Poolguard PGRM-2 In-Ground Pool Alarm, White

I purchased this pool alarm because my grandson will be coming to visit soon and, even though we will be extra careful to make sure he doesn't have access to the pool area, I am not willing to take any chances with safety. I installed it and tested by dropping a couple gallon jugs into the pool as directed and it operated the alarm. Shortly after the installation we had some torrential downpours with wind and there were no false alarms. We left it in the pool overnight for over a week and still no false alarms. I'm completely satisfied and would recommend it to a friend; it works as advertised.UPDATE 4 July:Having used this product for over month now I stand by my review. Other reviewers are critical of the disarming method, poor instructions, setting off the alarm on installing or removal of the device, having to drill a hole in the deck, and the small key that can be lost. I found the instructions to be clear. It must be installed and removed very slowly; it's sensitive for a reason, and I'm glad for that. One reviewer recommended a finger over the siren which I have done and it works great while removing in case you accidentally set it off. The indoor alarm is also loud for a reason. Like my house security system it's designed to attract attention. It's very simple to unplug it before removing the pool unit to prevent disturbing anyone in the house if you're having trouble with accidentally setting it off. The hole in the concrete is very small. Gosh, I have holes in the concrete for the ladder too, and they are much larger. The key is a magnet about the size of your thumb, designed that way I'm sure to avoid an exposed mechanical switch that would be more vulnerable to the elements. My first thoughts too were that it would be easily misplaced, so all I did was loop a couple plastic ties through the handle and the key. It's secured to the unit. Doesn't look great, but I don't care. I have no doubt one could find something better looking like a small stainless chain to attach it if appearance is an issue. I can't speak to the effects of an automatic pool cleaner as mine hasn't arrived yet. I agree with the reviewer about having your kids know how to swim, and there is NOTHING to replace adult supervision. I can see how it would be difficult if you have people in and out of the pool frequently, but this device provides just a little more safety to help fill the gap for human error. We have nothing more precious than our kids and no price or inconvenience is too much to help protect their safety.

If you have a pool; you must purchase this item.Pros: peace of mind, loud alarm, works exactly as it should, price was competitive with similar items, easy to use but not easy enough for a child who is not of swimming age to figure out, does not require being screwed into concrete, is not an eye sore, alarm sounds inside and outside your homeCons: none!I did a lot of research and am so happy we ended up with this product. I have 2 children aged 2 and 1 and although pool alarms are not required where I live; it was a must for my household. We watch our kids like a hawk and also have a gate around the pool and sliding door locks (another must have), this item is that extra piece of security you need-especially if you live in a neighborhood with other children.Some reviewers reported false alarms and I was concerned about this. No one with toddlers wants a false alarm in the middle of the night. I am thrilled to say that we have had pounding rain and even small critters (mouse/frog) with no false alarms. I questioned if it was working at all but every time we test it, it works as it should. As with any alarm, I would recommend testing this from time to time.If you are hesitating with this purchase, please don't. Every pool should have one and I hope that you have the same experience I did.

I spent a week working out which pool alarm to buy. They are in a category of product where there is a very wide spread of success or failure.I usually add up the 1* and 2* reviews and see what the overall percentage is. I don't usually order anything where more than 10% hate it. This sits at 34% and shouldv'e warned me off.It comes in a nice printed box. The instructions are clearly written by an Engineer as they are overly long and wordy (I know because I'm an Engineer and it's how I would write them). Installation is easy. Just find a spot along the long edge of the pool, mark up the position for a hole and drill it. They don't give a template or include a drill bit which for $200 is pretty shocking.The thing is turned on and off with a little "key". It's basically just a magnet in a rubber case. You only get one and it doesn't secure to the unit. Again, poor for $200.There is an extension sounder that looks like a 4th grade electronics project. It's the cheapest piece of crap I've ever seen.To use the unit, you put it in the water, wait for the waves to subside, and then turn it on with the key by touching a pad for several seconds. There's a dim green LED that flashes to tell you it's working.Our first test worked and the thing went off, as did the extension box in the house, about 30 feet away.It then took me about 5 mins to disarm the thing with the key. It's deafening so you end up shoving your finger in the hole of the sounder, while someone unplugs the house unit. Just when you think its disarmed it goes off again, and again, and again, ad infinitum.Eventually you think it's OK. You walk away, a light breeze comes over, and it's off again.After trying this over a couple of hours I gave up and sent it back.There is no adjustable sensitivty on the unit. None. There is no control app to turn the thing on and off.I'm an Electronics Engineer. I've been desiging products for 30 years. I had a quick look at the parts in this thing. It's essentially a float valve with an actuator that gives a value proportional to its position in the water. Some very basic electronics samples this, looks for an average and fires if the thing is triggered by a large value being sampled outside of the average. The magnet key is almost certainly a reed switch. The entire BOM cost of the thing can't be more than $20, and most of that is the cardboard box! The unit could be vastly improved with some intelligence from a cheap microcontroller and an app on your phone to manage it, which is presumably how lifebuoy etc work.This is like something from the stone age.