# Inground pool light circuit



## louis bugaj (Jun 11, 2005)

After read NEC 680-21 & -22, I need some explanation. For inground pool light circuit, does it has to be decicated "GFCI Breaker circuit" or it can be a circuit with GFCI control.
I'm new in business. I have see both practices in the field, which one is correct.
Thank you in advace for your in put.


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

*light it up*

that's what we pay you guys for.. just kidding...
when in doubt always segment. my e1 runs his separate dedicate gfci line w. transformer..
...

don't drill your bonding lug to wet niche...lol yes I've seen that ...leaky leaky...

been sellling a fair amount of fiber optic lite lately... its a snap to install no voltage in pool and great upsell.
btw anybody else have pool owners who dump about 50k plus in pool @ landscape then cheap out on electrical service ?? can't even plug a radio in outside ?? always thought if an e1 offered a luxury wire package hed make a mint in yards.. phone stereo lighting plugs..

mommas don't let your babie grow up to be poolboys... weve been signing that all summer lol
ray


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

First off, 680.21&22 are not relavant to pool lights. 680.22 covers area lighting around and near pools.

What you want is 680.23, this covers underwater lights. It says GFI protection must be "_...in the branch circuit..._". 
In fact, I know of no place in the code that requires a GFI "breaker". All the code talks about is protection.

If you are unlcear about issues like this I would definitely educate yourself in these areas before you attemt to do any wiring of this nature. This is no place to _learn as you go_, so to speak.


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## louis bugaj (Jun 11, 2005)

Thanks Speedy. NEC-680.23-A-5. GFVI Protection..GFCI Protection. See, I' learning.:thumbup:


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## d.janvrin (Apr 2, 2006)

Pool Light ???
I Live in NH , Here "and should be everywhere" Pool Light Has to be *Bonded And have Dedicated gfci Receptical not within 10' of surface water *also (MUST be able to *UNPLUG* LIGHT) for servicing or replacing bulb etc.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

d.janvrin said:


> Pool Light ???
> I Live in NH , Here "and should be everywhere" Pool Light Has to be *Bonded And have Dedicated gfci Receptical not within 10' of surface water *also (MUST be able to *UNPLUG* LIGHT) for servicing or replacing bulb etc.


How in the hell do you propose to plug in a wet niche fixture? They are not designed that way. 

If New Hampshire has some bastard code like that, why do you believe that we should all observe it? Please describe the increased safety from being able to unplug the wet niche fixture. The NEC already requires that the metal part of the wet niche fixture be bonded and that it be served by GFCI protection of some sort. This cord and plug arrangement that you speak of is just plain weird, and offers no increased margin of safety.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

mdshunk said:


> How in the hell do you propose to plug in a wet niche fixture? They are not designed that way.
> 
> If New Hampshire has some bastard code like that, why do you believe that we should all observe it? Please describe the increased safety from being able to unplug the wet niche fixture. The NEC already requires that the metal part of the wet niche fixture be bonded and that it be served by GFCI protection of some sort. This cord and plug arrangement that you speak of is just plain weird, and offers no increased margin of safety.


:clap: :thumbup: :laughing: :scooter:


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

d.janvrin said:


> "and should be everywhere"


I totally agree with Marc. What do you base this on and how do plug in a wet niche light, and keep it code?
Don't get me wrong, I love NH, but if this IS so then obviously NH has butchered the NEC in this area.

All underwater lights with metal parts must be bonded so that is a non-issue.


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## d.janvrin (Apr 2, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> How in the hell do you propose to plug in a wet niche fixture? They are not designed that way.
> 
> If New Hampshire has some bastard code like that, why do you believe that we should all observe it? Please describe the increased safety from being able to unplug the wet niche fixture. The NEC already requires that the metal part of the wet niche fixture be bonded and that it be served by GFCI protection of some sort. This cord and plug arrangement that you speak of is just plain weird, and offers no increased margin of safety.


Here's why And You may Want to think about it .if switch is off and light is removed *UNDERWATER* wire has been chaffed or nicked or has hot Netural reversed etc or maybe bulb is blown and switch is on?? would you feel safer to reach into that pool grab that light knowing it is unplugged completely or the switch is off (Maybe) or the GFCI is faulty.Im Not talking about a Pro doing this Im Talking about your typacal DIYer changing his blown light under water with power ON:w00t: !!!!!


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

Trip the GFI and turn off the breaker. Common sense.

This is anohter reason DIYer should NOT be wiring pools.


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## d.janvrin (Apr 2, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> How in the hell do you propose to plug in a wet niche fixture? They are not designed that way.
> 
> A wet Niche has a 1" plastic conduit if you run the conduit 90 deg elbow and raise that 2' above pool water level with connections for light power supply . install a GFCI rec. install a plug on light cord and plug into receptacle.when theres a problem with light or bulb,you unplug light power cord . the light is now *powerless*.I really feel more comfortable with a HO servicing that bulb. would anybody else???????
> What if the bulb is blown, power is on, wire is chaffed, HO pulls out light reaching into water wire shorts when hits water or HO grabs bare chaffed wires .POWER IS ON!!!


