insulated ground for swimming pools

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Stevenfyeager

Senior Member
Location
United States, Indiana
Occupation
electrical contractor
I need to run a circuit with an insulated ground from a house panel out underground to a pool. The underground part is THWN in conduit, but what insulated ground romex can we run inside the house? We don't have to pipe THWN individual conductors inside the house too, do we? Thank you.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I need to run a circuit with an insulated ground from a house panel out underground to a pool. The underground part is THWN in conduit, but what insulated ground romex can we run inside the house? We don't have to pipe THWN individual conductors inside the house too, do we? Thank you.
If at a single family dwelling you can use regular NM cable for interior runs in the house or in an accessory building - see 680.21(A)(4)
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
OP did not mention what portion of the pool he is connecting.
I agree with 680.21(A)(4) as far as motors, but, as I read it, the same allowance would not apply to pool lighting { 680.23(F)} or feeders (680.25)
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Where does it state that you need an insulated ground for a pool heater? I don't think there is any requirement for that.
 

Stevenfyeager

Senior Member
Location
United States, Indiana
Occupation
electrical contractor
Where does it state that you need an insulated ground for a pool heater? I don't think there is any requirement for that.
wow, that would be great ! ! As it is now, the inspector is having me re run the underground circuit. I ran 10 3 UF in PVC (like I usually do for undergound circuits) not realizing the insulated grd reqquirement at the time but just to have an extra wire) I can't re color the white for the ground, he said. I asked the inspector about the insul. grd. pool circuit requirement and he said I have to change it to THWN conductors so it will have that. I ran an empty 1" conduit in the trench as well.
I walked him back to the pool equipment and showed it powering a new 240 v gas heater.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Personally, I would install individual conductors in the conduit and then install a panel to feed all the pool equipment. If this equipment for the pool is in a building then you may have issues with 225.30
 

Stevenfyeager

Senior Member
Location
United States, Indiana
Occupation
electrical contractor
Personally, I would install individual conductors in the conduit and then install a panel to feed all the pool equipment. If this equipment for the pool is in a building then you may have issues with 225.30
Thank you for the idea. Since I ran a larger than needed for 20 amp circuit,(#10 3 UF,) I have enough wires to install a subpanel out by the pool equipment. Then from that panel an insulated ground to the gas heater would be easy. I'll have to check ampacity for the #10 UF for size of the panel main. One thing, by running UF in PVC for all my undergrd circuits, am I breaking the code since now I know that the ground inside of a UF is considered uninsulated? No bare grounds allowed in conduit, right?
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
Thank you for the idea. Since I ran a larger than needed for 20 amp circuit,(#10 3 UF,) I have enough wires to install a subpanel out by the pool equipment. Then from that panel an insulated ground to the gas heater would be easy. I'll have to check ampacity for the #10 UF for size of the panel main. One thing, by running UF in PVC for all my undergrd circuits, am I breaking the code since now I know that the ground inside of a UF is considered uninsulated? No bare grounds allowed in conduit, right?

You have a 240V gas heater:?

10/3 UF will allow you to have a 30A subpanel.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
I believe there is a flaw in that plan. Although the Code allows the branch circuit to your heater to have an uninsulated ground, 680.25 requires a feeder to have an insulated ground as mentioned in Post #3.

(sorry Dennis posted on top of you)
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I know you already have pulled the UF, but have to ask why if you are installing a raceway why you want to pull UF through it in the first place?

You can get same size and quantity of individual conductors through a smaller raceway and they pull much easier then UF does as well.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Since you have an empty 1" conduit in the trench as well abandon the UF and install a panel as Dennis suggested or use the UF to only power the heater.
 

Stevenfyeager

Senior Member
Location
United States, Indiana
Occupation
electrical contractor
Since you have an empty 1" conduit in the trench as well abandon the UF and install a panel as Dennis suggested or use the UF to only power the heater.
Thank you all for your help. The UF does only power the pool heater. There was an existing 120 v circuit that the pool man used to power the pump, etc. I always used UF in PVC in trenches for double protection for cirucuts over the years, but am now learning that is not acceptable for pools. It looks like I can't use UF for a subpanel, so I need to run THWN conductors through my empty conduit. Thank you all !
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
any in-ground wiring requires insulated egc. did i miss something from nec ?
 
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