Aqualarm

What Aqualarm does

Aqualarm is a privately held US manufacturer of marine warning and alarm systems, founded in 1983 and operating out of Chula Vista, California with a 1-10 employee footprint. Its product portfolio spans 15 categories covering bilge water detection, cooling water flow monitoring, exhaust overheat, engine oil pressure and temperature, fire and smoke detection, wireless boat security, shore power and low-battery warnings, anchor light automation, and custom-built panels, supported by accessories such as license plate frames, hose-to-barb adapters, and replacement parts. Core technology centers on electromechanical sensing — including a patented Cooling Water Flow Detector with paddle-wheel architecture, supervised circuit technology that distinguishes wire faults from alarm conditions, a 100-ft wireless bilge detector, and a photocell-driven automatic anchor light switch — all engineered for 12V, 24V, and 32V marine electrical systems. The 20514 Fire Detector carries UL and ULC listings and complies with Transport Canada 10.3 Fire Detection and Alarm Regulations.

Aqualarm monetizes through one-time hardware sales distributed via its Zen Cart-powered e-commerce site (aqualarm.net) and a US dealer network, with pricing spanning $3.50 hose adapters to $599 multi-system monitoring kits. A custom panel fabrication service with a typical 3-day turnaround and quote-based pricing extends the model into build-to-order work. The customer base is split between recreational boat owners (primary) needing single-vessel protection against engine overheating, bilge flooding, and fire, and commercial marine operators (secondary) requiring multi-engine, multi-compartment monitoring for safety and compliance. Volume discounts are referenced for insurance carriers, indicating some institutional channel motion. Marketing and distribution are deliberately lean: a single website with full e-commerce functionality, a published dealer list, and no apparent social media, app, or API presence. There is no evidence of venture funding, acquisitions, partnerships, M&A activity, leadership turnover, or international expansion beyond Canadian regulatory compliance on a single fire-detector SKU.

Name

Aqualarm

Legal name

Aqualarm

Website

https://aqualarm.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aqualarm is a privately held Chula Vista, California manufacturer founded in 1983 that designs and sells marine warning and alarm hardware — including bilge detectors, patented cooling water flow sensors, fire/smoke alarms, engine monitors, and custom panels — directly to recreational boat owners and commercial marine operators via e-commerce and a US dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Safety and Alarm Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI), Integrated Marine Electrical Systems & Switchboards (IMAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Marine alarm systems
• Boat monitoring equipment
• Bilge water detection
• Marine safety electronics
• Engine cooling flow detectors

Headquarters

HQ city

Chula Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: One-time hardware sales of marine alarm and warning products including sensors, detectors, panels, bells, sirens, and complete monitoring kits. Products are sold at various price points from basic components to comprehensive multi-system monitoring kits.
2. Custom Panel Fabrication: Custom boat panel fabrication to customer specifications. Quote-based pricing with typical 3-day fabrication turnaround. Additional charges for custom text and specialized configurations.
3. Dealer/Reseller Sales: Products distributed through a dealer network. Dealers can purchase products and resell to end customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Aqualarm designs, manufactures, and sells marine warning and alarm systems for boats, including bilge water detectors, cooling water flow monitors, fire and smoke detectors, engine and exhaust sensors, wireless boat security systems, and multi-system monitoring kits. The company sells directly through its own e-commerce website and a U.S. dealer network, and offers custom boat panel fabrication to customer specification with a 3-day turnaround. Products span 15 categories covering individual sensors, complete monitoring kits, and audible/visual alarm devices operating on 12V, 24V, and 32V marine electrical systems.

