Poolguard PGRM-2

The PGRM-2 is Poolguard's alarm for in-ground pools. It's an L-shaped unit that sits on the deck at the pool's edge, with a sensing throat reaching down into the water. When someone falls or climbs in, the water action from that entry reaches the throat and the horn sounds, at the pool and on a remote receiver inside the house. NSF certifies it to ASTM F2208, the residential pool alarm standard. Poolguard lists it at $299.95. The company behind it is PBM Industries, of North Vernon, Indiana.

Poolguard's manual is blunt about what it is: a safety alarm system, not a life saving device. It isn't meant to replace supervision, fences, gates, covers or locks, and the manual adds that some devices may not detect gradual entry.

What comes in the box

• The pool unit
• A handle, which you screw on using the two screws already in the top of the unit
• The red reset/sleep key
• The remote receiver and its power supply
• The operating manual

The 9 V battery isn't included. Poolguard recommends an alkaline Energizer No. 522 and gives the battery life as about a year on its product page.

Keep the red key away from children. The manual warns that it has an internal magnet that may be harmful if swallowed, and it's also the thing that silences the alarm.

Where to put it

The unit needs a flat, solid surface at the pool's edge. If your deck isn't level there, the manual shows a support block under the arm to level it.

The water level matters more than anything else. The sensing throat has to sit between 2.5 and 5.5 inches into the water, and Poolguard recommends about 4 inches. The manual says it's designed for most pools with an in-wall skimmer, and that the alarm may not work properly if the water level drifts out of that range. Check it whenever the level changes, after heavy rain or a partial drain.

The placement rules, from the manual:

• Not on the same side of the pool as the ladder.
• Not near a return line, and not where a return points toward the alarm. Point every return eyeball fitting down. Poolguard says the pool still circulates properly that way.
• Not close to a waterfall or other water feature.
• Not with any type of pool cover. That includes solar covers.

It's rated for pools up to 20 by 40 feet, or 800 square feet, and NSF's listing says it was tested on a 16 by 32 foot pool. Call Poolguard at 1-800-242-7163 before buying if your pool is bigger than 800 square feet, has more than two return lines, is an irregular shape, or has water features. The manual says customer service will tell you how many alarms you need and where they should go.

It can also be used in spas, the manual says.

It has no on/off switch

That's deliberate. When the unit is in the pool it's always on and can't be turned off. When it's out of the pool it's off. A green light shows which: it flashes about once every 10 seconds while the alarm is monitoring, and about twice a second while it's sounding.

Taking it out sets the horn off, and so does putting it back in. The red key handles both:

• To silence it after you've taken it out, hold the key on the reset/sleep decal for 3 to 4 seconds. That puts it to sleep. It wakes up by itself when you put it back in the pool.
• To silence it after an alarm with the unit still in the pool, place the key on the decal. It resets and goes back to monitoring.
• To put it in silently, hold the key on the decal for 1 second until it beeps. You then have 10 seconds to install it. After that it beeps once and starts monitoring.
• To take it out silently, hold the key on the decal for 1 second until it beeps. You then have 5 seconds to remove it. If you don't, it keeps monitoring.

Poolguard says the silent feature is only for the people responsible for taking the alarm out of the pool. If a child learns the key trick, the alarm is off.

Left alone after it sounds, the unit resets itself after about 5 minutes.

Test it every time it goes in

The manual says to test the PGRM-2 every time you put it in the pool, and it's specific about how:

1. Go to the point in the pool farthest from the alarm.
2. Push something with roughly the size, weight and volume of your smallest child off the deck edge. Poolguard's suggestion is a 4-gallon jug of water, or three 1-gallon jugs tied together.
3. The alarm should sound when the water action reaches the unit. It can take a few seconds.
4. Reset it, wait for the water to settle, and repeat from another point in the pool. The manual says to allow about 15 minutes between tests for the pool to calm.

What won't set it off, and shouldn't be taken as a failed test: dangling your feet in, splashing with your hands, making waves with a leaf skimmer, or dropping in something small.

The remote receiver

The receiver sounds in the house whenever the pool unit sounds, from up to 200 feet away. It keeps sounding for about 3 seconds after the pool unit is silenced. It has a horn and an indicator light, and it plugs into a 120 V outlet. The manual says not to use it outdoors.

Where it goes decides whether it works:

• On the same level as the pool or above it. Not in a basement.
• Away from steel walls and large metal objects.
• Ideally by a window that looks out on the pool.
• Untie the power cord. It comes tied in a bow, and the manual says to stretch it out before plugging in.

Test the receiver in a few spots before settling on one. If it doesn't pick up the signal, the manual says moving it a little to the left or right can be enough, or you may need another room. If you can't get a signal anywhere, call customer service.

The receiver also carries the low battery warning: if it beeps about once every 10 seconds, the 9 V battery in the pool unit is low. The pool unit beeps the same way.

False alarms

Poolguard's manual says every pool alarm false alarms sometimes, and that a false alarm is better than no alarm. The causes it names:

• Wind strong or steady enough to rock the water up and down the pool wall. Light wind and rain won't do it. On very windy days, take the alarm out.
• Putting it back too soon after swimming. The water keeps moving up and down the wall for a while, about 10 to 30 minutes depending on the pool and the swimming. Wait until it's still.
• An automatic cleaner hitting the unit. Run the cleaner at night and the alarm during the day, or find a spot the cleaner doesn't reach.
• Water features such as waterfalls, and returns aimed at the alarm.

If it won't sound

Check the connection between the 9 V battery and the battery snap first. Then check the test itself: splashing and feet in the water won't trigger it, and the manual says that's by design.

To get at the battery, remove the screw from the bottom of the unit and slide the electronics assembly out carefully, without pulling on the internal cable. Clean off any leakage or corrosion, fit the new battery with the snap tight, and slide the assembly back in the right way up. Hand-tighten the screw until it's flush.

A new battery makes the horn sound, so put it to sleep with the red key for 3 to 4 seconds. Take the battery out if you're storing the alarm for a long time.

If it falls in the pool

The unit is UV-rated PVC and water resistant, not waterproof. Sun and rain won't hurt it, but a fall into the pool can. If it goes in, the manual says to take it out right away, drain it, take it apart as you would to change the battery, remove the battery, and dry the inside, the battery and the circuit board with a towel. Then test it fully before using it again.

Store it upright, away from pool activity.

What it's certified to

The PGRM-2 is on NSF's listings under both ASTM F2208, for performance, and NSF/ANSI 50, for material safety and pool and spa temperatures. NSF lists Poolguard's PGRM-SB and PGRM-SB2 floating alarms alongside it.

The manual says the PGRM-2 meets or exceeds Tennessee's pool alarm requirements under the Katie Beth Law. Poolguard's product page says it meets New York, California, Connecticut, Florida and Tennessee alarm codes. Local rules vary, so check yours.

Where Poolguard's documents disagree

• Two manual revisions are live. Poolguard's alarms page links a manual marked rev. 11/2023. Its manuals page links the English and Spanish manual marked rev. 3/2025. The instructions are the same, except the 2025 revision drops the line saying the unit automatically compensates for variations in pool level within its operating range.
• "Cannot be de-activated." The product page says so, and it's true of the alarm in the pool. But the manual's silent removal feature lets anyone with the red key take it out without the horn sounding.
• Battery life. The product page says about one year. The manual doesn't give a figure.

Buying it

Poolguard's warranty is three years on parts and workmanship, the longest of its alarms. Its door and gate alarms carry one year. Poolguard sells through dealers, which its website lists, and Amazon carries the PGRM-2 too.