Pool electricity

[emilymarie]

sorry, im new here and not sure if this is the right category to put this question in.

Every one has probably seen the news lately with all these pool electricity issues, people dying and getting injured from I guess bonding issues. Lead me to do a search on if there is a test kit...and I came across an article where a lady said she went to put her leg in the pool and felt a sting on a cut she had on her leg. She said it felt like someone was biting her. It said she just had concrete poured and wasn't sure if there was an issue with bonding.

Brings me to Sunday, I was cleaning out the skimmer and put my hand in the pool. It felt like I got stung on my finger. I did have a cut on it and just thought that since its a salt water pool, it must have been the salt. Then I see this article and it hit me that we just had our travertine tile replaced this winter because it kept sinking into the ground. The installers never put it in right so we fought with the pool company and they finally sent someone out to pour a concrete deck with brick coping. Seeing all the response to her thread, I am not concerned that when the concrete deck was poured, that something happened to our original bonding...or as mentioned in the article, the concrete didn't get bonded.

With three kids who are in the pool all the time, im freaking out now. Anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks

13,000 gallon inground pool with vinyl. Saltwater pool.

 

[karmabiker]

Welcome to TFP!

If you are really concerned about the bonding on your pool call an electrician out to test, they can test to see if there is current "leaking".

That said...

If you were truly getting zapped by the pool ... you would know it.

 

[Casey]

Welcome Emily.

Did you have your new concrete put through a new inspection?

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

While the news certainly does seem to sensationalize things at times, you may have a valid concern given the details.

I am not exactly sure how to troubleshoot it though. I would start by seeing if you get a voltage reading between the wet concrete and the pool water using a multimeter.

 

[emilymarie]

we didn't know the new concrete needed to be inspected. The pool company originally put down travertine tile. It kept sinking and they were out where at least 5 times trying to fix it. Finally after arguing with them and reporting them to BBB, they agreed to come out and do the concrete. I just assumed that if it needed to be inspected again, they would tell me since they are the ones who installed it and arranged for the inspector every time at installation. Trying to find out who originally did all the electrical work, going to call them to come out. Our luck with this pool, they will need to rip up all concrete. GRRR

 

[emilymarie]

talked to the electrican who installed pool. He said we are going to be okay, that it sounds like to him there is a break in the bonding line but really other than tearing up the concrete there is no way to find it but we would be okay. He is coming out next week to change out some breakers in our box to meet new standards that were applied last year and he would check things out.

 

[ps0303]

I've seen lots of really old pools that do not have any bonding that I can see and I do not hear of anybody getting zapped. I think there is more to this news piece than what they are saying.

 

[JasonLion]

If you did some reading between the lines, it was fairly clear. At least one pump was not ground and not bonded and had hot shorted to the chassis.