Yea! It’s summertime, and you’ve opened your swimming pool for the season! Grab that glass of sweet tea and enjoy a cool splash with your family and friends. While your paddling around, keep the following safety tips in mind so that your summer fun stays free and easy and your homeowners insurance is protected from unnecessary liability claims:
- Make sure your swimming pool is locked up and inaccessible when there’s no one supervising. Is your fence sturdy and secure? Is there a self-closing, automatic locking gate installed? Have you considered a gate or lock alarm system?
- Are life preservers readily available? Do you have a rescue hook in good repair and within easy reach?
How’s the pool liner? If your pool has a plastic liner, rips and tears, especially near the top of the lining, can cause costly leaks and damage. Give it a good seasonal inspection. Check for wear and tear around skimmers, hoses, etc. Check any metal fixtures – especially above-ground pool supports – for rust and corrosion.- Store pool chemicals in cool and dry location, according to manufacturer’s specifications. Keep them out of reach and locked up.
- Don’t leave a child alone in the water or in the pool area.
- Wood pool deck? Secure any loose boards. Hammer down protruding nails and set them. Tighten protruding screws. Splintering wood? Sand or replace boards.
- If you don’t have one already, consider installing an audible pool alarm to let you know if the water is disturbed when the pool is unattended. A pool alarm can alert you if someone falls in or if a duck visits.
Do you have any other good swimming pool safety and maintenance tips? Please leave them in the comments below.