Storms and hot tubs

[hot tub Frank]

lately i got the urge to sit in my hot tub during storms.
I like to watch the lightning.
I do not get in it when the storm is directly over us.
But is this still save???
I know that water and lightning don't get along to well.
And once again is this just me being weird??

[galen]

Frank, I don't know how I can put this delicately but, yes your weird. But nature has a way to deal with this kind of defect.  

[hot tub Frank]

Lol
I take that.
I am from europe
does this help you?

[tileman]

lately i got the urge to sit in my hot tub during storms.
I like to watch the lightning.
I do not get in it when the storm is directly over us.
But is this still save???
I know that water and lightning don't get along to well.
And once again is this just me being weird??

I too enjoy soaking in the rain but I don't know about LIGHTNING!

[Spiderman]

How's that saying go........"if you can see the lightning, you're too close"        Lighting storms were a PITA this summer, as I kept shutting off the breaker to the tub as a precaution.  I didn't want to blow up the tub from a lightning strike.  

[The_Pa._Lady]

Boy am I a dummy!!!!  I never even thought of hitting the breaker when it was lightning.  Am I the only one?

[bosco0633]

I remember an article aroun here a few years back.  I dont know how much truth there is to it, but it went something like this.  Family goes to sleep, storm.......lightning and boom!!!!!!!  Fire marshall rules that the tub has an electrical charge around it at all times and the lighting struck causing an explosion.  

Again, I cant remember the hole story, but im sure that is what I read.  

Is this even possible??

[hot tub Frank]

pa lady

I never thought about that either

[wmccall]

How's that saying go........"if you can see the lightning, you're too close"

That makes sense. However I remember being in West Texas in a hot tub at a motel and I could see for 60 miles to the west. I watch an approaching storm for about an hour.  I got out before it got close, but you never know when the first lightning bolt comes out ahead of the storm.

[PotomacG]

I believe that there are a few electricians on this board, so please chime in.  

From what I've been told, cutting the power to your tub will only protect it from a surge caused by lightning striking your house and hitting a different circuit.  If your tub recieves a direct strike, it's gonna' get fried wheather or not you have it powered up.   Again, having the breaker off may save damage to other circuits in your house, but not your tub  :-/

Also, whether or not your tub is powered up, the ground is always going to feed back to your main circuit pannel.  If I lived in a really storm-prone area, I would consider having a lightning arrester installed on my house.

[Bonibelle]

Frank..NO TUBBING IN A STORM  ...Even the kid's sports (baseball for example) are immediately canceled with a storm is near. It is my undertanding that lightening can strike from a storm centered 100 miles away from you...(unless they are just saying that to get the kids off the fields in a hurry!). In any case.. .watch the light show from the safety of your house, it's not worth taking a chance in your tub!  

[jfish63]

It could be a way of increasing your chances of getting a prestigious Darwin award.

[Slappy]

Let me just say this about that.....
I live in town, my tub is way lower than  anything else around (except the ant hills) Ever hear of lightning striking an ant hill? Water is not conductive to electricity, but soap is. Dichlor is as well, but the chances are slim.

[drewstar]

Let me just say this about that.....
I live in town, my tub is way lower than  anything else around (except the ant hills) Ever hear of lightning striking an ant hill? Water is not conductive to electricity, but soap is. Dichlor is as well, but the chances are slim.

Pure water is a poor conductor.  So, yea, if you're in your lab soaking in distilled water, ok. But anything else the body of water will conduct electricy.  The ions from the minerals present in the water, not just soap, will conduct electricy.  

[dkersten]

FYI, 2 years ago I saw lightning in the dead of winter during a snowstorm.. it was pretty cool.  It doesnt happen often because lightning pretty much happens when warm, dense, humid air meets cooler air, and you dont find much warm humid air in winter time.  

Bottom line, you are never safe.  Enjoy it while you can.

(not that I recommend soaking in an electrical storm)