Pool Light Electricution

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Sorry to hear about this boy getting electrocuted from a pool light. I though these all had to be gfci protected, but checking the NEC 2014 again, apparently it is only required if the voltage is above the 'low voltage contact limit'.

I would think this would be changed since I have heard of people getting shocked from 24volts in lakes etc... Am I missing something? I also thought it was a requirement that any feed to the lights even if they are low voltage that it had to be low voltage anywhere near the pool.


http://www.local10.com/news/south-fl...mming/25538944
 
A GFCI on the line side of a transformer will not trip if there is a fault on the secondary side.

I would not be surprised if it goes back to improper installation from the start.
 
iwire said:
A GFCI on the line side of a transformer will not trip if there is a fault on the secondary side.
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Most probably, it is primary shorted to secondary and as stated in the report, earth wire connection missing and so resulted in the mishap.
 
From the report
According to an electrical contractor who inspected the equipment afterward, one of the ground wires connecting to the pool switch to the transformer wasn't attached and that sent 120 volts of electricity to the pool light, instead of the normal 12.
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pool light

pool light

Was the EGC to the transformer missing ? Could someone draw this out?
 
The light shell doesn't have to be the "hot" component, it could easily be the "grounded component" and the water itself is energized elsewhere, come too close and you become part of the current path.



Look at the light pole with a receptacle mounted on the base at about the 39 second point in that video, sure looks mighty close to the pool to me. :eek:

One can only speculate, but there could easily have been a fault in that light pole coupled with the faulty/improperly connected EGC that was mentioned, though proper equipotential bonding likely helps out here and may be issues with that as well.
 
GoldDigger said:
"She [the girl who was the last to be pulled out] becomes the ground. We know how electricity tries to go to ground and she becomes the ground when she touches the handrail...."
:(

Tapatalk!
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Always trust news people, they are experts in everything.

















If not, they know how to sound like they are.
 
GoldDigger said:
"She [the girl who was the last to be pulled out] becomes the ground. We know how electricity tries to go to ground and she becomes the ground when she touches the handrail...."
:(

Tapatalk!
Click to expand...

kwired said:
Always trust news people, they are experts in everything.



















If not, they know how to sound like they are.
Click to expand...

I hadn't read these two posts but I answered almost word for word the same in this other thread that was started.

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=162004
 
iwire said:
And my post 8 in this thread.

I think we can all agree that trying to make a determination based on a news report is a no win situation. :)
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I agree completely. I think that the one thing we can determine conclusively, based on the video and not the commentary, is that there was a potential difference between the handrail and the water.
We cannot even say for sure which of the two (or both) were not at "ground".


Tapatalk!
 
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