JohnRoss Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Has anyone experience of a perimeter pool alarm. I am trying to set one up for a friend of mine who has inherited it along with the pool and a property which is rented out to visitors. Only one of the 8 double beam units, it is a four column system, seems to be working, i.e. you can hear the relay click when you put your hand in front of the beam. All the other units I have looked at so far inside the columns show a red light at the receiver end which means no beam received. I have been trying to align the receivers and transmitters on the columns so far without success, I don't know how critical alignment is on these. On the only beam that is working properly I have formed the impression that beam angle is critical and the even a slight misalignment could stop it working. Frequency select switches were set incorrectly and I have reset them according to the table given in the operators manual but still no go. The receivers and beam transmitter modules can be turned in the horizontal plane for alignment. There is a vertical tilt adjustment in the form of an adjusting screw which I have yet to try. Should I fail to get this working is there a service agency that would come and sort this system out. I would say that there is some doubt that this system has ever worked and nobody spoken to has any memory of it working. The owner operated the property from a distance through a local agent who is not available for comment. The installation looks to be electrically correct according to the manual and I suspect problems have been caused by neglect and poor siting of the columns amongst other things. So if you have experience of one and can suggest any hints as to how to effectively set it up and test if the various transmit and receive modules are actually working, other than detailed in the rather sparse manual, I would be much obliged............................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 There are contact details at the bottom of this page http://en.aqualux.com/Prod/pdf/tech/FT%20perimetric%20pool%20alarm%20SATURN%20GB%20indB0706.pdfI hope that this helps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Thanks for the info and I have already looked at this site but having played with it again today I feel that it would be just too expensive to put right. It would in fact need considerable work to render it operational. To cut a long story short for various reasons the four columns would have to be relocated. The patio round the pool would have to be lifted in places and new cables run or the old ones moved to achieve column relocation. This alone in terms of cost and labour makes one wonder if this would really be worth doing. Further only two of the eight double beam systems appear to be working at the moment despite my efforts. Alignment of the others has failed to produce a working system. It may well be some of the projector/receiver units are faulty and part or even all of the system may need to be sent back to the manufacturer for testing and repair. Several of the columns had some evidence of corrosion on connector screws and are only to standard IP55 in their specification. One column was found to have been partially filled with damp earth by insects nest building. This in itself makes it likely that some damp related fault may have already have occurred as only one of the four modules has been proved to be working. The likely cost of correcting the problems described would lead one to believe that such an operation was simply not worth it and I have suggested that one of the alternative security measures such as a security cover/net or approved fence should now be employed. I really don't think this type of alarm is best suited for this type of rental property even if it were working. It can only be turned off for 30 minutes before it rearms itself and has a backup lead acid internal battery in case of power cuts or if honoured guest pulls out the mains lead because he cannot stand the high dB siren going off at 3 in the morning when a hare, fox, coypu, tiddles, owl etc has walked through the lower beam. Even worse if nobody was there as it would go all night which I don't think the neighbours would like much! A view that others have expressed on these pages I believe..........................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Whats the point of these alarms? to conform with law or to save lives? I would suggest the former. They are only effective in the situation where people are around, the pool is open but everyone is distracted and the 18 month old toddler decides to go for a toddle and falls in...then it is effective. If everyone goes out it won't stop passing trade from falling in and drowning as no neighbour will be bothered. A cover is the only effective method for that. But a cover is a pain for the example above. You can't close the cover everytime someone steps away from the pool and you turn your back on it for a couple of minutes. Arm bands for toddlers for peace of mind is a good move, and they're cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 You didn't mention fence Crazyfrog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 I agree about the alarms being just to satisfy the law but not very practical in my opinion. Covers are ok up to a point but a pain to put on and take off all the time. Only one thing suits in my opinion and that is a fence with a lockable self closing gate. We have one with no kids below the age of five living within a couple of kilometres, no visitors with kids and no passing trade apart from tractors and cows. One of those fell through next doors fosse a couple of years ago! Damn silly law but the law is the law and foreseeing problems with electronic devices, I was employed in electronics all my working life, we bit the bullet and bought a fence. No batteries to go flat, no mains supply to be unplugged and some think ugly though you get used to it after a time but what can you do? For the gite such as I describe I would have thought that a fence and self closing gate was the only sensible security device to fit!.............JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 until bored 'parents' prop open self closing gate with a brick as it means having to put the G&T down to open it (need 2 hands)or get up to let jimmy in for a swim!Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Agreed there is no such thing as a fool proof system where nothing can possibly go wrong...click...go wrong...click..go wrong..click...go wrong..click...go wrong...click.... ...................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saucedecochon Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Yep we had one of these. really p****d the neighbours off. We also had a fence, with lockable gate, and extra padlock.Went down unanounced and found alarm disconnected,battery too, gate open, padlock hanging on fence.Simplest solution. Lock it up, finish renting weekly as a gite with pool, rent house long term and use the grenier when we want to visit (with pool). Pure piece of mind - priceless.Having said that, I used to be able to re - set beams annually pre-season, but I had waterproofed and insect proofed all entry points on initial installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saucedecochon Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 If you haven't sorted it yet may I suggest a cheap laser level as a starting point to get all four pillars aligned prior to internal adjustment. Use washers under or over screws to re-level if necessary. If you have the lights working internally then it should be emitting beam, and mine has lights which come on or go off once correct alignment is found or lost. If you still have problems, I'm over in April opening up, be happy to help for some petrol money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRoss Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Thanks I have passed on your kind offer and will pm you if the owner wants to go ahead...................JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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