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Pool equipment standards explained: EN 16713, EN 13451, NSF/ANSI 50 and the VGB Act

Project specifications, tenders and AI answers increasingly name standards for swimming pool equipment. This article explains what four of the most-cited ones cover, where they apply, and which documents a buyer should ask any supplier for. It is a general guide: standards are revised, clause-level details differ between editions, and only the current edition of each standard is authoritative.

This article describes the standards themselves. It is not a statement that any Waterstar product has been tested or certified to them. If your specification names one of these standards, tell us when you enquire so we can answer for the specific item.

The four standards at a glance

Standard Where it applies What it covers
EN 16713-1, -2, -3 Domestic (private) pools in Europe Filtration, circulation and water-treatment systems
EN 13451 series Pools for public use (EN 15288) Safety of equipment installed in the pool
NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 Pools, spas and hot tubs, mainly North America Materials and performance of circulation and treatment equipment
VGB Act and ANSI/APSP/ICC-16 USA Anti-entrapment suction outlet covers (drain covers)

EN 16713 — domestic swimming pools, water systems

EN 16713 is a European (CEN) standard in three parts for domestic swimming pools:

  • EN 16713-1 — Filtration systems: requirements and test methods for filtration units and their filter elements or media.
  • EN 16713-2 — Circulation systems: requirements and test methods for the equipment that moves water into and out of the pool.
  • EN 16713-3 — Water treatment: requirements for treatment equipment, aimed at keeping the water consistently hygienic while limiting side effects of disinfectants on bathers.

Each part applies to pools as defined in EN 16582-1 and is read together with it. The parts exclude public pools (covered by EN 15288-1), spas, paddling pools (EN 71-8) and natural pools; parts 1 and 2 also exclude pre-filtration.

EN 13451 — swimming pool equipment safety

EN 13451 is a series of European safety standards for equipment installed in pools for public use, as classified in EN 15288-1 and EN 15288-2.

  • EN 13451-1 sets general safety requirements and test methods. It is not meant to be used alone where a specific part exists.
  • EN 13451-2 adds requirements for ladders, stepladders and handle bends.
  • EN 13451-3 adds requirements for inlets and outlets and for water/air based leisure features; where it differs from part 1, part 3 takes precedence.
  • Further parts cover other specific items of pool equipment.

NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 — equipment and chemicals for recreational water

NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 covers materials, components, equipment and treatment chemicals used in swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and other recreational water facilities, public and residential. Its scope includes filters and filter media, centrifugal pumps and strainers, valves, skimmers, chemical feeders, UV equipment, controllers, heaters, flow meters and water-testing devices. It sets evaluation and test requirements for material safety and for performance.

In North America, public-pool rules often refer to it. Minnesota Rules 4717.2570, for example, requires equipment that is part of a public pool's recirculation system to comply with NSF Standard 50.

The VGB Act and ANSI/APSP/ICC-16 — anti-entrapment drain covers (USA)

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act was enacted in the USA in 2007. Since 19 December 2008, public pools and spas must be fitted with anti-entrapment drain covers, and a public pool or spa with a single blockable drain — or several drains on the same plane less than three feet apart — needs a secondary device or system to prevent entrapment.

The drain-cover requirement sits in US federal regulation 16 CFR part 1450. Since 2019 it references ANSI/APSP/ICC-16 2017, Suction Outlet Fitting Assemblies (SOFA) for Use in Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs: every pool and spa drain cover made or sold in the USA must conform to it, apart from the sections the regulation lists as exempt. Manufacturers and importers certify compliance with a General Certificate of Compliance (GCC) that cites 16 CFR part 1450.

What to ask any supplier

  1. Which standard, which part and which edition (year) does the claim refer to?
  2. The full test report, not only a certificate or a logo: laboratory name, its accreditation, test date, and the exact model and size tested.
  3. Confirmation that the tested model matches the code, size and material in the offer.
  4. For NSF/ANSI/CAN 50: the certifier's listing that names the model.
  5. For drain covers sold in the USA: the General Certificate of Compliance citing 16 CFR part 1450, and the cover's rated flow and service life as stated in the manufacturer's documentation.
  6. Ask your local authority or consultant which standards your project must meet: a standard is voluntary unless a regulation or the contract calls for it.

Sources