electrocution in swimmng pools

[Cockney_si]

Scenario:-
A normal size swimming pool filled with water with an underwater electric lamp that had the cover removed and the bulb taken out but power was on and power was still flowing to the lamp bulb socket.

I was always under the belief that you could not get electrocuted by jumping into the pool because of the sheer volume of water, is this true?

[paddywak]

I've never worked on this kind of lighting but I would be very surprised if the lights used in this situation were not L.V. also the Earth Leakage systems in use these days are incredibly fast and should have tripped the supply as soon as water got into the light fitting. I doubt if the volume of water would make any difference

[Emu2005]

Out of interest then paddy, does that mean an electrical current will carry through water regardless of the volume of water or the distance? If something was put in the sea off the south coast of england (can't think of what, but something electric anyway like the light socket cockney said) does that mean people would be electrocuted if they were paddling off the coast of france??? surely not....but how far would it travel?

[jake-the-peg]

Water unlike air is a very good conductor.

The current would flow between the two exposed terminals rather than take a tour of the swimming pool looking for any unfortunate swimmers.

But as paddy says it would trip out or blow a fuse quicker anyway

[Cockney_si]

Ok, assuming there is not an earth leakage system installed as this is a theoretical question anyway, would a person still get electrocuted?

[spaced]

ur not a life guard trying to get your revenge on people who wee in the pool, are u?

[jake-the-peg]

No

The reason you get electricuted if you grab a live wire is that air is a good insulator and you make a better conductor than the air does so the current flow through you.

The water in the pool is a better conductor than you are so the current will flow through the water and avoid you.

[kempie]

...and that is why it is perfectly safe to be sat in a bath and drop a hairdryer into the water ;-)

[paddywak]

However it goes, for electricity to do any damage it has to have a circuit, this is why birds perch on the HT lines and linesmen in fact can work on live lines in safety, the danger comes when they touch one of the other lines or an earth. I suppose in theory you could swim about quite happily and not get a shock untill you touched the side of the pool to get out. Also everything, even the best conductors known have some electrical "resistance". The greater the distance the greater the "resistance" and the greater the volts drop, so the futher away from the source the lower the voltage. As to the hair drier in the bath the current would go through the water and you to earth through the bath. Incidently there is an old saying that voltage burns but ampage (current ) kills. I personally know several people who recieved bad burns on 3,300v and survived while one another was killed on 550v with a higher currant

[mandimoo]

ive wondered this about if you were swimming in the sea and the sea was struck by lightening... would you be ok?