Pool sub Panel GFCI protected

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marcs11

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I recently came across a installation where a previous contractor installed a sub-panel for a residential above ground pool. He has 50 amp GFCI breaker feeding a sub-panel outside on the house. With a standard two pole 30 amp feeding a pool heater and a 20 amp for the pump. I check the outlet and it did trip the GFCI in the main panel when tested. Just wondering if it is permissible to protect a 20 and 30 amp circuit with this configuration?

Thanks Marc
 
Yes, its fine. He essentially GFI protected every circuit coming out of that panel. The sensitivity of a GFI trip threshold is set at 5 milliamps so regardless of whether it's an outlet, a 20 amp breaker or a 60 amp breaker its all going to trip if a ground fault registering 5 milliamps is detected.

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The potential design flaw here would be if you had several circuits with a small but acceptable leakage on each circuit - eventually will trip the common GFCI that trips when there is 4-6 mA of leakage current.

Probably not going to be much of a problem with what OP has described but something to think about if protecting several branches with one common GFCI.
 
IMO it's a poor design and if there is a pool light the GFCI protection needs to be in the branch circuit.
 
Agreed generally a poor design but not a violation. I've never done it that way. As far as pool lighting its written that a GFCI needs to be in the branch circuit for relamping. Does that then mean under normal operation its not required? See 680.23 A (1) and A(3). If not why the differentiation between normal operation and relamping. Here we only use low v lighting in pools as per our code amendments and no GFI has ever been required by inspector.

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richie921 said:
Agreed generally a poor design but not a violation. I've never done it that way. As far as pool lighting its written that a GFCI needs to be in the branch circuit for relamping. Does that then mean under normal operation its not required? See 680.23 A (1) and A(3). If not why the differentiation between normal operation and relamping. Here we only use low v lighting in pools as per our code amendments and no GFI has ever been required by inspector.

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It means it is required for the purpose of relamping. The way I read the rest of 680.23(A)(3), I dont see how you could have a pool light >15V w/o GFCI protection even if not being relamped. The whole section makes no sense to me anyway because no one is going to relamp a 300W underwater lamp live. Not more than once anyway. :happysad:

It does say the branch circuit must be protected, not the feeder to the panel. A 50A GFCI breaker in the main panel feeding a sub panel with regular 15/20/30A breakers which feed a line voltage underwater light or light I believe is in violation of 680.23(A)(3).
 
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