Interpretation of 680.10 - underground wiring around pools

[brantmacga]

Code in question is 680.10, 2005 NEC:

View the attachment for the layout;

Setup is sub-panel on rear of house to feed pool timer and salt box. The customer wanted the conduit to go under the deck and then drop below the concrete deck to be poured around the pool. Clearance was 4'. 680.10 says you must have 5' clearance unless the wiring is neccesary for the pool equipment. I told the customer because we didn't have 5', I had to run the conduit on the exterior of the house along the slab, just below the siding. They weren't crazy about it but thought the end result turned out nice. My question is, I interpreted this code to say I couldn't run the conduit under the deck because it was feeding a sub-panel and not going straight to the pool equipment. The customer intends to build a pool house and run power from the sub-panel I set. It was my interpretation because this sub-panel wasn't solely for the equipment, the wire could not be run underground less than 5' from the wall of the pool. Would you say that's a correct interpretation? If you had no knowledge of the pool house being built and fed from this sub-panel, would it change your answer? If the sub-panel was an integrated panel w/ timers and salt generation controls built-in, would that change your answer?

Thanks -






Edit: -- the deck in the drawing is a wooden deck attached to the house; there is a concrete deck that will extend from the outer wall of the pool to the house, and will meet with the front of this wooden deck.

Also, this house has no attic, thus the reason for running conduit on the exterior of the house.


View attachment 1914

 

[benaround]

All you can do is tell them it's wrong, if they do wiring after you leave, what

can you do??

Your stuff is in right, inspected, etc. might want to put on permit exactly

what your scope is.

 

[brantmacga]

I've been hired to do the pool house as well, so I can't get away with that.

 

[M. D.]

I don't know ,..this one seems to leave a lot for the AHJ ..here is a response from Mike Holt ..I don't know what the criteria is for the limitation of space ,..If you meet it there is relief

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]9. How close can I run underground service conductors in a raceway to an outdoor pool?[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Answer ... According to 680.10, underground wiring isn't permitted under or within 5 ft horizontally from the inside wall of a permanently installed pools, storable pools, outdoor spas, outdoor hot tubs, or fountains.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However, where space limitations prevent wiring from being at least 5 ft away, underground wiring would be permitted if within rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, or rigid nonmetallic conduit having a minimum burial depth of 6 in. for metal raceways and 18 in. for nonmetallic raceways.[/FONT]

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[M. D.]

....It was my interpretation because this sub-panel wasn't solely for the equipment, the wire could not be run underground less than 5' from the wall of the pool. Would you say that's a correct interpretation?.....

​

Given this panel statement following this proposal I would say the panel disagrees.​

17-75 Log #580 NEC-P17

Final Action: Reject​

(680.10)​

____________________________________________________________​

Submitter:​

Michael Tooke, Temecula, CA​

Recommendation:​

This article as currently written:

Underground wiring shall not be permitted under the pool or within the area
extending 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside wall of the pool unless this
wiring is necessary to supply the pool equipment permitted by this article.
Where space limitations prevent wiring from being routed a distance 1.5 m (5
ft) or more from the pool, such wiring shall be permitted where installed in
rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, or a nonmetallic raceway
system. All metal conduit shall be corrosion resistant and suitable for the
location. The minimum burial depth shall be as given in Table 680.10.
This article with the revision:
Underground wiring shall not be permitted under the pool or within the area
extending 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside wall of the pool unless this
wiring is necessary to supply the pool equipment permitted by this article.
Where space limitations prevent wiring that is necessary to supply the pool
equipment from being routed a distance 1.5 m (5 ft) or more from the pool,
such wiring shall be permitted where installed in rigid metal conduit,
intermediate metal conduit, or a nonmetallic raceway system. All metal conduit
shall be corrosion resistant and suitable for the location. The minimum burial
depth shall be as given in Table 680.10.​

Substantiation:​

The first sentence in this article states that NO underground​

wiring is permitted within 1.5 m (5 ft) from the inside wall of the pool unless it
is necessary to supply pool equipment. The next sentence needs clarification, as
it is being interpreted that ANY underground wiring (even if it is not necessary
to supply the pool equipment) is permitted within the 1.5 m (5 ft) area so long
as it is installed in an approved raceway at the depths listed in the chart. By
adding the phrase that is necessary to supply the pool equipment to this second
sentence (where I indicated above), it clarifies the intent of the article.​

Panel Meeting Action: Reject​

Panel Statement: The intent of the Code is to permit, when space is limited,
conduits from other systems to be buried within 5 ft of the pool in accordance
with 680.10 and Table 680.10.​

Number Eligible to Vote: 11​

Ballot Results: Affirmative: 11​

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