Product overview

Aqualarm is a manufacturer of marine warning and alarm systems for boats, operating as a single-category hardware product company. The product portfolio centers on marine safety monitoring systems including bilge alarms, cooling water flow detectors, fire/smoke detection, engine monitoring, boat security, and exhaust overheat alarms. Products are organized into 15 product categories and include both individual components (detectors, sensors, panels) and complete monitoring kits. Key product lines include Multi-Compartment Bilge Warning Panels (2-6 compartments), Engine Monitor Kits (single/twin), Automatic Systems Monitor Kits, and the Wireless Boat Security System. Products operate on 12V, 24V, and 32V marine electrical systems. The company also offers custom panel fabrication services and sells accessory items like license plate frames and hose adapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooling Water Flow Detection Systems Engine cooling water flow monitoring systems including flow detectors, warning panels, and Save Your Engine kits that prevent engine overheating due to raw water flow obstruction in marine engines.
• Bilge Alarms and Switches Marine bilge water detection and alarm systems including water level detectors, high water warnings, pump switches, smart bilge alarms, and bilge monitoring panels for boats.
• Fire and Smoke Alarms Marine fire and smoke detection systems including fire detectors (fixed and rate-of-rise), smoke detectors, warning panels, and complete fire alarm kits for cabins and engine compartments.
• Exhaust, Engine Monitors and Sensors Engine monitoring systems including exhaust overheat detectors, oil pressure monitors, engine temperature monitors, and complete engine monitor kits for single and twin engine configurations.
• Security and General Alarm Systems Boat security systems including wireless boat security systems, motion sensors, door/window sensors, key fobs, temperature monitors, and sirens for complete vessel protection.
• Automatic System Monitor Kits Comprehensive multi-system monitoring kits that track critical boat systems including bilge water, fire, oil pressure, engine temperature, cooling water flow, and exhaust with visual indicator panels.
• Multi-Compartment Bilge Warning Panels Warning panels designed to monitor multiple bilge compartments simultaneously, available in 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 compartment configurations with individual zone indicators.
• Audible and Visual Alarm Devices Alarm notification devices including standard bell alarms, indoor/outdoor sirens, strobe lights (red, amber, blue), piezo buzzers, and combination siren/strobe units.
• Watch Alarm, Aerator, and Alarm Mat Watch/timer alarms (Last Watch II) for crew monitoring, aerator controls, and pressure alarm mats for security applications.
• Custom Panel Fabrication Service Custom-built boat alarm panels fabricated to customer specifications including custom sizes, added switches, fuse holders, mute buttons, and additional features, with most custom panels completed in no more than 3 days.
• Shore Power and Low Battery Warning Electrical system monitoring including shore power loss warnings and low battery detectors/monitors for 12V marine electrical systems.
• 20408 Wireless Bilge Detector Wireless bilge water level detector with 100-ft range that activates a keypad siren when water reaches critical level, with no wires required to run.
• 20410 Wireless Boat Security System Complete wireless boat security system including keypad control panel with backlight, wireless motion sensor, two wireless door/window sensors, key fob for remote arming/disarming, and built-in siren, supporting up to 24 sensors across 4 zones.
• 10231 Cooling Water Flow Detector (2-in FPT) Patented multi-voltage flow detector for 2-inch female pipe thread that monitors raw water flow to prevent engine overheating, with normally closed two-wire switch that opens with flow and closes if flow is lost.
• 20392 Automatic Anchor Light Switch (Light Sentry) Light Sentry photo cell switch that automatically turns anchor lights on at sunset and off at sunrise, with remote photocell sensor allowing the unit to be mounted inside while the sensor is external.
• 20322 Engine Monitor for Oil and Temperature (Single Engine) Single-engine monitor kit that monitors oil pressure and engine temperature and activates a red light and audible buzzer when levels are abnormal, bundling a low oil pressure detector and an engine overheat detector.
• 20514 Fire Detector (Fixed 194°F and Rate-of-Rise) Remote marine fire detector with fixed 194°F and rate-of-rise capabilities, UL and ULC listed, and compliant with Transport Canada 10.3 Fire Detection and Alarm Regulations.
• 71006 Bilge Pump 3-Way Switch Panel Multi-voltage bilge pump switch panel with AUTO/OFF/MAN positions, a green indicator light for AUTO mode, and an amber light when the pump runs.
• 20346 Smart Bilge Alarm Smart bilge alarm that alerts to excessive pumping and automatically runs the pump for an additional 15 seconds after the float drops to clear the bilge, lighting red when the pump runs and activating a buzzer if the pump runs longer than 2 minutes.
• 20361 Three Compartment Bilge Warning Panel Three-compartment bilge warning panel that shows which compartment has a high water condition by activating a red warning light and loud panel-mounted piezo buzzer.
• 20011 Last Watch II Alarm (Helmsman Minder) Digital countdown timer (helmsman minder) with LED display that sounds a loud alarm if the reset button is not pushed before the set time expires, with clock setable up to 99 minutes and a key lock for security.
• License Frames and Back Plates Chrome/zinc-plated license plate frames featuring marine themes including 'I'd Rather Be Boating', Fishing, Kayaking, Sailing, Rafting, Golfing, and Flying designs.
• Hose to Barb Adapters Adapters for connecting cooling water flow detectors to various hose sizes in marine engine installations.
• Bait Tank Alarm Water level monitoring system for bait tanks with sensors designed for 0.5 to 1.25 inch hose connections.
• Replacement Parts Spare and replacement components including switch assemblies, springs for flow detectors, replacement panels, and universal relays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Discounts offered by many insurance carriers for boats equipped with monitoring systems

