hotrod_tx
Member
- Location
- Frisco, TX
Hi – I live in a Texas neighborhood and am on the HOA board. I have a question about code relating to GFCI requirement for a fountain in a large pond.
Recently we were shopping our pond maintenance contract, to service a 3-acre pond that has two fountains, each a submersible pump powered from control panels on shore. There are lights on the fountain (in the water) This is effectively a stormwater pond with aesthetic value to residents; no swimming or boating but we do have residents fishing in it from shore (and I will be doing weed raking with hip waders soon in the shallow part)
One vendor reported today that both of our existing fountains lack GFCI connections. In one pump control panel a GFCI unit is there but disconnected, and the other one it is missing altogether. But, there are ground wires in place.
The vendor says it is a safety risk but they are also trying to quote us upgrading the fountains and the whole system so I would like to know more (and presumably code should have been followed on install, one would hope!) These Motors were most recently replaced in 2015, but fountains have been in neighborhood since early 2000’s. The vendor’s comment: “While both fountains are currently operational, the GFCI controls for both fountains have been removed from the circuit, eliminating any electrical shock protection for human interaction with the water. Fountain control centers have been modified to eliminate or wire around original manufacturer safety devices, and will need repairs to be determined and performed to bring them back to normal safety standards.”
Are we required by code to have these fountains be GFCI protected at this time? And is it safe for people to be walking in the shallow water to do weed maintenance etc. without a GFCI in place?
Trying to educate myself on the topic before we reply to this new vendor and also before we talk to our current pond maintenance co, who I think did the pump installation in 2015. I have seen a few older forum posts (e.g. 2011) that indicate that if hard-wired then no GFCI needed, and if no swimming then no GFCI needed, but some of this info is at least 8 years old so maybe code has changed? I don’t want to resurrect an old thread, and apologies if I posted this in the wrong sub-forum.
We really want to ensure things are safe for our residents. Thanks!
here is an extract from the report showing the GFCI comments with photos:
Fountain 2:
Recently we were shopping our pond maintenance contract, to service a 3-acre pond that has two fountains, each a submersible pump powered from control panels on shore. There are lights on the fountain (in the water) This is effectively a stormwater pond with aesthetic value to residents; no swimming or boating but we do have residents fishing in it from shore (and I will be doing weed raking with hip waders soon in the shallow part)
One vendor reported today that both of our existing fountains lack GFCI connections. In one pump control panel a GFCI unit is there but disconnected, and the other one it is missing altogether. But, there are ground wires in place.
The vendor says it is a safety risk but they are also trying to quote us upgrading the fountains and the whole system so I would like to know more (and presumably code should have been followed on install, one would hope!) These Motors were most recently replaced in 2015, but fountains have been in neighborhood since early 2000’s. The vendor’s comment: “While both fountains are currently operational, the GFCI controls for both fountains have been removed from the circuit, eliminating any electrical shock protection for human interaction with the water. Fountain control centers have been modified to eliminate or wire around original manufacturer safety devices, and will need repairs to be determined and performed to bring them back to normal safety standards.”
Are we required by code to have these fountains be GFCI protected at this time? And is it safe for people to be walking in the shallow water to do weed maintenance etc. without a GFCI in place?
Trying to educate myself on the topic before we reply to this new vendor and also before we talk to our current pond maintenance co, who I think did the pump installation in 2015. I have seen a few older forum posts (e.g. 2011) that indicate that if hard-wired then no GFCI needed, and if no swimming then no GFCI needed, but some of this info is at least 8 years old so maybe code has changed? I don’t want to resurrect an old thread, and apologies if I posted this in the wrong sub-forum.
We really want to ensure things are safe for our residents. Thanks!
here is an extract from the report showing the GFCI comments with photos:
Fountain 2:
~RJ~
