Who knows about swimming pools?

[fstbttms]

Not my usual line of work, but I bid on, and won, a one-time gig replacing swimming pool drain covers for a chain of apartment properties here in the Bay Area. I guess the law in California (maybe nationwide, I don't know) now stipulates that swimming pools must be equipped with a new variety of drain cover that helps eliminate the possibility of swimmers being sucked into them.

My question is this; is it one-size-fits-all or is there any likelihood that I will run into pools with odd-sized drains? The owner is going to supply the drain covers but they are probably as ignorant about this as I am. Thanks.

 

[danemeyer20]

Dam thats a cake job. Usually they are one size fits all if they are a normal size swimming pool. Pretty much all you need is a screwdriver and something you can loop around the grate to get enough leverage to pull it out. Just make sure the pool pump is off before you take off the grate so you dont get sucked in. The irony of you dying while trying to replace grates to make sure people dont get sucked in would be legendary.

i would say go practice on a few before you get out there and look like a fool. If you can hold your breath long enough you might not even need dive gear

 

[fstbttms]

Dam thats a cake job. i would say go practice on a few before you get out there and look like a fool. If you can hold your breath long enough you might not even need dive gear

I've done it before. Had a hull cleaning client who had to get his pool up to code before selling his house. Four screws out- new cover on- four screws back in. But some of these apartment pools are gonna be older ones, so I'm not sure if the drains will all be the same.

 

[ssidiv3r]

Hope for the best but expect the worst. My dive shop got the notice about new drain covers a few weeks ago so we've been trying to get the new covers in order to replace the old ones

 

[TwoBitTxn]

The law is called the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool Safety act. Do some reading about it before you get too involved. It's a federal law enforced by the CPSC.

You need to look at what is being installed. You must follow the installation directions very carefully. If it requires a dry installation the pool must be drained. You will need to look at what is under the cover to make sure the proper clearances are present.

This really isn't something you want to be doing and now know what you are doing.

 

[DiverBizz]

The law is called the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool Safety act and you need a C23 contractors lic. and you have to pull permits for the pool and spa. Split drains etc. I hope you have good liab. insurance. The fed. law will be what you need to follow to protect you. The state law changes every few weeks. Be careful to ensure that everything is done to code. I agree with the twobittxn.

 

[Gary D.]

I agree with what the two above have said PLUS you need a fail safe lockout on the pump.

Jobs like these seem easy and make some quick bucks. But more often than not people cut corners and that is what gets a recreational diver in the loop. Cutting the corners is a crap shoot which can cost the diver big time.

Gary D.

 

[BabyDuck]

trust twobit - inspecting stuff like this is what he does for a living!

 

[fstbttms]

You guys are putting the fear of God into me! :shocked2:

I have read up some on the VGB Pool & Spa safety Act now and nowhere does it require that a contractor (which I am not) do what I am being asked to do. But, having done a little research, I see that there may be more to this gig than simply replacing a drain cover. Tomorrow I am supposed to call the property owner's representative and when I do, I will specify that I am unwilling to perform any modification to the drain in the event that the supplied covers do not fit. If the part they supply doesn't bolt right up, I'm outta there and on to the next one. If they can't live with that, I'll pass on the whole thing.

 

[Ed L.]

Make sure you liability insurance is paid up and that you are covered for this. Hull cleaning is one thing. Life safety codes are a whole other ball of wax. If someone gets hurt and you installed it they are coming after you as the contractor.