May Is Electrical Safety Month

May is electrical safety month, which of course includes Memorial Day and the beginning of summer fun activities.

This will undoubtedly mean a lot of people visiting their favorite beach, lakes, rivers, and pools. Electrical safety is always important, but even more so when we have any body of water within twenty feet of electrical power.

Always hire licensed electrical contractors who employ licensed electricians to perform electrical work and remember to consider these key safety points:

Make sure overhead electrical lines do not pass over the pool. In fact, it’s best to keep pools at least 25 feet away from power lines in all directions.

• Allow at least 18 feet of clearance between overhead power lines and a diving board, deck, platform, slide, or observation area.
• Never build an in-ground pool or set up an above ground pool over underground electric cables.
• Pools and pool decking should be installed at least 5 feet away from all underground utility lines.
• Except for specially designed lighting fixtures, don’t put electrical fixtures or receptacles within 5 feet of a pool.
• Any electrical wiring that is within 20 feet of a swimming pool should have protection from a ground fault circuit interrupter. THIS INCLUDES UNDERWATER LUMINAIRES (POOL LIGHTS)!

Be sure to comply with any local building codes that may provide more stringent guidelines than the ones that have been listed.

The owner can verify that the contractor and electricians have the required credentials by asking to see their Texas Electrical Contractor License (TECL), or Residential Appliance Installer Contractor License (TICL), plus the individual license(s) that EACH person performing the work should be able to present. This ensures that the individuals performing work in and around their homes have had a criminal background check.

New pool electrical installations must be done by a licensed electrical contractor who uses licensed electricians to perform the work.

Pool electrical maintenance work may be done by a licensed electrical contractor or residential appliance installation contractor, but in either instance, the persons performing the actual maintenance work should be able to show you their electrical license, confirm that they have had the proper electrical training, and that they will be installing all electrical work in accordance with the current standard adopted for the state of Texas.

Always play it safe when it comes to electrical safety and water.