Frequently Asked Questions
INSTALLATION + EARTHING
Does my bolt down hand rail come with bolts?
No, Hand Rails Australia does not provide bolts with our rails. This is to keep our prices as competitive as possible and allow our customers to source the most appropriate bolts for their pool and install. Please also note that some installers will provide bolts in their price.
All of our installation instructions (below) include a recommendation for which bolts to request at your local hardware or bolt store.
Does my core fit hand rail come with cover plates?
Yes, all core fit rails from Hand Rails Australia come with colour matched or stainless steel cover plates to match the purchased rail.
How do I install my Hand Rails Australia bolt down hand rail?
- Check the desired location for the hand rail, ensuring bolt holes will anchor into the pool bond beam which most pool types should have. It will be approx. 400mm around edge of pool and at least 150mm deep.
- Mark out the desired location for the hand rail.
- Double check the location and angle of the handrail.
- Drill holes with 10mm masonry bit to a minimum depth of 70mm.
- We recommend using fibre washers with plastic coating protection on PVC plastic Coated Rails, these can be purchased with the bolts. Fix these between the bolt nut and rail base hole.
- Put handrail into position, you may want to use a second pair of hands to hold the rail. This will avoid damage or scratches during installation.
- Fit 10mm x 65mm (or longer for larger rails; or deeper coping pavers or tiles) Stainless Steel Hex bolt type dynabolts into the pre-drilled holes and tighten the bolts.
- Re-check tightness in a few days.
You can also contact a local handy man to perform this install for you.
How do I install my Hand Rails Australia bolt down round flange hand rail? These instructions only apply to Handrails HRA10B + HRA11B.
- Check the desired location for the hand rail, ensuring bolt holes will anchor into the pool bond beam which most pool types should have. It will be approx. 400mm around edge of pool and at least 150mm deep.
- Mark out the desired location for the hand rail.
- Double check the location and angle of the handrail.
- Drill holes with 5mm masonry bit to a minimum depth of 60mm
- We recommend using fibre washers with plastic coating protection on PVC plastic Coated Rails, these can be purchased with the bolts. Fix these between the bolt nut and rail base hole.
- Put handrail into position, you may want to use a second pair of hands to hold the rail. This will avoid damage or scratches during installation.
- Fit 5mm x 45mm (or longer for larger rails; or deeper coping pavers or tiles) Stainless Steel Hex bolt type dynabolts into the pre-drilled holes and tighten the bolts.
- Re-check tightness in a few days.
You can also contact a local handy man to perform this install for you.
How do I install my Hand Rails Australia core fit hand rail?
- Check the desired location for the hand rail, ensuring core fit holes will anchor into the pool bond beam which most pool types should have. It will be approx. 400mm around edge of pool and at least 150mm deep.
- Mark out the desired location for the hand rail.
- Double check the location and angle of the handrail.
- Core drill 2 x 50mm diameter hole 100mm to 150mm deep, 200mm apart (or to suit rail posts).
- Place the provided hole covers, right way up, onto the hand rail posts and secure up out of the way for lowering later.
- Fill each hole 2/3 full with "Timbermate Concremate", “Maxgrip”,”Epirez” or similar expanding anchoring cement mix (see your hardware specialist for this).
- Put handrail into position, you may want to use a second pair of hands to hold the rail. This will avoid damage or scratches during installation.
- Insert the handrail into the core drilled holes and make sure the hand rail is properly aligned and plumb (this as cement sets quickly). Do your best to keep the hand rail clean of the cement.
- Insert small wedges around top of opening around the hand rail to secure the hand rail in place.
- Once the cement has set, remove the wedges and finish filling the core drilled holes.
- Lower the hole covers to cover core drilled holes.
If you don’t want to core drill yourself you can hire a “Concrete Cutting Contractor” that will usually core drill as well as cut concrete.
Do I need to earth my stainless steel pool handrail?
The new edition of AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules (Electrical Installations) was published on 26 June 2018 and took effect in most states and territories on 1 January 2019. The new version of AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules Standard (Electrical Installations) includes revised earthing requirements and enhanced earthing requirements for swimming pools.
In instances where your pool fence is within 1.25m of the pool edge your fence must be earthed to prevent the risk of electrocution. Basically if there is an electrical current within the pool water and a person in the water touches a metal fitting then this can cause death or serious injury. This requirement means a earth wire must be run between spigots (underground) and then to an earthing point, usually on the house. It is a requirement under AS3000:2018 that Equipotential Bonding (earth bonding) is required to pool fencing when the fence is within arm’s reach (1.250m) of the pool edge. This applies to any conductive metal component including metal grab hand rails.
