Safety Nets and Fences
for Pools

SafeWater Pool Systems 866-723-3928

Fence or Net?
and Other Frequently Asked Questions

Fence or Net? How do we decide which product is best for us?

Some of you may already know which product is best for you. However many customers are not sure which product will work best for their family. Some of these questions and answers may help your decision-making process.

What is best for you and your family?

Give some thought as to who is going to be using the safety net or fence. Make sure he or she can operate the safety feature with ease. If it is a net, your deck area will be free and open with no fencing. All that is required is to place hooks back into the anchors and tighten the central tensioning system. Once this is done, your pool is secure. If it is a fence, it gives you the option of creating a supervised play area without access to the pool for younger children while the older children may be in the swimming pool. The access to the pool is a self-closing, self-latching gate which is lockable.

How do I decide?

Of course, the most important factor in considering a net or fence is the safety of children. Look at how each feature operates and the level of protection it will offer your family. Will you make a commitment to put the net back on after each use of the pool? If it is a fence, will you make the commitment to keep the gate locked when the pool is not in use? Think about your children's best protection.

What about references?

Don't hesitate to ask for references and talk to customers. Ask about their experiences with the product. Does it work well for you? Do you feel your children are safe? Was the installer knowledgeable? Was the customer service staff informative and helpful? Have you needed repairs? If so, did they come out in a timely manner?

Both options seem safe to me. How about how my backyard will look?

Some customers like both the net and the fence and can't decide which option to take. They may leave the decision up to which feature will have less of an impact on the aesthetic beauty of their yard knowing that both the net and the fence are safe for the children. Perhaps a backyard is very small and the fence may uncomfortably shorten the open deck area. In this case, a net would be your best option. There's all types of considerations to be made. You need to be comfortable and happy with your choice and dedicated to using it for the safety of your children.

I have a 10 month old child who is crawling and just learning how to walk. Can such a small child get through the net?

A baby, toddler or any other child cannot fit their head through the 3-1/2" ASTM approved square nor the 4" square of the net.

Can a small child remove the net?

No, the child cannot get underneath the net nor can the child remove the net. It is tightened with a central tensioning unit and would not be possible to be removed by a child.

Can a small child remove the fence poles?

The fence poles are drilled 4" deep into the deck surface and connected at the top with safety hooks. This tension which keeps the net so taut makes it impossible for a small child to get through. We do suggest you do not have chairs close to the fence. A child could conceivably climb up on a chair and try to get over the fence. Keep in mind, this is not a climbable fence. They cannot latch their feet onto anything so it is safe.

My pool has a spa at one end. Can we put a pool net on my pool and spa?

Yes, SafeWater Pool Nets can be custom cut to fit any size or shape pool, including a pool - spa - fountain combination.

Will a pool fence block our beautiful view of the pool?

The mesh between the poles is see-through. You will not have a problem seeing through to your pool and will not lose the aesthetic beauty of the water.

Can I remove the safety net by myself?

Yes, it only takes a few minutes - depending on the size of your pool. Our roller system makes it easy to roll the net out of the way and unroll it quickly. Our patented "flat hooks" prevent the hooks from getting tangled in the net. Take a look at our net video to see how easy it is to take it off and put it back on.

Will my automatic pool cleaner work with the net?

No problem. Pool cleaners work fine underneath the net. You can even check and add chemicals to your pool with the net in place. We do suggest not to pour chemicals directly onto the net.

Will the pool cleaning technician who services our pool work with the net or fence?

That depends on the technician. Most technicians prefer the fence simply because it takes just seconds to get in and out of the fence gate. Some technicians will work with the net but may require you leave the net off the pool on the day he is servicing your pool. If children are home, this leaves you with a safety risk. Our best advice is to ask your pool technician if he will work with the safety net or the safety fence. They may adjust their charges to allow more time for the net.

If we are using our pool all day on and off, do we need to put the safety net on when we are not using the pool?

If you are no longer using the pool with the children and, let us say, everyone has gone into the house for a lunch break, we would strongly recommend that you take the time to put the net back on the pool. Leaving a pool unattended without any safety precautions is dangerous. Remember, in most drowning accidents, the child was last seen in a safe place, usually within the home. So our answer is yes — the net needs to be on the pool when it is not in use and unsupervised.