Swimming Pool Electrical Safety

Summertime is great for young and old to rotate off the couch and rediscover outdoor living centered around the family pool.  If anything, forced sheltering in place during this recent health crisis has only amplified this seasonal urge to ‘epidemic’ proportions. Before taking that first plunge, however, it is important to acknowledge water, human beings, and electricity do not make a good mix and can even lead to life-threatening shock.  A few safety precautions must be observed and re-checked seasonally.

All the functions of a pool-its circulation pump, lighting and heating equipment rely on electricity to run efficiently.  Unless indoors, all swimming pools, whether above or below ground, new and old, are exposed year-round to the elements, meaning electrical connections can and do deteriorate over time.  To complicate things further, chlorinated water in its diluted form may be safe to most humans but not so with electrical connections, it is one of the biggest offenders.  Poorly maintained or poorly installed electrical equipment

Table of Contents

• The Silent Killer
• Commonly found electricity around swimming pools
• What should you do if you feel voltage in the water?
• What to do if someone is receiving a shock in the pool?
• Emergency Preparedness

The Silent Killer

Electricity can and does occasionally find its way into a swimming pool. When present, electricity is a silent, virtually undetectable killer. This has never been truer than in pools dating back to the 1960s, when advancements in ground fault protection were non-existent or in their infancy stages. Corroding rebar within aging concrete walls can lose the all-important electrical bond.

Where do we commonly find electricity around swimming pools?

• Underwater lighting
• Path and landscape lighting
• Electric pool equipment: pumps, filters, pool covers, vacuums, etc.
• Extension and power cords
• Electrical outlets and switches
• Radios, sound equipment, TV’s and other electrical products.
• Overhead powerlines
• Stray ground voltage

By Code, all electrical pool equipment and surrounding outlets and lighting require ground fault protection, but even this life-saving fail-safe can go bad from time to time and may even appear to be working properly when, in reality, it is not. Summer lightning storms have been known to damage the sensitive electronics in ground fault protective devices to render them useless.

What should you do if you feel voltage in the water?

If you feel a tingling sensation while in a pool, immediately stop the direction of your swimming. Try to swim in a direction where the tingling was not felt. Exit the water quickly but avoid touching metal ladders or rails. Touching metal may only increase the risk of shock.

What to do if someone is receiving a shock in the pool?

Sad but true, many would be rescuers of family members receiving a shock become victims themselves and this can happen without entering the pool.  Extending a metal pole like a leaf net to a shock victim can be as deadly as jumping into the water. 

So, what should you do if someone is experiencing an electrical shock in your pool?

• Know where the circuit breaker(s)/disconnects are and quickly turn the power off. Nothing can happen until the scene is made safe.
• Call 911 or have someone else call for emergency assistance.

Emergency Preparedness. 

Although a great idea, posting emergency procedures near the pool is not as effective as rehearsing these procedures with everyone entering or lounging around the pool.  In just a few moments a quick refresher course of where the main disconnects are will aid to quick thinking.  Having someone in the family trained in first Aid-CPR is another worthwhile suggestion to tend to the shock victim until the professionals arrive.

Seasonally evaluate the electrical health of your pool.

It is strongly recommended that your pool be checked annually in spring by a licensed, experienced electrical contractor. Proper bonding around and in the pool is not only a Code requirement; it is a lifesaver. Lippolis Electric has been in the service business of evaluating and recommending swimming pool corrections and landscape lighting for 36 years. We’re than happy to lend our years of experience to make your summer one of worry-free fun. Call our main number at 914-738-3550 for a free estimate.