Beware the Effects of Heat on Rigid Conduit for Your Swimming Pool Electrical

The last thing homeowners are thinking about when it comes to their swimming pools is the electrical components behind them. Instead, most pool maintenance is dedicated to skimming the water, ensuring it’s properly balanced (pH) and keeping the pool deck safe. But electrical maintenance shouldn’t be overlooked—it’s what keeps your filter running and a full range of other necessary amenities functional.

One thing to watch out for this summer is the rigid conduit that’s part of your pool’s electrical wiring. Often, this is one of the prime areas that requires electrical repair in North Scottsdale, AZ during the summer months. Why? Read on to learn more.

Heat and conduit don’t mix

Pool electrical is installed using galvanized rigid conduit. This protects the pool’s wiring from exposure to water and anything else that might cause danger to people or failure to the pool. Rigid conduit also follows the standards of the National Electrical Code (NEC) for safety.

While rigid conduit works great for protecting your wiring, it takes a beating during the process—particularly from exposure. Heat especially has a tendency to wreak havoc on rigid conduit, degrading it to the point of damaging the wiring contained within it. It’s not uncommon for heat problems with conduit to quickly become wiring problems that affect your entire pool.

Heat has a wide range of effects. Direct sunlight can raise the temperature of conduit to unsafe levels, causing malformation of the wiring within. If that wiring is old, degradation can occur quickly. For conduit that’s wet or located in an area that’s prone to moisture, the combination of moisture and heat can expedite rust formation, which will quickly eat through metal conduit. Wiring problems are soon to follow.

Protect your conduit and your pool

There are a few things you can do to protect your conduit from damage and, in turn, the function of your pool. First, try to shade your conduit from direct sunlight as much as possible. Most conduit should be buried; however, at breakers and other hookups, it may be exposed. Ensure these areas are shaded to prevent direct sun exposure.

Next, keep everything dry—or as dry as possible in high humidity situations. This will stunt the formation of rust. Keeping rust at bay means avoiding electrical repair in North Scottsdale, AZ that involves replacing entire segments of eroded conduit.

Finally, have your pool’s electrical inspected at the start and end of the season by a trained electrician. Knowing the condition of your overall electrical system will help you avoid unforeseen problems—especially those involving conduit damage.

Get on the phone with the experts at Eavenson Electric Co. before your next dip in the pool and make sure everything is good to go. You might be diligent in skimming the water and balancing the pH, but don’t overlook the immense importance of maintaining things outside of the pool as well. With our help, your pool has the potential to run perfectly through the remainder of the summer season.

Categorised in: Electrical Repair

This post was written by Writer