Miami-Dade County to adopt new pool ordinances

After recent tragic events in South Florida, counties push for better pool safety laws

Miami-Dade Commission Passed New Pool Safety Regulations and Broward Moves for Better Pool Safety Laws

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July 1 2014, MIAMI (David Sutta, CBSMiami) – The Miami-Dade commission introduced an ordinance Tuesday intended to reduce the number pool deaths by electrocution.

The vote is the first of two that would change the way pools are constructed countywide and stems from a CBS4 investigation into four children shocked in pools earlier this year.

The decision is essentially telling the rest of the State of Florida current pool laws on the books are not good enough. In a state with more than a million pools, many counties will likely be looking to copy what Miami-Dade is doing, to prevent further tragedies.

The CBS4 investigation started in April with a 7-year-old boy who was electrocuted as he swam in his pool. Days later, across town, surveillance cameras captured the chaos at the Palms West apartments in Hialeah. Three children were pulled from their pool when a pump sent an electrical charge into the water. Click here to view the CBS4 Investigation.

September 17, 2014 MIAMI (CBSMiami) Broward County joined Miami-Dade Wednesday in an effort to mandate new pools carry low voltage power. Click here to view the report.

Mike Holt Comment: I would not permit a light in my pool, except optical fiber and I encourage electrical contractors to recommend to the customers to have the pool light ‘disconnected’ from the power source, and to have the wiring, bonding, and GFCI protection inspected to ensure that the installation is safe.

The link…

I agree, There are some many tragics that can be avoid, This goes to show you GFCI Protection is something to now ignore.

Makes you think twice about even offering pool inspections with a home inspection. Even after a few classes on pools, I am not sure I want the liability.

Sounds like it is part of the electrical inspection as well seeing it is tied into the homes system.

Makes me wonder if I should take light out of my pool… Do you really need it anyway? It’s like the headlight on a vacuum cleaner…

I GFCI’ed my pool light…
Think I will do the pump now.

To quote the article

The committee plans to look into the possibility of the following:
-Asking insurance companies to do inspections or require inspections
-Asking realtors to require pool lighting disclosures at the sale of every home with a pool
-Requiring home inspections include pool equipment and lighting
-Notifying pool and electrical contractors of the issue when applying or renewing licenses

I don’t like this very much. Here is an opportunity for NACHI to step in here and keep us out of the loop. I’m not an electrician, I can’t dismantle a junction box, check a transformer, pull a pool light and check the cord, do amp test/draws or continuity checks on wiring etc. This is what it will take to make sure the light is safe. So now I will be on the hook if something goes bad 5 years after I did a perform a due diligence inspection on a pool.

Nick I hope your reading this. What say you folks ?

Those are my concern also Fred. That’s why I posted this. Currently I disclaim pools. I only look at the physical condition of the pool itself and advise them to have a pool company come out and check. Every client I have serviced has agreed once I explain to them that position. I don’t need the added liability either.

Bert

Sure, go ahead…and while you are at it, remove the lights from your kitchen and bathrooms! :mrgreen::mrgreen: :mrgreen:

This is another knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy, one incidentally caused by improper, non-permitted work performed by non-licensed individuals. Which I see on 50% of the pools I inspect. :roll:

Not that every accident is not tragic but I would have to agree with Eric. There are some simple things you can look at that can prevent this. Always disclaim what you cant see. My understanding is that in one of these cases it was work done by an unlicensed individual that did not reconnect the bond and/or ground wire after performing work. If we stopped doing pool inspections we probably would not do 400 or so inspections a year. Make sure you know what you are looking at. But I think that goes with everything you inspect not just pools.

I always have & will continue to inspect pools.
My $1,000,000 E&O does cover it.
That’s not gonna prevent a horrible accident, but at least there’s some coverage heaven forbid.
I’d say approx 1 of 3 has pools & if I didn’t cover it, they’d not hire me.

Of course, it’s limited to visual only, no tool diagnostics.
Electrically, all I can do is confirm the motor/pump & structure is (or appears to be) bonded,
and other equipt including a heater is bonded, the light has a high voltage transformer
(I’ve seen a few where there was none - OMG!), GFCI circuits.

Can’t tell if it’s leaking, but I can usually see if there’s settlement from the top of the structure wall to the coping.
Many will have a small settlement separation.

1pool light GFCI breaker.jpg

4pool structure electrical bond connection.jpg

2pool motor-pump electrical bond connection.jpg

poolpop4.JPG

poolpop3.JPG

Well, I’ve yet to have a client choose someone else because I advised them to contact a pool contractor or company to properly inspect their pool. In my experience anyways, people have been more than happy to contact a pool company. Why wouldn’t they? They’re going to hire them most times for the monthly service right? Might as well have them completely evaluate the pool and it’s condition prior to. I don’t inspect septics here in Florida. I’m not licensed to. I don’t render opinions on pests (WDI WDO), I’m not licensed to. What’s the difference with the pools?

All the insurance money in the world isn’t going to make you rest assured at night should (heaven forbid) something happen on one of those pools you inspected and gave it the green light. A roof leaks, An air conditioning system breaks down, A window fails to open, An overhead garage door opener fails to operate… a pool’s electrical system “kills”. If you need the extra “400” inspections a year, pool inspections provide you, have at it. I’ll take the other “400” without the added liability.

All the above is based on my threshold and I don’t endorse one approach over the other. It’s a choice everyone makes for themselves.

Bert

OK Bert.
Your analogy of septic/WDO/pool is not right on though.
You need a state dept of health lic for septic, state DACS lic for WDO. :slight_smile:

It may not be right on but I think the idea and premise are. But, hey like I said, to each his own. My comments aren’t meant to flame anyone or say who’s right or who’s wrong. Some on here make it a habit of opposing every stance anyone takes if it conflicts with their personal views. I’m not one of those. You’ll seldom here me oppose anyone here because their views differ from mine. It’s a personal and business choice. And, for the last almost 17 years, not one customer has told me “we’re not using you to inspect our house because you don’t do pools”. Just like when I tell them to hire a Septic Operator. Just hasn’t happened.

Bert

I have the same concern also, Fred.

I agree with Bert and Fred on this item.