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fireboy-Xintex: Direct peer in marine fire detection and safety systems. Fireboy-Xintex makes fixed fire extinguishing systems, CO detectors, and gas detectors for boats, overlapping heavily with Aqualarm's fire/smoke alarm line and competing for the same OEM and aftermarket customers.
• Blue Sea Systems: Marine electrical platform vendor selling panels, switches, and circuit protection. Overlaps with Aqualarm on bilge pump switch panels, multi-compartment warning panels, and custom panel fabrication, serving the same boatbuilders and refit yards.
• Attwood Marine: Broad marine hardware and accessories brand with bilge pumps, switches, and electrical components. Overlaps with Aqualarm on bilge switches, pump panels, and small electrical accessories sold through marine dealers and boat OEMs.
• Rule Industries: Marine bilge pump and accessories manufacturer. Rule's bilge pumps and float switches are commonly paired with Aqualarm's bilge alarms, making them complementary product peers competing for the same bilge-monitoring section of the marine catalog.
• Whale Pumps (Munster Simms Engineering): Marine water and waste system specialist. Whale's bilge and waste pumps overlap with Aqualarm's bilge and bait tank monitoring lines, addressing similar boat-owner pain points around water-level detection.
• Sea-Dog Corporation: Marine hardware and accessories distributor and manufacturer serving the same small-to-mid boatbuilder and dealer channels. Sea-Dog offers bilge, electrical, and miscellaneous accessories that overlap with several Aqualarm categories.

Broad incumbents

• Xantrex (Schneider Electric): Large marine and mobile power electronics vendor. Xantrex overlaps with Aqualarm on low battery / shore power warning products and is part of Schneider Electric, providing scale and integration advantages Aqualarm cannot match.
• Garmin Marine: Dominant marine electronics incumbent with multifunction displays that increasingly integrate engine, bilge, and security monitoring. Garmin is a platform-level threat to standalone alarm panels like Aqualarm's as boats get more networked.
• Raymarine (Teledyne FLIR): Marine electronics incumbent with integrated chartplotters, radar, and instrument displays. Raymarine's broader instrumentation suite competes indirectly with Aqualarm by absorbing dedicated monitoring functions into MFDs and instrument networks.

Regional players

• Perko: US marine lighting, hardware, and accessories maker. Perko overlaps in marine switches, electrical panels, and safety accessories, competing in the same North American dealer and OEM channel as Aqualarm.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aqualarm