Poolguard
Poolguard alarms from PBM Industries: which standard each one is built to, the warranty that runs one to three years, and how to test one.
Pool alarms
- Poolguard DAPT-2 Door AlarmPoolguard's DAPT-2 door alarm and its wireless DAPT-WT sibling: the 7-second delay, how the pass-through switch works, mounting height, and the screen door kit.
- Poolguard GAPT-2 Gate AlarmPoolguard's GAPT-2 gate alarm: the 7-second delay and 14-second pass-through, where the sensor and alarm go, battery life, and why it can't tell if it latched.
- Poolguard PGRM-2Poolguard's deck-mounted in-ground pool alarm: how it senses entry, where to place it, how to test it properly, and what sets off false alarms.
- Poolguard PGRM-SB2 Floating AlarmPoolguard's floating pool alarm, the PGRM-SB2, and the PGRM-SB Safety Buoy it replaced: how each is tethered, which pools each is rated for, and how to test it.
Before you buy Poolguard
Two kinds of alarm, and they are not alternatives
Poolguard is made by PBM Industries of North Vernon, Indiana, which has been building pool alarms for over forty years and says every product is made in the USA. The line splits in two, and the split is the thing to get right before buying.
The immersion alarms sit in the water and sound when something breaks the surface: the PGRM-2 on the deck, the PGRM-SB2 floating. Both are NSF certified to ASTM F2208 for performance and to NSF/ANSI 50 for material safety, and Poolguard says both meet the alarm codes in New York, California, Connecticut, Florida and Tennessee.
The entrance alarms watch the way in rather than the water: the DAPT-2 on a door, the GAPT-2 on a gate. Both meet UL 2017, the standard for water hazard entrance alarms, and both have an adult pass-through and reset themselves.
So they answer different questions. One tells you somebody is already in the pool; the other tells you somebody has opened the way to it. Neither replaces a fence, and a barrier is still the first layer.
The warranty length tells you which product you are holding
Poolguard's terms are set per product rather than per brand, and the spread is wider than the price difference suggests: three years on the PGRM-2, two years on the PGRM-SB2 where the older PGRM-SB carried one, and one year on the DAPT-2, the wireless DAPT-WT and the GAPT-2. All run from the date of purchase on parts and workmanship, so the receipt is the document that matters.
One procedural rule applies to all of them and catches people out. Call before sending anything back. The manuals state that unauthorized returns are not accepted, and that a proper repair is only ensured when the unit goes back to the manufacturer. Poolguard's line is 1-800-242-7163 and warranty registration is on its website. The model and serial numbers are on the pool unit.