Summers in Central Alabama are hot! One activity that Alabamians like to do to stay cool is swimming. It could be in your own backyard pool or in the lake at your waterfront home, but make sure your favorite ‘swimming hole’ is safe and ready for all the fun you want to have. Learn more about dock safety and other water safety below.
Don’t stop with making sure fencing is in place and the basic rules of water safety are being adhered to. Finish the safety check by ensuring the electricity servicing your swimming area is safe. Under the wrong conditions, water and electricity mean one thing: The potential for electric shock or even death.
Pools have filters that are run by electricity and maybe even lights to make night time swimming enjoyable. Dock safety is as important as safety around the family pool. The dock on your waterfront property likely has outlets and lighting, and possibly a boat lift and sound system. Faulty electrical systems can be dangerous anywhere. Coupled with water, it’s a double whammy.
What Can I Do?
Make sure the wiring around your swimming area is equipped with GFCI, which is a ground fault circuit interrupter. If a malfunction occurs due to a short or interruption in the flow of electricity to a device, the GFCI will cut the flow of electricity, lessening the occurrence of electric shock.
Hopefully, all your electrical wiring has been installed by trained professionals like Dixie, Electric, Plumbing & Air. Even so, GFCIs should be inspected and checked regularly to ensure they are working properly. Weather conditions may affect the overall integrity of wiring and devices. The extreme heat of the Central Alabama sun only makes it worse. Be safe. Check your outdoor swimming area electric services regularly.
As an added protection for waterfront swimming, have the professionals at Dixie Electric install a dock alert system, which is attached to the frame of your dock system. If the light is green and all is quiet, you are free to swim and have fun. If the unit is beeping and flashing red, stay out because electricity has been detected in the water.
Don’t take unnecessary changes with dock safety or swimming in general. Don’t let faulty wiring, devices, or unseen electricity in the water turn a fun summertime activity into a fatal event. Call Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air today.
