Pool water electric shock

[pinkerpv]

The other night around dusk I was checking my in ground pool after a heavy rain. I had tested the water for chlorine and ph earlier in the day. Everything fine. I turned on the underwater pool lights and then dipped my hand into the shallow end to check water temp. Got a tremendous shock. much stronger than one of those battery insect rackets. Ground and pool concrete around pool was wet from the rain. Turned off pool lights and decided to check water again. Used back of hand quickly brushing fingertips across water surface. No shock. OK. Problem in pool lights. Researched electricity in pool water.

Next morning I checked pool again. turned on pump. Checked water. No shock. Turned on lights. Checked water. no shock. Checked transformer for lights. Everything fine. Cannot check ground to light housing as it is underwater and under concrete. Checked diving board and ladder, handrails for bonding. Could not find any evidence of bonding. None on pump either. Suspect pool was not bonded when built. I am 2nd owner. I had just opened the pool earlier in the week due to repair work done my me on the liner.

The only electrical devices at the pool are two underwater pool lights and the pump. BTW I have a GFI circuit breaker on the Light circuit and it did not trip. I have had to clean out debris from the pump impeller several times lately. Pool was pretty dirty from overwintering. Pump debris basket would get full and then impeller would clog.

Any ideas as to why the pool water electricity? Any similar experiences. I am getting a pool shock alarm and some other safety equipment and will have an electrician do some checking for me prior to letting anyone swim.

[Denniswiseman]

I wonder if it could have been static from you earthing in the water seeing as it was only the single occurence
Get your electrician to check it out and make sure all that can be bonded is
You could swim with the power off

[pinkerpv]

Continuing to figure out problem. Today family swam in pool with all power off to pump and light at master switch. Everything fine until daughter grabbed handrail while wet and feet in water. Felt tingling like electrical stimulator. Grandson felt it too. I then got in water and grabbed hand rail. no tingle. then got hands wet and grabbed handrail. Felt tingle. Again, all circuit breakers were off. Tested main 100 amp switch, bleeding 1+ volts. Tested 30 amp circuit breaker to Swimming pool panel box. Bleeding 1+ volt. Tested 30 amp breaker to Pump. OK. zero volts. Tested 15 amp breaker to underwater lights. 1.4 volts.

Voila. the light circuit breaker is leaking current. Must have problem with underwater light. I think. Will repair all circuits with new breakers and ground fault interrupters at key places.

Does this make sense to anyone?

[pinkerpv]

The underwater light must be leaking current into the pool water. When standing in pool and grounding self with touching hand rail, this completes circuit to ground resulting in shock.

Doesn't completely explain what happened to me since I was not in water nor touched hand rail. Except lights were on and drawing 115 volts. So current leaking into pool was increased. But still don't understand why I was shocked so bad. Possibly since the concrete was wet and I was kneeling with bare skin touching concrete, my fingers in water completed circuit and current went thru me to ground in concrete to earth.

[Denniswiseman]

It seems that you have sorted out what the problem was. A bit frightening though, maybe a complete overhaul of your poolside electrics