It’s safe to say that summertime in Chicago is here. With public pools and beaches closed, many homeowners throughout the City of Chicago and the Chicagoland Area have decided to take matters into their own hands and invest in their own pool for their backyard.
Having your own pool comes a new level of responsibility to ensure the safety of all those using the pool. The swimming abilities of those using the pool is probably the number one thought for most homeowners. Rightfully so. You’ll be the end user and that is what is most important, using the pool. Often times, the pool’s electric safety is overlooked or taken for granted.
Hire The Right Company
A homeowner that invests thousands of dollars on a pool installation expects the pool to be installed correctly. They expect the electric hookup to the pool to be connected in a safe manner. They expect once that is installed and filled with water to be able to swim straightaway. Simply put, this is not the case right now.
There is a huge demand for a backyard oasis and a good pool installation company is going to be booked up right now. Do yourself a favor, don’t hire just anyone to install your pool or to hook up your pools electric. Take on the new responsibility of being a pool owner by doing your research and asking your contractors some tough questions.
Why Is Pool Electric Safety Important?
Water and electricity don’t mix, and it only takes a small amount of electrical current in a pool to cause significant harm or loss of life to individuals using the pool. We had a client reach out to Arnold Electric after they had a brand-new hot tub installed, they indicated that when they attempted to enter the water, they would immediately get an electric shock due to a poorly installed electric system.
This is not meant to scare you – this meant to educate you. Electric shock in a pool or hot tub can, and does happen. We have seen two other instances with in-ground pools that were not grounded and bonded correctly by the pool contractor and failed the electrical inspections.
Arnold Electric was called in to sort the issue out. The installs were so bad that the inspector required the concrete pool patios to be ripped out so the electric wiring could be redone. It was messy for everyone and it delayed the use of the pool for the homeowners. These pools were over $100K each. So be diligent in who you hire.
Tough Questions To Ask Your Pool Installation Contractor
- “Will this job require a permit?” YES, is the answer. The pool installation permit and pool electric permit are often times two separate permits and you should make sure of this.
- “Will your company also provide the electric hook up?” You should hear something like, “We will provide a separate quote for the electric work from a licensed electrical contractor we work with”. Let the pool install company do what they do and let the electrician do what they do. It’s that simple.
- “Are we obligated to use your electrician?” NO is the answer. Installing a pool and having the electric ran to the pool are two different jobs and no homeowner should ever be forced to use any subcontractor… at all… ever.
- “Is the wiring in my home adequate for the new pool?” You should hear something like “We did an evaluation on your homes electric system and we found ….” You should get a report of your system from the electrical contractor indicating any deficiencies in your system that need to be addressed prior to the pool being hooked up to your homes electric system. For example, if your home’s electric system is not properly grounded you need to have that done before you can use your pool safely.
Be an educated pool owner. Do a little bit of research before you get the pool installed. You don’t need to be an expert electrician; you just need to know what you don’t know so you can make sure your expectations are being met and so you can safely swim in your brand-new pool right off the bat.
Need help with your pool installation? Contact Arnold Electric Services, Inc TODAY at 773-647-1120
-Jack Arnold
