Pool Patrol PA-30 pool alarm review

Easy to set up and use, incredibly accurate, and durable, the Pool Patrol PA-30 pool alarm is a reassuringly watchful eye in your home swimming pool.

Pool Patrol PA-30 review

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

The Pool Patrol PA-30 was one of the most accurate pool alarms we tested but you will have to pay a premium for it.

Pros

  • +

    Accurate

  • +

    Simple design

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    Plastic finish won’t rust

Cons

  • -

    Expensive

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The Pool Patrol PA-30 is a floating pool alarm designed to be used in home swimming pools. Designed to warn of any pool intruders, or a sudden splash in the water, it features a transmitter and receiver that detects waves and water movement and alerts you immediately. 

While it isn’t designed to take the place of a responsible adult, security fence, pool cover, or security alarm, the Pool Patrol PA-30 may help to increase safety and security in your pool area and give you peace of mind when kids are about.  

Pool Patrol PA-3: Key specs

Dimensions: Diameter 10", Depth 6.5"

Alarm strength: 100.4 dB

Remote range: 200 ft

Installation: Floating

Maximum pool size: 20 x 40ft

Alarm turn off: Rotate underside wheel

Around the size of a dinner plate, with an aqua blue top and black underside, the Pool Patrol PA-30 simply floats on your swimming pool’s surface. Multiple alarms can be used in large swimming pools, while a solo Pool Patrol PA-30 covers a pool size of around 20 x 40 feet.

Requiring no installation or modifications to your pool deck, the alarm’s sensitivity can be increased or decreased by simply rotating the underside left or right to lessen or intensify the device’s sensitivity. This makes the Pool Patrol PA-3 one of the simplest pool alarms we tested, yet it still performed well on accuracy during testing. 

Pool Patrol says its pool alarm detects children, pets, or objects 15 lbs or larger. We put it to the test at home with objects much smaller and lighter than this and found it to be impressively accurate.

Our review takes a closer look at the features and functionality of the Pool Patrol PA-3. Plus, our buying guide for the best pool alarms has more options, if the Pool Patrol PA-3 isn’t the right one for you.  

Pool Patrol PA-30: Features

The Pool Patrol PA-30 comes with a receiver which you can install up to 200 feet away from the pool, so you’re sure to hear the alarm, inside or outside. It is designed to work in pools up to 20 x 40 feet – the most surface area of the alarms we tested. 

For larger pools, you can buy two or more alarms to increase the range. The alarm itself runs off a 9-volt battery, which should give you a season of normal usage without any running down of battery life.  It can also be used with a solar cover if needs be. 

Some pool alarms that monitor smaller bodies of water can be put to “sleep” and then automatically reactivate once the surface of the water has been undisturbed for a given amount of time. With the Pool Patrol, there’s simply on and off and nothing in between.

The Pool Patrol PA-30 is easy to set up and easy to turn off. It also comes with a string and small mounting clip, so you can secure it to the side of your pool, within arm’s reach. 

The alarm itself puts out 100.4 decibels of sound. While that’s quieter than some other pool alarms, such as the SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG, anything even close to 100 decibels is comparable to being up close and personal to a jackhammer or a garbage truck. So you’re unlikely to miss it when it goes off. 

It will be reassuring to know that the Pool Patrol PA-30 is designed and tested to meet ASTM safety specifications, and has been tested by two independent labs to meet those safety requirements. 

Image shows the Pool Patrol PA-30 pool alarm

(Image credit: Amazon)

Pool Patrol PA-30: Performance

Our at-home tests took place in a small pool, so we had to turn the sensitivity way down. However, after a few trial runs, the device worked wonderfully. The alarm sounded when we threw golf balls in the water, tossed a wet sweatshirt in, and then when a person got into the water, culminating in a great score for accuracy.

Floating pool alarms like this one sound when the surface of the water is disturbed, but it passed our wind simulation test with a leaf blower, so it shouldn’t go off due to mild weather. It did eventually go off, but we had to turn the leaf blower’s power up very high. 

Another reason we liked the Pool Patrol PA-30 is its simplicity. While some models require you to push a combination of buttons or use a small key to silence the alarm, all you have to do with this one is pick it up and rotate the base to the left until the sound stops.

While the Pool Patrol PA-30 needs to be removed or turned off during use of the pool, users may want to wait 10-15 minutes after use before re-activating the alarm. Choppy water may set it off again, even if no one is in the pool.

Although the Pool Patrol PA-30 was one of the most expensive pool alarms we tested, there was no beating it for accuracy and peace of mind. 

Should you buy the Pool Patrol PA-30 pool alarm?

Despite how expensive it is, the Pool Patrol PA-30 pool alarm is incredibly accurate with almost no learning curve to using it. You can take it home, unbox it and have a watchful eye in your pool within a few minutes. To top it all off, the entire thing is plastic, so you never have to worry about rust or corrosion. 

If this product isn't for you

If you like your pool alarms loud and proud, then you may want to invest in the SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG. Registering at 101.6 decibels, it’s louder than a diesel truck passing by within 50 feet. The batteries last a year of usage, while it covers pools of up to 18 x 36 feet.

For parents of small children and toddlers, a wearable pool alarm may be another great option. The Safety Turtle 2.0 is designed to be worn like a wristwatch, alerting you whenever the device is submerged. So while you should never take your eyes off kids around a pool, it’s good to know the turtle has your back, if your back is turned, even for a split second. 

For homes with smaller pools, the Poolguard PGRM-SB Safety Buoy looks like a floating cone. It covers pools up to 18 x 36 feet, and emits a 97.9dB alarm. Its fun, colorful design means it’s hard to miss too!

Anna Burleson

Anna Burleson hails from South Dakota and worked as a writer and reviewer for a number of sites, including Top Ten Reviews. She has written for Top Ten Reviews across a number of subjects and her knowledge is very broad. Primarily, Anna has covered dating apps for this site, along with things like flower delivery and even sewing machines.

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