupervised. The technician who installs your pool fence and gate should be able to tell you whether or not the kind of fencing you've purchased will allow you to have this kind of gate. If not, ask what sort of modifications you can make on your self-closing gate to make it as safe as possible.
Maintain Hinges On Self-Closing Gates
One of the biggest maintenance headaches on self-closing gates today are the hinges. Self-closing gate hinges rust and deteriorate easily, so consider shopping around to find a self-closing gate with hinges made of products that are rust-resistant and come with a lifetime warranty that protects you when they begin to deteriorate. This way if something should happen to your gate, it will be easily replaceable. A swimming pool fencing contractor will be able to tell you which product would work best for your gate and fence.
Instruct Technicians To Secure Pool Gate
Every time someone enters your swimming pool area, make sure they close and secure the pool gate. This is especially important when you have contracted someone to work on your swimming pool. Be sure that the technician or contractor completely closes the gate to your swimming pool fence. Communicate your rules and double-check when they leave to make sure the self-closing gate is shut and if possible, locked.
Keep Locks on Self-Closing Gates
Self-closing gates and other entryways to above-ground swimming pools should be kept locked at all times. If your fence is not quite high enough, or even if it is, consider adding a key or combination lock to the self-closing gate for added protection. The lock should be waterproof or covered to protect it from being damaged or rusting from constant contact with water. Do not tell your children where the key is hidden or what the combination it to ensure that they will not enter the swimming pool area unsupervised.
Always Secure Self-Closing Gates Upon Leaving Swimming Pool Area
When you are watching your child in the swimming pool, if you must leave for any reason (to answer a phone or knock on the door), always take your child with you and always close the gate to the swimming pool area.
While most gates are self-closing gates, you should still be sure that it is securely shut locked. Do this even if you are only leaving the area for a minute or two, because in most instances, that is all the time it takes children to drown or severely injure themselves.
Install Alarm on Self-Closing Gate
A layered alarm system is another great form of protection for your swimming pool area. Consider installing an alarm on the entrance to the home that borders the swimming pool area as well as one on the self-closing gate that gives access to the swimming pool. The alarm should be waterproof and secured to protect against the possibility of tampering. This gives you added insurance against someone entering the swimming pool area through the self-closing gate without authorization.
Self-Closing Gates Around Pool Area
Pool fences should have self-closing gates. Never prop open a gate to a swimming pool and/or hot tub area. Self-closing gates should be the only kind installed on pool fences and with latches high enough to be out of the reach of children. Industry standards call for at least 4 feet on all fences and self-closing gates around a swimming pool area. Test the gates regularly to make sure they close properly and completely.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sheri Ann Richerson |
