low voltage fixtures near water

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sparrott4

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I understand that a pool and spa rated transfomer is required to supply underwater fixtures and any fixtures that are between 5 and 10 ft. from a pool, spa or water feature.

According to the EC&M site, low voltage fixtures can be mounted closer than 5 ft. from the water. He states:

"Nevertheless, we do see these lights used closer to swimming pools. These lights aren't installed under the provisions of Art. 411. This type of lighting operates on Class 2 power-limited circuits evaluated for wet-contact applications. Therefore, you install this type of lighting using listed Class 2 power supplies that typically don't exceed 75VA."

Can anyone provide more clarity on this? If a contractor wants to install a fixture closer than 5 ft. to the water, what codes and guidelines does he follow?
 
Re: low voltage fixtures near water

No responses? I'll try again. This is an important issue and I'm baffled by the NEC code as it relates to low voltage lighting near water.
 
Re: low voltage fixtures near water

Could you please post a link to the EC&M site, so we can read what you are referring to? I am not sure how Article 411 - Lighting Systems Operating at 30 Volts or Less - comes into play at all. I was thinking Article 680 when talking swimming pools...
 
Re: low voltage fixtures near water

Here's the link:

http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_code_rules_lowvoltage/index.html

I also found a Q & A from Mike on this issue, this was a few years back, any further clarification?

Q. An electrical inspector just informed me that you can't install low-voltage lighting fixtures within 10 ft of the edge of a pool or spa, even though the 110V power supply (transformer) is located 50 ft from the water's edge. Does the NEC allow low-voltage lighting closer than 10 ft from the water if the circuit for the transformer is GFCI-protected? I understand Sec. 680-6(b)(a) allows 120V lighting fixtures to be located just over 5 ft from the water's edge and GFCI protection is not required. Please clarify.

A. Sec. 411-4 specifies that you shall not install low-voltage lighting systems (operating at 30V or less) within 10 ft of pools, spas, fountains, or similar locations. There is no exception to this rule (Fig. 2). Placing the primary circuit conductors (120V) on a GFCI protection device does not protect against an electric shock on the secondary, because the primary GFCI would not sense a fault on the low-voltage secondary.
 
Re: low voltage fixtures near water

Ok, I see 411.4 now, my bad. So it looks like it defers to Article 680, which it says in 680.22(B))(4) that you can locate GFCI protected light fixtures, lighting outlets, and ceiling suspended fans "installed in the area extending between 1.5 m (5 ft) and 3.0 m (10 ft) horizontally from the inside walls of a pool shall be protected by a greound fault circuit interrupter unless installed not less than 1.5 m (5 ft) above the maximum water level and rigidly attached to the structure adjacent to or enclosing the pool."

So IMO, this allows to be installed closer than 10 feet, which is an exception to 411.4.

Now the EC&M article says that with circuits that we see closer than 5 feet, are not of the installation described in NEC Article 680. The circuits are installed as described in NEC Article 725 Class 2 wiring methods. But I can't find any reference to pools in Article 725. :confused: I guess my question is what are the main differences in the wiring methods and how power is delivered between those described in 680 and those in Class 2 and 3 circuits as described in Article 725?

Edit: And is it legal to run class 2 or 3 circuits to lights closer than 5 feet to pools? What type of circuits are pool lights powered from?

[ January 14, 2005, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: wirenut1980 ]
 
Re: low voltage fixtures near water

Take another look at that voltage requirement where you say 30 volts or less. The voltage is a big factor here. 15V or less the requirements change. Hard to keep straight in my head too.
Also note the isolating transformer details and requirements.
Commonly 'buck/boost' transformers are used for LV landscape at 12 volts. These are not isolating transformers that I'm aware of.
We have a job now that deals with the same issues your referring to. I have as yet to review all these requirements myself.
We might also need to somehow 'retrofit' a 120 V pool light to LV.
 
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