Is it a trope that exposed electric wire in a pool causes electrocution?
We see in Movies and TV Shows that electricity and water don't mix. And when they do, fatal results take place.
But I've heard that this is only an exaggeration for the dramatic effect. I've read a story about a person who immersed live electric wire into a bath tub while he was in it, and nothing happened. If I remember correctly: "water has too much resistance to current". The experiment was done in a tub, let alone a large swimming pool, where, if the same logic applies, no one will feel any difference.
Edit: i am not talking about dropping appliances into water. I only mean stripped wire (copper) immersed directly. See below for reference:
Best Answer
No, it is not a myth. Electrical shock can occur and can be lethal. As @Sanpaco has linked, it has been empirically proven by the Mythbusters, while it has been anecdotally proven by various - incidents - in - the - news.
By code, most if not all bathroom tub and shower and pool pipes are electronically grounded.
Yes, movies and tv do exaggerate how that death happens. In film and tv, death by electrocution in water is very violent, boiling the water and the body flailing. In reality, it does not take much to short circuit the heart, and any constant current through muscles will lock them up. Look at taser videos to see how the body would react.
Dropping a live appliance into a bathtub would result in a direct short to ground. Water, while not a perfect conductor, is a good conductor. Salt water is much better, but 120 to 240 mains voltage will breakdown in water and cause a significant short, compared to the amount needed to stop the heart.
This link is a Google Books copy of Electrical Injuries: Engineering, Medical, and Legal Aspects By Robert E. Nabours, Raymond M. Fish, Paul F. Hill, The linked section describes the forensic history of a bathtub electrocution case. The short of it was that a hair dryer, dropped in a bathtub that was electrically isolated from ground, caused the GFI or GFCI not to trip, resulting in more than 5 milliamps to soar through a women, killing her.
Slightly unrelated, but still important, even a 9 Volt battery can kill, in the right conditions. Surface Skin resistance is fairly high, (500K? to 2M?), but break the skin, or go through the other bodily openings and the salty and high electrolytic content of the inner body will cause you to die from a 9V battery.
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What causes electrocution in a pool?
You can get electrocuted in a swimming pool as a result of: (1) faulty electrical wiring to pool equipment such as underwater lights, pumps, filters and vacuums; (2) no GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters) protections for outlets and circuits; and (3) electrical appliances and extension cords entering the water.Can exposed wire shock you?
Exposed wires present a danger of electric shock or electrocution. Using an open front plug poses the risk of contact with live wires when plugging it to a electrical outlet. This also poses a risk of electric shock or electrocution.Can wires be exposed and in water?
Wire and Cable exposed to floodwaters should be replaced to assure a safe and reliable electrical system. When wire and cable products are exposed to water or excessive moisture, the components may be damaged due to mildew or corrosion. This damage can result in insulation or termination failures.What happens if a live wire touches water?
The presence of moisture can rapidly increase the current in the circuit, which in most modern appliances will cause a short circuit as the fuse is blown. However, if a fuse is not present, then the wire will heat up and a fire could start.What happens when humans, bird or fish touches electric wire? Electric Shock,explained!
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Answer 2
The myth from movies is the violence and prolonged electrocution, not the fact that its possible to be electrocuted. By the National Electric Code, any electricity close to water (pool lights to outlets in a bathroom) must be protected by devices designed to detect shorts (being overly simplistic here) and cut power to prevent electrocution.
In most cases, any "live wires" in water would immediately (on the order of a few milliseconds) trip the current protection device and no harm would be done to anyone other than maybe a slight jolt. That said, the few milliseconds of current can kill in the right situation so it's never safe to try this, but it's certainly rare by design.
There are certain failure modes that can cause actual electrocution, but even then it would be quick and largely silent. Any scene in a movie where someone is electrocuted violently for several seconds would have to be caused by a failure of 3 or more protection devices with wires the size of jumper cables being used in place of the typical "lamp cord".
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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