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## d.janvrin (Apr 2, 2006)

Speedy Petey said:


> Trip the GFI and turn off the breaker. Common sense.
> 
> This is anohter reason DIYer should NOT be wiring pools.


GFI is Bad Breaker Is On Bulb Is Bad. HO Is Fried 
Should Of Unpluged It :thumbup: ?????


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

d.janvrin said:


> GFI is Bad Breaker Is On Bulb Is Bad. HO Is Fried
> Should Of Unpluged It :thumbup: ?????


No such accidents have ever been documented.


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

d.janvrin, your argument is completely baseless. 
Why is the WHOLE rest of the country ok with the NEC standard (or equiv.), but NH is not?


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

I'd also like to know where you find a cord cap listed for use on the type TC cable that's on those wet niche lights? Also, type TC cable is not sunlight resistant. How do you overcome that?


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> Also, type TC cable is not sunlight resistant. How do you overcome that?


There is a sunlight resistant TC cable.

http://www.okonite.com/Product_Catalog/section3/sheet17.html


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

mickeyco said:


> There is a sunlight resistant TC cable.
> 
> http://www.okonite.com/Product_Catalog/section3/sheet17.html


Yeah, your google works. That is special tray cable, and is not what comes on wet niche fixtures.


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

*plug?*

like I said this is what we pay e1 s for..
but plug on a wet nitch set up.. never seen it and 
don't see the point.

fixture/lamp ... jbox(trusty wire nuts)... transformer....box in house...(maybe switch in house for owner to control pool light from indoors.) have to agree w. hunk on this one

HO should not be servicing pool lights & e1 please leave enough cord in the niche so I can lift lamp out of the water 
ty
ray


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## JamesNLA (Jun 2, 2006)

It's topics like this, that I enjoy reading. More importantly pictures
like this is just stress relieving comedy for me. Some people fear dropping the soap in the shower, others might fear dropping the corded drill in the pool. MAybe it's just me, but if this guy actually killed himself by doing what he is doing, I would still think that is totally funny. But hay, atleast he has eye protection on!!:no: 









This picture is from Joe Tedesco: http://www.joetedesco.org/photo.html
i did not get his permission to post it here, however it is posted in the "photos" section


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## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

JamesNLA said:


> But hay, atleast he has eye protection on!!:no:


:laughing: :laughing:


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

JamesNLA said:


> This picture is from Joe Tedesco: http://www.joetedesco.org/photo.html
> i did not get his permission to post it here, however it is posted in the "photos" section


Joe is a user on thise site too. I don't think he'll mind. He's more interested in promoting and educating our industry and safety and seems less interested in people snagging a snapshot.


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> Yeah, your google works. That is special tray cable, and is not what comes on wet niche fixtures.


There are wet niche fountain/pool fixtures with cables that just drop in the water, so I would assume they are sunlight resistant, although I would never swim in a pool with one, but they do make them, you can see them in fountains all over the place.


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

mickeyco said:


> There are wet niche fountain/pool fixtures with cables that just drop in the water, so I would assume they are sunlight resistant,


All wet niche lights have the cord in the water. That is what "wet niche" means.
The cord wraps around the light housing and it stowed behind it when installed. This is how you change the lamp, by bringing the whole housing out of the water onto the pool deck.

Why would you not swim with one?


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## POOLMANinCT (Oct 7, 2006)

*drop in is not a wet niche*



mickeyco said:


> There are wet niche fountain/pool fixtures with cables that just drop in the water, so I would assume they are sunlight resistant, although I would never swim in a pool with one, but they do make them, you can see them in fountains all over the place.


those are nichless


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

Speedy Petey said:


> Why would you not swim with one?


Swimming in water with a cord with line voltage just doesn't sound safe to me.



CPSpool said:


> those are nichless


No the ones I'm talking about are wet niche that come with a base, they are line voltage and have a cord coming right out of the water.


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

mickeyco said:


> Swimming in water with a cord with line voltage just doesn't sound safe to me.


Whatever. 
It's your prerogative.

I guess you consider the NEC wrong then, because they consider it safe.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

Speedy Petey said:


> Whatever.
> It's your prerogative.
> 
> I guess you consider the NEC wrong then, because they consider it safe.



What does NEC stand for. National electrician council? I'm just guessing i really don't know. i know they are your regulatory agency.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

Oh national electric code. I was close. I didn't realize its posted here in the electric forum.


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## RobertWilber (Mar 5, 2006)

JamesNLA said:


> It's topics like this, that I enjoy reading. More importantly pictures
> like this is just stress relieving comedy for me. Some people fear dropping the soap in the shower, others might fear dropping the corded drill in the pool. MAybe it's just me, but if this guy actually killed himself by doing what he is doing, I would still think that is totally funny. But hay, atleast he has eye protection on!!:no:
> 
> 
> ...


hey, that has always been one of my favorite photos ..
anybody see that one of the "floating receptacle" some guy made in a soap container?


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