How to Earth Pool Fence? (Explained)

Water used in pools along with fence materials, like metal, are good conductors of electricity. Electrocution near a pool sounds very cartoonish, but from 2002-2017, there were 47 combined injuries and deaths due to electrocution caused by current flowing around the pool area.

This number could have been higher if it were not for pool earthing requirements that governments introduced to lower as much as possible the number of people electrocuted in or near a pool.

One important part of your backyard pool that needs earthing is the pool’s fence because it too can conduct electricity. Find out what you need to earth a pool fence and why you need it, by reading further.

Pool Fence Earthing Requirements

Before even building a pool fence, the necessary pool-building permits must be acquired from the relevant local government authorities. After this, all that is left is to go out and buy Gauge#8 bare copper wires, and bonding lugs, and hire an electrician to do the job. 

Does My Pool Need To Be Earthed?

Yes, if the pool isn’t properly earthed or not earthed at all, it can result in electrical shock. Any part of the pool that is made of conductive material can have current passing through it from a high-voltage area like that around the motorized pool pump.

This is especially dangerous if there are electrical conductors around the pool like galvanized steel, which a lot of pool equipment like handrails use.

If you come into contact with these conductors and it wasn’t earthed, current can flow through you and result in electrical shock with death being the worst-case scenario. 

How To Earth A Pool Fence?

Grounding or Earthing a pool fence will need to be done by licensed professionals. The pool fence will need to be attached to bonding lugs and copper wire will be wrapped around the posts, to form the most favorable path for the current to travel through which will have low resistance relative to the surroundings. 

What Needs To Be Earthed Around A Pool?

Earthing or bonding is needed for all the electrical and metallic parts of a pool, like handrails and metal posts. All structures electrical conductive at least 1.250m or within arm’s reach from the pool’s edge, including fence posts, are required to be earthed or bonded. Specific structures include:

• Handrails
• Ladders
• Underwater lightings
• Metallic pipe fittings
• Rebar 

For the structures underneath the concrete supporting the pool, every metallic or electrical component within 3 feet in depth should be earthed or bonded, this includes the aforementioned rebar and metallic pipe fittings.

Pool Earthing Kit

Pool Earthing Kits are a complete set that will allow you to ground, earth, or bond a pool to remove the risk of electrical shocks. The most common kind sold online is the Pool Bonding Kits for above-ground pools where a galvanized steel disc, called a bonding plate, will conduct the current from the water and pass it through a copper wire that will lead to the ground.

Here are some products you can easily pick up from Amazon to get you started. These two are Above Ground Pool Bonding kits that can easily serve to earth or ground an above-ground pool.

PMCAF Pool Bonding Kits

This PMCAF above-ground pool bonding kit includes everything you need to install it onto the pool. You only need one with the bonding plate’s more than 10 in² surface area in contact with the pool water, ensuring that it conducts the current from the pool water well. 

uueego Above Ground Pool Bonding Kits

Similar to the PMCAF’s Pool Bonding Kit, it also has more than 10 in² surface area in contact with the pool water, but unlike PMCAF, it contains 2 sets of every washer (i.e lock washers and flat washers)

How Much Does It Cost To Earth A Pool Fence?

The total cost to earth a pool fence will depend on how much professional electrician costs in your area and the total length of copper wire you need to attach all the fence posts to the ground.

The nationwide average for a professional electrician is $50-$100 per hour. So expect something within this range, and this is on top of the $1.5-$2.5 price per foot of the Gauge#8 bare copper wire that is needed to connect the fence post to the ground. The lower end will surely still be over $300. 

Final Thoughts

Grounding or Earthing the metallic and electrical parts of a pool is a must when owning a pool. It is better to be cautious now when building the pool and the pool fence rather than regret not doing it later when electrocution or electric shock has occurred, so don’t delay and consult an electrician when planning to build a pool in your backyard.