Common Causes for Electrocution in Pools. Pool Lighting – If you have pool lights that haven't been grounded or bonded by a professional, electricity can be sent directly into the pool and shock the swimmers. The lights don't even have to be turned on to send electrical currents through the water.
USE SHOCK ALERT TO TEST WATER FOR VOLTAGE
Shock Alert will notify you of electricity present in water. If it beeps and flashes red, DO NOT SWIM. If it flashes green, no voltage is detected.
Look for an exposed copper wire attached to the motor and pumps, going into the ground. It should connect in a similar way as in the image to the left. If you live in a municipality, you can also contact the building and inspection department to see if your pool had a code inspection during its construction.
It's often recommended to shock your pool once a week. If you don't do it every week, you should at least do it every other week. This is necessary to maintain your pool's water chemistry. If you have a lot of people over in your pool or have a party, you may want to shock your pool more frequently.
Shocking your pool isn't necessary, although, it's not a bad idea either. If you get an extremely heavy rain fall, you could shock your pool for good measure. This will help fight off any contaminants that the rain may have brought to your pool.
Running your filter after shocking your pool is a must and is just as important to your pool as shocking it is. Be sure to run your filter for at least 6 hours, but shoot for 24 hours to several days, if your pool is particularly dirty or has algae, to properly circulate the chlorine and clean the water.
What is grounding? Grounding is the process by which the bonded pool components are connected to the earth. The goal of grounding is to direct and dissipate any harmful electrical current to the ground and away from pool equipment, people and pets.
Bonding to the conductive pool shells is required. Poured concrete, sprayed concrete, and concrete block with coatings must be considered conductive materials. The un-encapsulated structural reinforcing steel must be bonded together by tie wires.
Since there is often confusion between grounding and bonding, some builders might bond but not ground or the other way around. Anything containing metal within five feet of the pool water must be bonded.
You can get electrocuted in a swimming pool. There are three common reasons that caused pool electrocution which include faulty electrical wiring, no GFCI protection for the outlets and circuits, and electrical cords and appliances getting in contact with the water.
Electrocution in water poses a serious and deadly danger to everyone who swims in a lake or a pool. It occurs when faulty wiring or poorly maintained equipment releases an electrical current into the water which enters people's bodies, paralyzing their muscles and causing them to drown.
Electrocution is death by an electrical shock. Wet skin or wet surfaces, such as grass or a pool deck, can greatly increase the chance of electrocution when electricity is present.
BUT, if you have to shock your pool during the day in broad daylight, you can still swim after adding shock. It's recommended that you wait one hour after adding shock with the filter running, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool.
The process of pool bonding, also referred to as equipotential bonding, works to connect all conductive elements in pools, spas, and hot tubs to create a single network that can evenly balance electrical voltage and reduce the risk of shock.
If you do not bond your pool equipment there is the risk that the equipment itself will become the anode in a galvanic couple with other metal components in or around your pool. If this happens, the anode metals will deteriorate at an advanced rate, a phenomenon called galvanic corrosion.
Insulated ground wire is required for grounding pumps. Making a mistake grounding and bonding a swimming pool pump can be deadly. Grounding enables faster circuit breaker action, and bonding ties conductive metal parts together so they have the same electrical potential. Together, both reduce the risk of fatal shock.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO INSTALL GROUND RODS OR RUN THE #8 BONDING CONDUCTOR BACK TO THE SERVICE OR SUB PANEL.
Bonding and grounding are two of the most essential electrical safety tasks pool owners must perform. Without proper bonding and grounding, you and other pool users run the risk of electric shock when using your pool or equipment.
Before you start pouring shock in the pool, the first step is to brush the sides and floor of your pool to loosen all the algae. Doing this breaks the skin and allows the pool shock to more easily kill the algae. Once you've done this, it is important to make sure you have the proper pH level in your water.
However, after shocking the pool, you shouldn't vacuum for at least 24 hours. Running the water pump during this period will allow the shock to do its job.
Dilute pool shock in a bucket of water for vinyl liner pools. Run the filter 24/7 until water is clear. Backwash only as needed. Brush the pool vigorously, several times after shocking the pool.
At the first sign of an incoming storm, you should turn off and unplug your pump. If this is left running during a storm, the motor may suffer electrical damage and short out.
Pool Water After a Storm
It is a good idea to clean or backwash your filter after a heavy rain, flood, or major storm. This will help prevent your pool from turning cloudy or green. Clean out the debris in all of your baskets. Use a net or vacuum to get all debris out of the pool.