Pool pump - multiwire branch circuit

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74sparks

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Electrical Engineer
Laying out electric for a semi-inground pool, essentially an above ground pool product designed for partial excavation into hillsides, etc. Installation includes variable speed internally-protected filter pump (99-253V, 13.0-11.5A) and heat pump heater. All runs from breaker panel in basement of house to pool are roughly 98 feet length.

I had planned for two circuits:

1. 240V / 30A GFCI breaker to AWG-10/2+G dedicated for heat pump Will have outdoor disconnect located near heater, approximately 6 feet from water.

2. 240V / 20A GFCI breaker to AWG-12/3+G for filter pump & accessory outlets. Will have outdoor disconnect located near pump, approximately 6 feet from water, downstream of accessory outlets but before pump load. Pump is to be wired 240V, with each accessory outlet using one hot + neutral, all standard multiwire branch circuit stuff per NEC 210.4.

But pump manufacturer has some unusual language in their manual, which seems to be based on their misunderstanding of how a multibranch circuit actually works, or perhaps certain older GFCI breakers that can't handle 120V and 240V combined loads. Here's what their manual states:

7. If AC power is supplied by a GFCI circuit breaker, use a dedicated circuit breaker that has no other electrical loads.
8. Connect the pump permanently to a circuit. Make sure no other lights or appliances are on the same circuit.

Wondering now if I should just pull an additional circuit to the back yard for the accessory receptacles, or continue as planned, with the pump and accessory receptacles on the same circuit. The pump manufacturer's advice doesn't seem to be supported by anything I can find in the code, in fact these things are usually plugged into a branch circuit with a twist lock rather than hardwired. Also, with this panel now at capacity (thanks to 4 poles of new GFCI breakers) and the wiring already pulled from the basement to back yard, reconfiguring isn't completely trivial.

Advice?
 
Just spoke with the pool company, and after initially directing me down the path above, they've now backed up suggested I just pull a single 60A circuit to a panel mounted near the pool and run all circuits from there. Makes me wish I hadn't already upgraded the basement panel and pulled a half dozen AWG-10 and -12 conductors from basement to back yard, but it will be a better plan overall.

If anyone has a favorite 6-slot outdoor panel, let's hear about it. Will carry two 2-pole and one 1-pole breaker, for now.
 
Should have mentioned, the GFCI breakers I presently have are type CH, so there'd have to be a pretty good reason to use something other than a CH panel, of one flavor or another.
 
74sparks said:
Just spoke with the pool company, and after initially directing me down the path above, they've now backed up suggested I just pull a single 60A circuit to a panel mounted near the pool and run all circuits from there. Makes me wish I hadn't already upgraded the basement panel and pulled a half dozen AWG-10 and -12 conductors from basement to back yard, but it will be a better plan overall.

If anyone has a favorite 6-slot outdoor panel, let's hear about it. Will carry two 2-pole and one 1-pole breaker, for now.
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We run 60 or 100 amps back to a Jandy sub-panel for pool equipment. Stupid pool guys. They should have suggested that from the start. Welcome my world.
Pentair subs are finicky as others have stated. I no like-ee. They bought out Compool years ago and this is what you have.
 
D'oh! Yes, this is a Pentair Sta-Rite Supermax VS variable speed pump.

Yes, a bit frustrated with the pool Co. I had asked them previously what connection was required, and each time I've gotten different answers. Long story, but here we are.

My take-away from NEC 680.22(B) is that even hardwired pumps on 20A/240V circuits require a GFCI breaker, thanks to the insertion of "whether by receptacle or direct connection". If so, I guess we're going with Siemens, and I'll find some other uses for the CH breakers I procured for this job.

Only ever having used SquareD and Eaton/C-H, I don't really know the Siemens catalog. If there's an outdoor lugs load center you guys like, at least 5-6 circuits, I'd likely just use your recommendation. Assuming type QP breakers, which at first glance look an awful lot like the SquareD QO's.
 
Do you have the nameplate data for the heat pump? Almost all of the pentair models need a 60A circuit alone. The smallest I believe is 8kw. The largest is 12kw with a max OCPD of 70A.

I usually run a 100A feeder when a heat pump is involved.


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This is a smaller heat pump, only 13,600 gallons in a pool with insulated walls and vermiculite bottom, so HP is only 55,000 BTU. Manufacturer recommends 20A min breaker, pool company recommends 30A.

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mtnelect said:
Just put a note on the panel "When the pool pump is on - Don't turn on any additional lights or appliances".
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lol... yeah, really. But I'm guessing you only read post #1. We've changed gears, installing a 50A or 60A sub-panel at the pool. Max load of pump + heater is around 30A, so plenty of capacity there.
 
macmikeman said:
I just about never get trips from Eaton gfi's. Pool and heat pumps included in that statement.
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Hmm... contradictory experiences. Could it be a vintage thing, like one particular generation of Pentair's and CH's don't play well together, whereas another generation of one or the other does?

Not sure if it matters, but the CH GFCI breakers I have on-hand for this job are the older type, with separate TEST buttons on each pole of the 2-pole breaker. The pool pump is brand new, manufactured this year.
 
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