Hundreds of thousands of pools nationwide are affected by the largest drain-cover recall in the industry’s history. The announcement prompted some misunderstanding which led some cities to close all pools over Memorial Day weekend. Many of the pools which were delayed in opening were later opened when the misunderstandings cleared up.
While 1 million drain covers are included in the recall, only about 100,000 pools will actually be affected. Replacements or retrofits are required for shallow vessels like wading pools, kiddie pools and spas. Also requiring attention are pools that have only one drain, “unless they have unblockable drains, gravity feed systems or drain covers installed before Dec. 19, 2008.” Pools deeper than 24 inches with multiple drains do not require attention.
Some locations, though, are taking the recall into their own hands and taking it farther than was intended. Texas law has a required standard of drain covers that these products do not meet and are, therefore, not allowed to be used. The Texas Department of State Health Services is allowing pools to be prioritized based on risk level, so some pools will be addressed immediately and some will wait.
There are a few options for observing the recall, depending on the model. The recall could involve replacement of either just the cover or the entire drain system, or it could be a simple repair involving snapping a new piece onto the drain cover. “CPSC said most manufacturers will pay for parts and labor, but each producer has its own process, usually involving several steps.”