Ever been at your community pool when a lightning storm strikes? TAKO now offers a free site visit in regard to the lightning protection for swimming pools. Proper protection systems, including advanced Lightning Detection Warning Systems, are serious business when it comes to safeguarding both customers and staff. TAKO, an industry leader since 1979 offers complete and comprehensive solutions to minimize dangers of natural disasters such as lightning. The best part? This article is going to let you know how important these systems are and how TAKO can help in safeguarding your pool facility.
Contents
Importance of a Lightning Protection for Swimming Pools
One thing that hardly anybody can ever consider when it comes to safety around an outdoor swimming pool is the installation and setting up of a proper lightning protection system. It is always fun and games swimming in an outdoor pool, but whenever there are thunderstorms, the situation can become very dangerous due to possible lightning strikes. That is where learning about swimming pool lightning protection becomes an instrument of the essence.
A swimming pool lightning protection system, which consists of the conductors, facilitates grounding equipment designed for a pool system. The system aims to guide a potential flash of lightning elsewhere but the pool and its vicinity, so as to reduce the danger of being hurt or property damage to a minimum. At this point, without proper protection, a direct stroke of lightning discharges huge electric power, resulting in great electrical damage to everything in its way and can even cause electrocution to everyone in or near the pool.
Water is so much a better conductor of electricity that lightning striking water will be much more dangerous when it happens. The electrical charge posed by a lightning strike can even reach a charge traveling through the water, causing harm to the swimmer. This is why it is first and foremost important to get out of the pool at any sound of thunder or sighting of lightning. Do not wait until the storm is right overhead.
This will also save you, aside from the obvious safety benefits, from the expensive repairs in case of a lightning strike such as damaged equipment that needs to be replaced or is very costly to be repaired. A reliable lightning protection system investment will permit the increase in the lifespan of pool equipment and reduce the unforeseen repair expenses risks.
John S. Jensenius, Jr. Lightning Safety Specialist National Lightning Safety Council, 2020, A Detailed Analysis of Lightning Deaths in the United States from 2006 through 2019
Debunking Myth between Lightning and Swimming Pools
Myths may include ‘it is safe to re-open a pool 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder’. This is the most common recommendation yet the commonest is very unsafe. The distant thunder may not be audible to an individual, or an entirely different storm may be preparing itself, to this extent it is unsafe to depend on the 30 min classic rule of thumb, and for this reason, swimmers should resort to wiser counsel by keeping out of the pool until the weather has cleared altogether. However, the 30-minute rule is a decent start, but it is absolutely necessary that the warnings have been cleared by the radio or online weather services before letting swimmers back in the pool.
Another myth is the invulnerability of indoor pools to lightning hazards. Although it’s true that no indoor swimming pool has had a record of lightning causing anything in the pool, this doesn’t mean they’re absolutely safe. If, for instance, an indoor swimming pool has got some kind of connection to the outside in terms of metallic piping or other structures, the hazard will be heightened. It is greatly important to have the lightning protection system interconnected with the building’s grounding system to minimize this hazard.
Lightning Detection Warning System
As part of TAKO’s comprehensive lightning risk protection services, we offer the installation of advanced Lightning Detection Warning Systems equipped with highly sensitive sensors. These sensors detect electromagnetic pulses generated by lightning strikes, providing real-time monitoring of lightning activity within a specified radius. The system’s ability to pick up on these electromagnetic signals ensures that pool staff and users are alerted to potential dangers well in advance.
With both audible and visual alerts, the system allows everyone ample time to evacuate the pool area and secure the facility. Seamlessly integrated with your existing safety measures, a Lightning Detection Warning System adds a crucial layer of protection, making your pool a safer environment during stormy weather. Want to know more, check out this blog we wrote!
Meeting Standards
Whether you have a commercial swimming facility in Malaysia, making sure that the installation of a lightning protection system is in accordance with the highest safety standards is imperative. Here are the principal standards to be met during the installation process:
Compliance with Malaysian Standards:
Lightning protection schemes for installed structural conductive elements shall be designed and conducted and installed according to Malaysian standards, including MS IEC 62305. This ensures that each part of the system, from the air terminals to the grounding conductors, meets exacting safety and performance requirements when installed in a given environment.
Use High-Quality Materials:
The materials to be used should be of high quality, corrosion-resistant, and appropriate in conformity with the relevant standards for use in conductors, rods, and surge protectors in general. For instance, copper and aluminum are recommended due to their excellent qualities in conducting electricity, and they are also rust-resistant in the tropical climate of Malaysia. Read this blog to know about more.
Regular maintenance and inspection:
The adherence to standards also involves the commitment on the part of the owner to the regular maintenance and inspection of the lightning protection system. This would include corrosion checks, connection maintenance, and the maintenance of the integrity of the grounding system.
Seamless Installation:
In the case of indoor pools or centers with outdoor couplings, a lightning protection system has to be fully integrated into the existing electrical and grounding systems of a building. Such integration shall help the owner mitigate the risks by ensuring that protection in the whole facility conforms to MS IEC 62305.
Schedule Your Free Lightning Risk Assessment For peace of mind
You are always concerned with the risks of lightning strikes in your area. You would not want to leave it by mere chance. Call today for your cost-free lightning risk assessment and experience peace of mind. Lightning indeed causes serious damage that may be life-threatening. It is very important to look for the risks in advance and make protection and safety arrangements when it involves your property and loved ones.
Click here to gain FREE SITE VISITING worth of RM380!
How to protect pool equipment from thunder?
Proper lightning protection systems, including advanced Lightning Detection Warning Systems, are serious business when it comes to safeguarding both customers and staff in swimming pools. TAKO, an industry leader since 1979 offers complete and comprehensive solutions to minimize dangers of natural disasters such as lightning.
How does a lightning protection system protect pools from lightning?
A lightning protection system, which consists of the conductors, facilitates grounding equipment designed for a pool system. The system aims to guide a potential flash of lightning elsewhere but the pool and its vicinity, so as to reduce the danger of being hurt or property damage to a minimum. At this point, without proper protection, a direct stroke of lightning discharges huge electric power, resulting in great electrical damage to everything in its way and can even cause electrocution to everyone in or near the pool.
Why is lightning protection important for swimming pools?
Not just protecting the people swimming in the pools, lightning protection system also protects the expensive repairs in case of a lightning strike such as damaged equipment that needs to be replaced or is very costly to be repaired. A reliable lightning protection system investment will permit the increase in the lifespan of pool equipment and reduce the unforeseen repair expenses risks.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this blog is for informational and marketing purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Our focus is on providing comprehensive LPS total solution services. This service encompasses a wide range of solutions to design, install, and maintain a complete lightning protection system tailored to your specific needs. For any questions or to discuss your specific lightning protection needs, please contact us directly.
