Installing a pool is, for many, one of the pinnacles of achievement when upgrading your home.
Many people think having a pool is the ideal dream scenario.
Your pool will look even better if you have underwater lighting.
Lights aren’t just pleasing aesthetically, though. They’re also a safety feature – helping you to see your pool edges at night and stay safer in the water.
But are they safe? Sure they light the pool, but they’re electrical – can’t they electrocute you?
Pool lights can electrocute you, but it is rare. Most pool lights are 12 volts, so electrocution is unlikely to be fatal. Causes include faulty wiring, lack of grounding, or poorly-sealed lights.
You don’t need to panic about ever getting into a swimming pool with lights again. However, it’s still good to understand that some risk is involved, and as a pool owner, there are ways you can mitigate it.
So let’s take a look at:
- Whether 12 volt pool lights can shock you
- The safety features that pool lights have
- Preventing electrocution in your pool
- Testing the water for electrical current
Can 12V Pool Lights Shock You?
Pool lights can cause electrocution.
But these are rare – according to statistics from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 47 incidents of electrocution causing either injury or death between 2002 and 2018.
But those are not broken down into the cause.
The same report lists many causes of electrocution, and pool lights are only one of those – other examples include filters, nearby power cords, electrical outlets, stereos, and outdoor power lines.
But even if we were to assume that all 47 were caused by pool lights, that would be less than 3 incidents per year in the US.
To put that into context, there are over 10 million swimming pools in the US according to the Pools and Hot Tub Alliance 2021 market report.
You can read the market report here.
So that means that, of all the pools in the US, only 0.000000003% have an electrocution every year.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can be flippant.
Firstly, what can cause pool lights to shock you?
Typically it’s because of faulty wiring – if the installation hasn’t been done correctly, and the wires either aren’t secured together using robust connectors, or they aren’t protected from the elements.
That could include wiring under ground next to the pool that isn’t rated for underground use.
Or the other cause is the lack of GFCI protection.
Pool lights need a ground fault circuit interrupter on the circuit so that the circuit cuts out immediately if there is a ground fault.
Ground faults can be caused by various things, but the most common is water getting into the wiring – so it’s even more critical with pool lights!
Whether 12-volt lights specifically can shock you, the answer is yes, they can.
They aren’t necessarily likely to kill you, but they could – especially if you had an electrical pacemaker installed.
But in most cases, 12-volt electrocution will only cause injury.
Of course, if you’re swimming alone and you get injured, you could still die if you were to go unconscious or be unable to safely swim.
So don’t assume that a 12-volt shock is nothing to worry about.
What Are The Safety Features Of Pool Lights?
Modern pool lights are very safe to use, provided you buy good quality lights and have them installed correctly by someone who understands what they are doing.
Pool lights are waterproof – that’s no surprise really.
The bulbs are surrounded by a completely sealed waterproof casing, which ensures that water can’t get into the actual bulb itself.
As for the wiring behind it, that will be completely sealed.
First, you should use waterproof epoxy to seal around the lights.
Then any wiring should either be rated for use underground or encased in a waterproof conduit.
Modern pool lights are low voltage – that 12-volt current is still a danger but it should reduce the chance of electrocution being life-threatening.
How To Prevent Electrocution In The Pool?
Here are the critical steps to ensuring your pool is best protected from electrocution.
Firstly, all lights need to be grounded – this means adequately wired to the circuit breaker (via the transformer), including ground wires.
The transformer for 12-volt lights also needs to be grounded, so ensure every wire is connected correctly.
Swimming pools also need to be bonded.
Bonding is where you connect the swimming pool water, anything metallic, and anything electrical together – typically using a loop of bare copper wire.
Why would you do this? Why connect electrical devices to the water and the pool ladder, for example?
That’s because bonding ensures that current has somewhere else to flow if needed – if there is a surge, or if the grounding wires fail, then alternative grounding wires are available.
It ensures that current flows outward to the grounding circuit rather than sitting around, waiting to electrocute someone in the pool.
If your pool lights are older and you didn’t install them yourself, you shouldn’t use them until you’ve inspected their seals and repaired any damage with epoxy that’s waterproof.
Then the most crucial step is to always use common sense – avoid electrical hazards near your pool, and never take risks when it comes to pool lights.
If you notice any wiring faults, turn off the lights and get them checked before you use them again. If your transformer is damaged, replace it – don’t hope for the best.
Treat your pool lighting circuit with the respect that any electrical device should have, and you should be fine.
How To Test Water In The Pool For Electrical Current?
Unfortunately, electricity is invisible in water. So you can’t tell when your pool is electrified. There will be no apparent signs, so electrocution is a risk.
One device you can purchase is a shock alert (Amazon). These are specialist alarms that will give an audio and visual warning if a current is detected in your swimming pool.
They’re not the cheapest item, but safety is hardly something to put a price on, right?
Using a shock alarm, you can tell when there’s a faulty device causing your pool to be electrified.
You can switch off the power and investigate the source of the problem, rendering it safe.
Also read: How To Hang String Lights Around The Pool?
Final Words
While electrocutions in swimming pools are rare, they are not something you can just hope to avoid.
You must maintain any electrical system in your home, especially one closely associated with water.
Buy good quality lights, and have them installed correctly. Then, you should have nothing to worry about and can enjoy a beautiful pool during the day and at night.
Are you one of the 8% of Americans to have a pool? Do you have lights installed, or are you considering them?