Swimming Pool Safety Equipment Testing & Certifications

ASTM Pool Alarm Testing Standard

ASTM (American Society for Testing & Materials) is a U.S. non-profit organization creating technical standards for products, materials, systems, and services. Child safety is a major focus for the organization and in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, they have created standards for such things as baby chairs, strollers, high chairs, cribs, etc. Many parents, especially moms, rely on the ASTM label when buying a product because they know it has been testing to ASTM’s technical standard.

The ASTM standard for swimming pool safety equipment (F2208-02) was approved in 2002. It was created in order to provide a minimum performance standard for swimming pool alarms so that consumers can make better choices when buying such products.

The ASTM standard for swimming pool alarms requires detection testing with one simulator in a standard 16' x 32' pool. The standard also requires the pool alarm device to refrain from false alarms during wind simulation; however, the wind tests required by the ASTM standard are much less difficult than that of the AFNOR tests due to the way the wind is simulated. The ASTM pool alarm standard does not require environmental or structural testing.

AFNOR: Toughest Pool Alarm Standard in the World

AFNOR is a European organization similar to ASTM or ANSI in the U.S.. In 2003, AFNOR was tasked to develop a rigorous new certification process for pool alarms. This new standard was precipitated by the French government who passed a law that required every pool owner to install one of the approved safety devices (swimming pool alarm, swimming pool safety fences, swimming pool safety cover). In 2004, AFNOR issued its official standard for swimming pool alarms (NF P90-307) which immediately became the toughest standard in the world.

For a pool alarm system to be officially certified to this standard, it must pass a battery of tests as well as provide specific functions. The most difficult part of the certification is passing the detection tests (using 2 types of simulators) under varying conditions including a wind tunnel above the pool as seen in the photo above.

The difficult tests are conducted in very windy conditions (created by wind tunnel) during which the pool alarm is not allowed to false alarm.

Additional requirements for the certification are structural integrity (unit has to withstand a person weighing 175 lbs standing on it) as well as environmental integrity where the system must be waterproof, handle extreme temperatures, and absorb vibration and shock.

CE Marking and Certification

CE Certification (or marking) is required to sell product into the European Common Market and has been adopted in many other countries around the world. The CE marking requires a battery of tests to insure that the product meets European safety standards.