I'm having an inground pool installed (steel wall, vinyl liner). I'm tackling the electrical rough-in work myself (running conduit and pulling wires). The final connections will be made by the installer's electrician.

My question regards the use of GFCI protection on the circuits for the pool pump and for the pool light.

The installer said I do NOT need GFCI protection for the pump. The pump will be hardwired on a dedicated circuit from the panel. A timer box will be mounted near the pump and also serve as the disconnect. The pump is 1.0HP, factory-set for 230V/10A. The installer told me that I should install a double pole 20A breaker for the pump. Is this correct that I don't need a GFCI breaker? And do I need a 20A breaker, when the pump literature specifies only 10A?

For the pool light, the installer said I do need GFCI protection. My question here is whether or not I need the light on a dedicated circuit? Since the light is just 300W, I would like to add more load to this circuit...such as landscape lighting (probably another 200W), and possibly 1 or 2 outlets. I was thinking that I could wire a 15A circuit to provide a GFCI outlet near the pump pad, continue on to a low voltage transformer/timer for landscape lighting, a switched branch for the pool light, and a branch for 1-2 outlets by the pool patio area. Would this be allowed by the NEC?

re: Pool Wiring / GFCI	wirenuts	7:43 am monday september 10, 2001

Hi Jeff,

your electrician is correct as to NEC on a hardwired pool, but know that just because this level of protection is not required, does not mean you are in any violation should you choose to supply it.

it also sounds like you have a 'wet nitch' pool fixture here, which does need GFI protection. The circuit you have described to do this, as well as the GFI required within the pool area and the landscape low-v is debatable concerning the configuration of stringent grounding/bonding required of wet nitch fixtures. As this gets to be sort of a lengthly explanation i think it best to wait for Warren to reply

re: Pool Wiring / GFCI	Jeff Weik	7:52 am monday september 10, 2001

Yes, it is a wet niche light.

re: Pool Wiring / GFCI	Warren Goodrich	9:00 am monday september 10, 2001

As I remember it you must run a dedicated branch circuit for the pool pump then another for the pool light whether low voltage or not. insulated 12 ga equipment grounding conductor must be installed with each branch circuit and connected directly to the main panel. An exception allows you to land them at a pool sub panel as long as that pool sub panel is feed by a 4 wire cable with the grounding conductor feeding that pool panel also insulated. Check the section wiring a pool on this site. I will get back around lunch to provide the Code numbers and confirm what I am remembering.

See ya then

Wg

re: Pool Wiring / GFCI	Jeff Weik	12:16 pm monday september 10, 2001

Warren,

Are you saying that the underwater light, which is 120V with a 300W bulb, can be the only load on that circuit?

If that's the case, the GFCI protection can only be supplied by a GFCI breaker at the panel. Correct? My helper feels that the length of the wiring run from the panel to the light is too long and will cause the GFCI breaker to trip often. He is suggested a GFCI outlet by the pump pad to feed power to the light and provide the GFCI protection.

The wiring from the panel to the pump pad is about 60 ft. From the pad to the light is another 70 feet.

re: Pool Wiring / GFCI	Warren Goodrich	7:14 pm monday september 10, 2001

:Warren,

Are you saying that the underwater light, which is 120V with a 300W bulb, can be the only load on that circuit?

REPLY;

YES ! The intent is to limit stray voltage to the pool's water. SEE THE COPY OF THE CODE SECTION BELOW THAT APPLIES;

680-25. Methods of Grounding

(b) Pool Lighting Fixtures and Related Equipment. 4. The junction box, transformer enclosure, or other enclosure in the supply circuit to a wet-niche or no-niche lighting fixture and the field-wiring chamber of a dry-niche lighting fixture shall be grounded to the equipment grounding terminal of the panelboard. THIS TERMINAL SHALL BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE PANELBOARD ENCLOSURE. THE EQUIPMENT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR SHALL BE INSTALLED WITHOUT JOINT OR SPLICE EXCEPT AS PERMITTED IN (a) and (b).

YOU SAID;

If that's the case, the GFCI protection can only be supplied by a GFCI breaker at the panel. Correct?

REPLY;

NO. Check below showing an exception for a switch, GFI control, etc. allowed to be installed between that panel and that underwater light;

680-25. Methods of Grounding

4. The junction box, transformer enclosure, or other enclosure in the supply circuit to a wet-niche or no-niche lighting fixture b. Where the underwater lighting fixture is supplied from a transformer, ground-fault circuit interrupter, clock-operated switch, or a manual snap switch that is located between the panelboard and a junction box connected to the conduit that extends directly to the underwater lighting fixture, the equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted to terminate on grounding terminals on the transformer, ground-fault circuit interrupter, clock-operated switch enclosure, or an outlet box used to enclose a snap switch.

YOU SAID;

My helper feels that the length of the wiring run from the panel to the light is too long and will cause the GFCI breaker to trip often. He is suggested a GFCI outlet by the pump pad to feed power to the light and provide the GFCI protection. The wiring from the panel to the pump pad is about 60 ft. From the pad to the light is another 70 feet.

REPLY;

YES AND NO. You may install a panel in a pool shed that is fed from that main dwelling with four insulated conductors including an insulated grounding conductor ran with that feeder. That pool shed panel would then be considered the "directly to the panelboard" that they speak of.

You also must remember that your pool pump and your underwater light fixture branch circuits must be separate from each other. You must also remember that the equipment grounding conductor coming from that panel serving that underwater pool light must be 12 awg or larger and must be contained with that pool light's branch circuit conductors in a conduit the full length between that pool light and the panel serving it. No other conductors are allowed to share that conduit unless they too are GFI protected at its source of that conduit. The pool pump also requires its own 12 awg equipment grounding conductor and its branch circuit must also be contained with that equipment grounding conductor in its own conduit. Again remember the exception allowing both dedictated circuits to be in that same conduit as long as they are both their own GFI protection in that shared conduit.

As for the distance you speak of you may oversize your branch circuit conductors to offset any voltage drop concerns or you may install a pool shed panelboard as discribed above.

Also be aware that any metal parts of that pool that is 4" square or larger must be a part of a 8 awg bonding grid that has nothing to do with the equipment grouding system of the electrical system.

See the section wiring an in ground pool for inground pools or above ground pool for above ground pools for more details included in this home page site called "home wiring".

Hope this helps

Wg