Do I need to earth my PVS Plastic coated pool handrail?
The new edition of AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules (Electrical Installations) applies to any conductive metal component within 1.25m of the pool edge. Thermoplastic coating PPA571 possesses low thermal conductivity properties, Hand Rails Australia has been advised that this removes the requirement for the handrail to be earthed. Hand Rails Australia is seeking further written confirmation of this from the Master Electricians Australia and the Swimming Pools & Spa Association Australia.
The thermoplastic coating is ideal for use by the elderly as the coating is "warm to the touch", does not reflect the sun/glare like the stainless steel rails, has high slip resistance and is cooler to touch in hot sun. Additionally, thermoplastic coated rails have exceptional resistance against salt spray, humidity and most common chemicals, acids and alkalis.
PRODUCTS, ORDERS + PURCHASING
How do I place an order with Hand Rail Australia?
Ordering online from Hand Rails Australia is easy. Simply select the quantity needed of each item and then click ‘Add to Cart’.
You can review the items in your Cart at any time by clicking on the ‘My Cart’ icon in the top right corner of every page. Once you have reviewed the items in your shopping cart, you can either continue shopping or continue to checkout and place your order.
How do I checkout?
Once you have your selected items in your Cart, simply click the ‘Checkout’ button. You will then be prompted to either sign in to your account, or checkout with PayPal, ShopPay or GPay.
Next, choose your preferred shipping method. Check all of your details are correct on this screen so that your order goes to the right place.
Finally, you will be directed to complete your payment.
A confirmation email will be sent to your registered email address containing the contents of your order.
I’ve just placed an order. Where is my confirmation email?
Please allow up to 2 hours for your confirmation email to be received in your registered email address inbox. The email may be hiding in your junk/spam mail folder, so check that too. If you still have not received your confirmation email after this time, please email us at handrailsaustralia@gmail.com so we can investigate it for you.
SHIPPING
Can I track my order?
You bet! Once you have placed your order and we have dispatched it, you will get an email from us with your tracking information. This could be up to 2 days after you have placed the order.
Can I change or cancel my order once I've placed it?
If you want to change your order please email handrailsaustralia@gmail.com with your order details as soon as possible and we will try to help you.
Once an order has been processed and shipped, we won’t be able to make any changes. Check our Returns and Refunds Policy for more details.
How can I update my address details?
It is possible to update your address details, but you have to be quick! Please email us at handrailsaustralia@gmail.com with your order number and address details as quickly as possible. Changes to your shipping address can only be made if your order has not already been shipped.
Where is my order coming from?
Hand Rails Australia is based on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Who does Hand Rails Australia ship with?
We ship with Aramex/Fastways.
Once we have sent your package off we accept no responsibility for any delay, damage, destruction of goods caused by the third-party deliverer. However, we will endeavor to find a solution if any of the above issues arise.
How much is shipping?
Shipping is a flat rate $45 Australia wide.
The only exception to this is for our wholesale customers. Please contact us at handrailsaustralia@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a wholesaler.
Do you offer local pick up?
Yes we do! We now offer local pick up for those base on or willing to travel to the Gold Coast. Simply select local pick up at the checkout and we will be in contact with you when your purchase is ready for collection.
How long will my order take to arrive?
We know you’ll want your products as quickly as possible after ordering. That is why we dispatch all of our "ready-to-ship" orders within 3 business days of the order being placed and paid for. Please note that custom orders will have a varying dispatch time frame based on complexity, each order will have a unique timeframe that will be communicated to the customer prior to the order manufacture commencing.
What could cause a delay in these shipping times?
Please keep in mind that there are some times throughout the year where the above estimates may be longer. These times might include around Christmas and Black Friday sale periods, for example. Aramex/Fastways can experience delays in shipping times due to events like COVID-19 and extreme weather conditions.
How can I update my address details?
It is possible to update your address details, but you have to be quick. Please email us at handrailsaustralia@gmail.com with your order number and address details as quickly as possible. Changes to your shipping address can only be made if your order has not already been shipped.
Do you ship overseas?
We would love to service worldwide, but at the moment our Australian warehouse can only ship within Australia.
Will you give out my details to third parties?
We will not disclose your personal information to any third parties without your consent, unless we are required to by law or to the extent we use third parties to capture or manage your personal information on our behalf. Check out our Privacy Policy for more information on this.