Pool Heater GFCI Protection

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LLSolutions

Senior Member
Location
Long Island, NY
Working out of 2008 NEC article 680. A self contained heat pump "240v/single phase/50amp ocpd", can be wired from the home's main panel with 6/2nm cable to the disconnect on the exterior wall and requires no gfci protection. I want to be wrong but I don't think I am?
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
I believe you are correct.
You might note pool pumps above 20 amps are also not required to be GFCI protected.
I can only assume the grounding of the larger circuits is considered to be less likely to be compromised.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
No gfci required for the heater. Gus is correct also for the swimming pool motor. Many contractors are installing 25 amp breakers on a 10 amp or more motor to avoid the gfci requirement since they can use 250% for the OCPD.
 

infinity

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Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
No gfci required for the heater. Gus is correct also for the swimming pool motor. Many contractors are installing 25 amp breakers on a 10 amp or more motor to avoid the gfci requirement since they can use 250% for the OCPD.

And inspectors are accepting this obvious attempt to circumvent the GFCI requirements?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
And inspectors are accepting this obvious attempt to circumvent the GFCI requirements?
They have no choice but think about it. Why do we need gfci on 20 amp circuits only. No commercial pool has it since there are no 3 phase gfci's. Even a larger residential pool may not require it although I have never seen a residential pool that required more than 20 amps.

This question came up at our yearly meeting with the cmp members and I believe Mark Ode answered this one and stated it was legit.
 

guschash

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
Does a outdoor hot tubs that make out of concrete thats connected to the pool and has its own heater, does it need GFIC. Does 680.44 speak to this. I just put a outdoor heater in for the hot tub but didn't put a GFIC. Heater is 42amps direct wired.

gus
 
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