Our Team’s Pool Electrician Credentials
A fundamental understanding of electrical theory and application has been embedded in the owner of Select Pool Services long before he ever worked on wired devices inside a home or at a set of pool equipment. During the enlistment process for joining the United States Air Force, Jason DePauw sat down for the examination all applicants must take, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. He scored in the 93rd percentile on the mechanical subtest and in the 95th percentile on the electrical subtest. When he joined Select Pool Services in 2009 and later began training technicians, his instinctual insight into electrical workings of pool equipment allowed him to diagnose and suggest accurate repair processes to those working for him over phone calls.
Because most pool technicians do not possess this God-given gift, and because of the hazards inherent in pool electrical servicing, many electrical repair companies and their committed lobbyists in the Texas State Legislature pressed congressional leaders to enact laws that required high-voltage connections and disconnections to be performed only by licensed electricians. Rather than oppose these lobbyists, our pool industry advocates worked to provide a pathway for pool professionals to gain an electrical license. All agreed upon the requirement of an existing exam for earning the Texas Residential Appliance Installer License (RAIL), which grafted in the swimming pool industry by adding a limited number of industry-specific exam questions. Anyone who does electrical work on pools or hot tubs in Texas must obtain the RAIL and be connected to a contractor holding a Texas Installer Contractor License (TICL).
As soon as the law went into effect, our founder, Earl Neal, and our owner began studying for the RAIL exam. Both passed on the first try and were allowed to continue performing excellent electrical work on pools with more understanding than they had prior to passing the test. Since February of 2011, Select Pool Services technicians have been legally permitted to perform high-voltage electrical connections for motors, heaters, lights, and all other high-voltage appliances.
Jason DePauw has since earned a Journeyman Electrical License with the State of Texas, authorizing him to do more work than the RAIL allows. Brian Davis, our lead technician, has held his license since only a few months after joining our company. Ryan Tate, our other technician, holds the same license and has for the majority of the time he has been with the company.
A semi-retired master electrician is on staff part-time with Select Pool Services to assist with difficult electrical jobs, validate on certain permits the company requests, and lend his expertise when needed. He has been so involved in pool-related electrical work that he used to construct freeze prevention devices, many of which may still be in the North Dallas area (though time has taken its toll on the electro-mechanical thermostats and switches). We have no greater source for specialized electrical knowledge and no one more dedicated to keeping power flowing to pool equipment at any home we visit. Select Pool Services is grateful for his contributions and for the capacity to employ so many talented craftsmen.
