The water level appears to be at the correct level… the coping stones and tiles we’re not chipped along with the concrete deck. Pool water appears to have a green tint which suggests High phosphates… the water Clarity is clear pool bottom appears smooth with debris… pool equipment was hung properly on the fence… there are no safety signs posted anywhere along the pool perimeter. Lights are installed and operational… GFCI Outlets are installed… there is no diving board for no diving is permitted… the pump is in an enclosed room that is completely dry pressurr air valves installed… skimmer weirs are working properly… it appeared to be no surface dtains on the deck and the pool chemicals were stored in a dry and safe area away from the pump and heater…
Water rushing out of a drain creates a suction that can ensare small children causing debilitating injuries and even death… drain covers can break or be removed unaware to a swimmer and the possible repercussions… the consumer product safety Commission has five types of drain entrapment… body entrapment when the Torso is trapped, limb entrapment when an arm and leg is trapped, hair entrapment when the hair becomes wrapped around the grate, mechanical entrapment when a ring or necklace becomes entangled in the grate, and evisceration entrapment when the buttocks comes into contact and sucks to the grate… all of these can be avoided if you make sure the drain cover is attached, if there is a safety snap that is spring loaded, a safety vacuum release which causes the drainage to cease if any entrapment occurs, if an anti entanglement drain cover is installed, if no drains and gutters were used instead of drains and you can provide multiple outlets on the suction side of the pump that allows flow to continue reducing the likelihood of any suction…
Picture shows pump, filter and piping for a pool. The pump is a Jandy VS Flopro ( 1.65 HP ).The filter is a cartridge filter with the pressure gauge unreadable. This needs to be replaced. There is a #10 bonding wire from the motor to the electrical box. There 3- 3 port valves- one is for the skimmers, one is for the supply jets and the third is for the nautilus. the power disconnect is on the other side of the fence.
Pool Drain Hazard inspection- The suction pressure on a normal pool drain can be as much as 350 pounds of pressure. The CPSC ( Consumer Product Safety Commission ) lists 5 types of entrapment - body,limb,hair, mech. and evisceration. These can be avoided by the use of safety devices such as Safety Vacuum-Release, Anti-Entanglement drain covers, no drains ( gutters,overflows ) or adding an additional drain to the pool. Safety First.
The purpose of the pool skimmer is to remove solid debris from the pool surface. This is important because large debris can clog the lines, filter and the pump and cause damage to the entire system. Ideally the skimmer should be cleaned daily.
Swimming pool barriers are an important safety feature of swimming pools and it’s the law that they are in place. Year after year children are killed by drowning in swimming pools. It is the owners responsibility to be sure that no unauthorized persons are allowed into the pool area.
This cartridge style filter is installed correctly per the course. It uses schedule 40 PVC inlet and discharge piping to retrieve and return water from the pool. There were no outward signs of leaks or other indications of issues. If the pump motor runs smoothly this would pass inspection.
The pool safety barrier is one of the most important parts of the inspection to me. The liability of someone drowning post inspection due to a condition that was not documented could be detrimental to my business and personal life. Making sure that there is a self locking gate and the fence is at least 5’ tall around the entire perimeter is paramount to safety. Adding audible alarms on any doors that open to the pool area is a good practice as well.
During the inspection, it was noted that the return filter in bedroom #3 was dirty. Cleaning/Changing the filter annually can improve the efficiency of the HVAC system and help prevent the potential spread of mold spores if any are present.
I reviewed an article about pool drain hazards and how to spot them. I learned that many people have drowned due to being caught in the suction of the pool drains. Home drains can have a suction force of 350 PSI and commercial drains can be even higher!!
Here is an above ground pool with a wood deck built around it. As this deck is not that high off the ground (less than 30in) it would not normally require a railing. However with a pool in the middle of this I would think it should have a railing that is 48in above the pool itself. This railing should have a gate that opens away from the pool and has a spring return to keep the gate closed.
Getting trapped in a pool by the drain suction is a problem especially for children. Pool drains can have 350lbs of pressure or more which can cause a person to get held underwater or can cause physical harm. These drains needs to have covers firmly attached. The drains should also have an anti-entanglement type of cover which will prevent hair entanglement. Make sure the vacuum system has a safety vacuum release.
The component that I would like to cover in this essay is the water pump.The water is move when the impeller begins to spin when powered by an electrical motor. The impeller pushes water out while creating a vacuum that draws water in from the backside creating a continuous flow of water.
The image I have selected was the electrical line layout surrounding the swimming pool.Over head service drops should be 22 and a half feet above the pool and ten feet away horizontally. This is proper clearance so that if a wire is defective that it will not fall into the swimming pool.
Pedestrian access gates to the pool should open outward away from the pool, and should be self closing. Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device is located less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism should be located on the pool-side of the gate at least 3 inches below the top of the gate, and the gate and barrier should have no opening greater than -inch within 18 inches of the release mechanism.
Pedestrian access gates to the pool should open outward and away from the pool, and should be self closing and latching. Where the release mechanism of the self-latching device is located less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, (a) the release mechanism should be located on the pool-side of the gate at least 3 inches below the top of the gate, and (b) the gate and barrier should have no opening greater than -inch within 18 inches of the release mechanism.
Picture shows the anatomy of a sand type pool filter. The red lines show water in, through a diffuser, to the top of the filter. Water pressure forces the induced water down through the sand particulate that removes impurities from the water. Pressure then continues for move the purified water into the discharge line back to the pool. Check the vessel and fittings for leaks as well as the ability to maintain proper pressure.
The image shows an underwater luminaire must be designed and installed such that it cannot produce an electric shock without a GFCI device in its circuit. All light fixtures more than 15 volts must be GFCI protected. Lights must be installed at least 18 inches below the water level.
I found a number of deficiencies at the pool entrance or barrier last week. The latches were out of alignment, the gate did not open fully, and the auto closer-spring was broken and no longer connected. This was not a true pool inspection, as I do no perform pool inspections, but I took photographs and included a recommendation that a pool specialist look into the safety elements and functionality of the black-swamp that I beheld
I read the “Aging In Place” article. I learned firstly that there is a term defining that which wee all hope to do. It seems that there is a niche available for those with the right credentials. I was asked during a phone cal, “Do you perform home inspections?” It turns out that this person wanted a home inspection that deemed their residence suitable for a child-adoption. That inspection costs the adoptive parents several thousand dollars. Am I in the wrong business?