Your Pool Filter Box & The NCZ

Updated September, 2020

The pool filter box can be the Marie Kondo of the pool area. But without the correct guidance and understanding of the pool compliance laws, the pool filter box’s intentions of keeping the pool area clear can become a dangerous aid in child drowning. We’ve got all the tips when it comes to checking Your Pool Filter Box & The NCZ non-climbable zone.

A clean pool is a safe pool. Keeping our pool maintained and hygienic works to

protect our pool equipment
save on avoidable repairs, and
prevents the build-up and growth of bacteria and algae

Keeping our pool pump, equipment and general hardware safe, soundproof and neatly concealed is relatively easy thanks to the humble pool filter box. The pool filter box comes in all sizes and shapes, ranging from wooden boxes to brick and designer crafted pool grottos. But without the correct guidance and pool safety advice, the decluttering of the pool filter box can easily be non-compliant and aid in a child drowning.

It starts with the NCZ non-climbable zone which is vital to pool safety. In our blog What Is The NCZ Non-Climbable Zone? – which you can read all about >here – we established it as the areas around the pool, fence and barrier where there can’t be any objects aiding as an act to climb.

In a nutshell, the NCZ is measured as an arc shape from the top of the pool fence arching towards the ground to also includes the space extending 300mm inside the pool area, free from any potential footholds or handholds with any horizontal climbable bars on your pool fence spaced at least 900mm apart.

Top Tips Avoiding Your Pool Filter Box Hitting The NCZ Non-Climbable Zone

Plan your landscaping so your pool filter box isn’t in the NCZ non-climbable zone
Reroute the fence around your pool filter box so it’s outside the NCZ non-climbable zone.
Extend the fence so your pool filter box is not compromising the NCZ non-climbable zone 900mm away from the top rail of the boundary barrier and 500mm away from the remainder of the boundary.
Cover the pool filter box with an enclosure 1800mm from the ground.

Pool compliance starts with planning your landscaping, particularly with keeping your pool filter box outside the NCZ non-climbable zone.

But particularly relevant to Swimming Pool Australian Standard 2012, the goal of the NCZ is to see the fence stand at 1800mm high without an obstruction or way of accessing the pool area. If your pool filter box is found within 500mm of the boundary fence, this reduces the effective height of your pool fence and barriers to less than 1800mm.

Top Solutions For Your Pool Filter Box In The NCZ Non-Climbable Zone

If your pool filter box stands within the NCZ non-climbable zone, the top pool safety solutions include

rerouting the fence around your pool filter box so it’s placed outside the NCZ non-climbable zone
extending the fence height so your pool filter box is not compromising the NCZ non-climbable zone 900mm away from the top rail of the boundary barrier and 500mm away from the remainder of the boundary, and
covering the pool filter box with an enclosure 1800mm from the ground – refer image

: enclosed pool filter

By all means, go all out with your pool filter box to keep the pool pump, pool equipment and general hardware safe, soundproof and neatly concealed. But in the process, make sure you’re compliant and so keep your property, family and the community safe.