Approximately one million pool and spa drain covers have been recalled because they were incorrectly certified and may not protect against entrapment, according to a recent statement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Public pool operators in the United States were required to install anti-entrapment drain covers on all pools and spas as a result of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which came into effect in December 2008. In April of this year, the CPSC, the agency charged with implementing the law, announced it was investigating the processes used to certify the new anti-entrapment drain covers amid concerns that they had been incorrectly rated to handle the flow of water through the cover.
The investigation led to the voluntary recall of drain covers from eight manufacturers, announced just before Memorial Day weekend, the traditional opening weekend for many public pools around the country. The CPSC website says the recall is expected to affect fewer than 5 percent of all of the country’s pools and spas, both residential and public.
The drain covers that are subject to the recall were made by A&A Manufacturing, AquaStar Pool Products, Color Match Pool Fittings, Custom Molded Products, Hayward Pool Products, Rising Dragon USA and Waterway Plastics during the period from December 2008 to April 2011 and by Pentair Water Pool and Spa from June 2009 to April 2011.
The agency says these recalled drain covers present a risk of entrapment and advises anyone with a pool or spa fitted with these drain covers to contact the manufacturer for more information or to call its drain cover recall hotline at 1-866-478-3521. The CPSC website also offers specific information about the recall for commercial pool operators.