Is it safe to swim with robotic pool cleaners in the swimming pool?

Owning a pool serves many benefits for you. In summers, it lets you escape the hot sun by refreshing in the cool water. However, as they say, with great benefits comes great responsibilities. Keeping your pool clean and shinning is no less than a heroic act. Luckily, we have robotic pool cleaners as our weapon for endless war against the evil dirt, algae, and impurities.

Robotic pool cleaners draw power from an electric source. They’ll be connected to a power source via a wire while cleaning in the pool. This working mechanism often raises concern among the people who are anxious whether or not robotic pool cleaners are safe. 

After all, you’ll be running an electric wire through a pool. Is there any chance for the water to be electrocuted due to the wire? If no, then is it safe to swim with robotic pool cleaners in the swimming pool? 

Why is there a concern?

Deaths due to electrocution in the swimming pool are although not so common but yet have raised safety concerns. A report by a global health organization has reported 14 deaths in the past two decades due to electrocution. We have the most recent example from July 2019 when a 10-year old girl in California, USA died due to electrocution while swimming in a family pool.

Government and healthcare officials have been repeatedly emphasized the prevention and care from swimming in water where there is a connection to any electricity source such as a motorboat or light. 

To think of it, robotic pool cleaners fall in the same category of machines drawing power from an electric source. Does that make robotic pool cleaners dangerous to use when there are people in the pool? The answer is, ‘not quite’ and here is why.

• Robotic pool cleaners operate on a very low voltage of 24 volts

A voltage this minimal is deemed to be completely harmless and poses no threat to the swimmers. You don’t have to worry about getting an electric shock when swimming in the pool. Robotic pool cleaners are safe to submerge in the water without any risk of electrocution.

• Robotic pool cleaners use GFCI outlets

Secondly, robotic pool cleaners use GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt) electrical outlet that provides greater protection from electrical hazards as opposed to standard outlets. Therefore, even if anything goes wrong, GFCI will kick in action to normalize things so don’t need to bother at all.

However, as an extra precautionary measure, you can make sure that the wire and outlet are not damaged or compromised in any way. If you do notice any shortcomings, get rid of it before using the robotic pool cleaner.

Conclusion

With such low voltage consumption and superior GFCI outlets, the chances for getting electrocuted in the pool are non-existent. However, the manufacturing companies still suggest not to swim with a robotic pool cleaner in the pool. Despite that there are no cases of robotic cleaners harming anyone, you can still opt to stay put while it is doing its job.