Pool Lighting

[st1976]

I am wiring two existing pool lights for a friend/customer. I have not done any pools and want to make sure I have everything correct. I have reviewed 680 multiple times but want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

The lights are wet niche. The flex cords are stubbed in PVC above the ground outside of the deck area. The 300 watt lights are 12volt supplied from Safety Volt transformers.

I am going to install a pool juntion box on each stub. Due to the distance to the transformers I'm running #6 from each transformer to each junction box along with a #12 ground.

There is no bonding jumper coming from the light but as I understand it is not required for 12 volt lights.

The junction box can be located at any height above the pool as the lights are 12 volts.

Potting compound needs to be applied to the cord end in the junction box as well as the ground terminals.

The circuit supplying 120v to the transformers does not need GFCI protection.

Thoughts comments?

Thanks,
st1976

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Seems like you have it but I think that the low voltage wet niche light does need a bonding wire. I don't see that exception for low voltage. Direct me if you will. Here is what I see.

680.23(B)(2) Wiring Extending Directly to the Forming Shell. Conduit shall be installed from the forming shell to a junction box or other enclosure conforming to the requirements in 680.24. Conduit shall be rigid metal, intermediate metal, liquidtight flexible nonmetallic, or rigid nonmetallic.
(a) Metal Conduit. Metal conduit shall be approved and shall be of brass or other approved corrosion-resistant metal.
(b) Nonmetallic Conduit. Where a nonmetallic conduit is used, an 8 AWG insulated solid or stranded copper bonding jumper shall be installed in this conduit unless a listed low-voltage lighting system not requiring grounding is used. The bonding jumper shall be terminated in the forming shell, junction box or transformer enclosure, or ground-fault circuit-interrupter enclosure. The termination of the 8 AWG bonding jumper in the forming shell shall be covered with, or encapsulated in, a listed potting compound to protect the connection from the possible deteriorating effect of pool water.

 

[st1976]

Pool Lights - 680.23(B)(2)

Pool Lights - 680.23(B)(2)

I think you are correct... I may have misread the code but the note in the Handbook is misleading. The note under 680.23(B)(2)in the 2005 handbook reads.

"... Low voltage lighting systems are exempt from this equipment grounding conductor requirement."

So low voltage lighting systems listed for use without grounding are exempt but not all low voltage lighting systems?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I think you are correct... I may have misread the code but the note in the Handbook is misleading. The note under 680.23(B)(2)in the 2005 handbook reads.

"... Low voltage lighting systems are exempt from this equipment grounding conductor requirement."

So low voltage lighting systems listed for use without grounding are exempt but not all low voltage lighting systems?

Equipment grounding is not the same as bonding. You don't need an EGC but you need the #8 bond to the shell.

 

[M. D.]

Equipment grounding is not the same as bonding. You don't need an EGC but you need the #8 bond to the shell.

I agree ,.. Also,. the last low voltage LED pool lights I installed had an equipment ground in the cord

 

[st1976]

Pool Lighting

Thanks,

I understand grounding vs bonding. The note under 680.23(B)(2) in the 2005 NEC Handbook refers to bonding but calls it an ECG unless I am reading it incorrectly.

Where rigid nonmetallic conduit or liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit is used betweena forming shell for a wet-niche fixture and a junction box or other enclosure, an 8 AWG insulated copper bonding jumper is required to be installed in the conduit to provide electrical continuity between the forming shell and the junction box or other enclosure. The conduit must be sized large enough to enclose both the 8 AWG insulated copper bonding jumper and the approved flexible cord that supplies the wet-niche fixture, to facilitate easy withdrawal and insertion of the bonding conductor and the cord. Low-voltage lighting sytems are exempt from the equipment grounding conductor requirement.

Does anyone have an idea of how difficult it would be to get the bonding jumper into one of these lights?

 

[bgeorge]

The bonding jumper can be a stranded #8 Cu insulated conductor. This is fairly easy to pull through with the rubber cord. I normally run a 1" PVC conduit from the niche to the deck box, and have no problem. You will have to hang over the side of the pool to get to the bonding terminal to both secure and pot the connection. Make sure to try and leave a service whip coiled in the niche for future lamp replacement. On a side note, we always come from a GFCI to protect the light anyway. just my 2 cents....hope this helps.:grin:

 

[st1976]

Pool Lights

Pool Lights

Thanks,

Unfortunatly this pool has been in service for a couple years and the lights never were connected. I'm guessing to install the bonding jumper the water level would have to be lowered, the fixture removed, the area dried, the jumper fed in and potting compound reapplied.

With a properly grounded 12 volt light is there a safety issue here?

 

[ericsherman37]

Thanks,

Unfortunatly this pool has been in service for a couple years and the lights never were connected. I'm guessing to install the bonding jumper the water level would have to be lowered, the fixture removed, the area dried, the jumper fed in and potting compound reapplied.

With a properly grounded 12 volt light is there a safety issue here?

Or you could lock out the power source(s) and go swimming

 

[guschash]

In the 2008 workbook 680.23(B) in the explaination it says " low-lowtage lighting systems that are listed for installtion without an eg or bonding conductor are exempt from this requirement." If your lowltage x-trans is listed you don't need that insulate #8 bonding conductor on the inside of the wet-niche. You do need the #8 bonding conductor on the outside of the niche thro. In your case hopfully it was installed.