Pool question

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blueheels2

Senior Member
Location
Raleigh, NC
Occupation
Electrical contractor
So I have a customer that has a pool surrounded by a concrete deck. On the left side of the pool deck there is a pump house with a porch overhang and a pool deck. There is a horseshoe shaped inlet that was all dirt, on the right side was pump house/deck and on the left and front sides is pool deck. In the middle of this dirt section is a j-box about 1 foot off the ground mounted on a wood post. It is a pull box that contains feeders for a boathouse. The feeders are not gfci protected.

The customer would like to enclose the area with pavers. He originally asked me to move the j-box but when I gave him the estimate (somewhere between 3 and 5k) he balked. He asked me if we could bury the box under the pavers. My initial reaction was yes. J- box is about 15’ from the interior edge of the pool. I figure I could use a fiberglass hand hole box and bury the splices but I really don’t like this. IMO there is a risk of water leaking down to the connections and energizing wet pavers. What say you guys?

cose violation to bury the handhold under the pavers. It will be accessible.
 
How is anybody going to know the J-Box is under the pavers? Are you going to leave the cover exposed? If not, my opinion, it's a violation.

I agree with you the water leaking into the box will cause problems down the road.
BTW What is in the J-box? I have used some that size for LV pool lights.
 
314.29 would prohibit the box being under the paver but there is a lot of latitude in the exception that you might apply.
 
Buck Parrish said:
How is anybody going to know the J-Box is under the pavers? Are you going to leave the cover exposed? If not, my opinion, it's a violation.

I agree with you the water leaking into the box will cause problems down the road.
BTW What is in the J-box? I have used some that size for LV pool lights.
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J-box is one of 2 pull boxes for the boathouse. So 2- 2” conduits with at least 3-#3 thwn and they are split bolted together in the j-box.
 
You need to comply with the exception as Augie stated. Removing the box altogether is not an option?

314.29 Boxes, Conduit Bodies, and Handhole Enclosures to Be Accessible. Boxes, conduit bodies, and handhole enclosures shall be installed so that the wiring contained in them can be rendered accessible without removing any part of the building or structure or, in underground circuits, without excavating sidewalks, paving, earth, or other substance that is to be used to establish the finished grade.
Exception: Listed boxes and handhole enclosures shall be permitted where covered by gravel, light aggregate, or noncohesive granulated soil if their location is effectively identified and accessible for excavation.
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Ok so the box isn’t legal there but technically I could put a hand hole box in and leave the cover exposed and it’s fine. The electrical near the pool doesn’t bother anyone? It seems if the pavers are conductive there could be a problem.

The absolute best option was dig up the conduits and move them over into the grass and then repull the wire.
 
infinity said:
You need to comply with the exception as Augie stated. Removing the box altogether is not an option?
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I probably could but I have no idea how many bends are between runs. And that is going to be expensive because I’ll have to repull 200’ of wire. #3 is around 2$ a foot so at least 1200$ in wire and i am sure that son the low end.
 
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