sparkync
Senior Member
- Location
- North Carolina
I have a customer who has an existing swimming pool. The pool was not wired by code, and he has several things wrong that could present a safety problem. He has a switch for a pool light that is coming out of the cement, about 5 ft. from the pool. If that wasn't bad enough, the wiring is UF cable, and it comes directly out of the cement into a switch box mounted about 3 or 4 inches above the cement. The wires have signs of deterioration. The neutral conductor in showing ( not the copper, only the conductor insulation ). The circuit was not on a GFI, but I did put one on it. I suggested to him to let me at least bust the concrete where the wires come into the pool switch, and check the wires and repair them and protect them in conduit. He doesn't want to do that now. He also has the pump for the pool run in UF cable ( 240 volts) , and it is only buried a few inches under the ground. I have seen at least 2 places where the cable has been damaged and repaired. I recommended putting it on a double pole GFI breaker. He doesn't want to do that now either. I'm at the point to where I'm just about to tell him that I will do it for free if he will let me do it, just for his extra safety. He had other work done which cost him more than he expected, so I'm sure this is why he is hesistant. But seeing this is so critical, I'm concerned for his safety. I put the pool light on a gfi breaker, but am still concerned that the hot conductor may deteriorate, and come in contact with the cement. If the cement has rebar in it and has sufficient continuity to ground, I know the breaker would trip, but since this whole pool looks like it was done without inspection, I got my doubts about whether the breaker will trip. Doesn't the GFI mainly detect from hot to neutral? Thanks for your input. Steve
