wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
Perusing 2023 NEC Article 680 on the requirements on how close a receptacle can be to a pool, spa, or hot tub, there seems to be a disparity between the rules for indoor spas and hot tubs and the rules for everything else. Excerpts are below.
In particular, 680.43(A)(1) on indoor hot tubs and spas specifies that the separation distance be measured horizontally, but that language is missing from 680.22(A)(1) through (3) for pools and outdoor hot tubs and spas, as well as 680.34 on storables. 680.22(A)(5), 680.34, and 680.43(A)(4) all use identical language on how to measure distance, referring to the shortest path of a supply cord of an appliance.
So it seems that for a pool, you could have a receptacle that is 5' away horizontally, and 4' away vertically (above the water line), for a total distance of 6.4', and that would be fine. But for an indoor spa, that is too close, as the distance is to be measured horizontally.
Is this an intentional distinction, or an oversight?
A related oversight is that all the rules refer to the distance to/from "the inside wall of a" pool or hot tub. So if you had an outdoor covered pool, or an indoor pool, that is over 12' in diameter you could install a receptacle that is 1' above the water level centered over the pool (from a drop cord, say), and it would be over 6' from the inside walls of the pool. Presumably this is not intended to be allowed.
Cheers, Wayne
680.22(A)(1)(2) and (3) ". . . receptacle shall be not less than 1.83 m (6 ft) from the inside walls of a pool . . ." or equivalent variations on this language.
680.22(A)(5) ". . .the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."
680.34 "Receptacles shall not be located less than 1.83 m (6 ft) from the inside walls of a storable pool, storable spa, or storable hot tub."
680.34 ". . . the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."
680.43(A)(1) on indoor spas and hot tubs "All receptacles shall be located at least 1.83 m (6 ft) measured horizontally from the inside walls of the spa or hot tub."
680.43(A)(4) ". . . the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."
In particular, 680.43(A)(1) on indoor hot tubs and spas specifies that the separation distance be measured horizontally, but that language is missing from 680.22(A)(1) through (3) for pools and outdoor hot tubs and spas, as well as 680.34 on storables. 680.22(A)(5), 680.34, and 680.43(A)(4) all use identical language on how to measure distance, referring to the shortest path of a supply cord of an appliance.
So it seems that for a pool, you could have a receptacle that is 5' away horizontally, and 4' away vertically (above the water line), for a total distance of 6.4', and that would be fine. But for an indoor spa, that is too close, as the distance is to be measured horizontally.
Is this an intentional distinction, or an oversight?
A related oversight is that all the rules refer to the distance to/from "the inside wall of a" pool or hot tub. So if you had an outdoor covered pool, or an indoor pool, that is over 12' in diameter you could install a receptacle that is 1' above the water level centered over the pool (from a drop cord, say), and it would be over 6' from the inside walls of the pool. Presumably this is not intended to be allowed.
Cheers, Wayne
680.22(A)(1)(2) and (3) ". . . receptacle shall be not less than 1.83 m (6 ft) from the inside walls of a pool . . ." or equivalent variations on this language.
680.22(A)(5) ". . .the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."
680.34 "Receptacles shall not be located less than 1.83 m (6 ft) from the inside walls of a storable pool, storable spa, or storable hot tub."
680.34 ". . . the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."
680.43(A)(1) on indoor spas and hot tubs "All receptacles shall be located at least 1.83 m (6 ft) measured horizontally from the inside walls of the spa or hot tub."
680.43(A)(4) ". . . the distance to be measured shall be the shortest path the supply cord of an appliance connected to the receptacle would follow without piercing . . ."