Swimming Pool Question

[Michael15956]

Walked away from a quote today because I just don't know enough about swimming pool installs. Existing in ground pool where customer wanted a receptacle & below water light wiring completed. Receptacle is a least 6 feet from pool shell and is fed with #12 UF Cable. Customer wanted this receptacle to feed said light. Light has existing PVC Conduit with insulated EGC wiring already installed but not terminated. This conduit is near the receptacle. This conduit is also embedded in cement. Pool was originally installed in 1995. Can this be completed and complaint without major work?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Walked away from a quote today because I just don't know enough about swimming pool installs. Existing in ground pool where customer wanted a receptacle & below water light wiring completed. Receptacle is a least 6 feet from pool shell and is fed with #12 UF Cable. Customer wanted this receptacle to feed said light. Light has existing PVC Conduit with insulated EGC wiring already installed but not terminated. This conduit is near the receptacle. This conduit is also embedded in cement. Pool was originally installed in 1995. Can this be completed and complaint without major work?

The pool light cannot be spliced into a wiring method such as UF. Look at 680.23.(F)

 

[stevenbouf]

The way I usually wire wet niche lights are. The conduit from the light 90s up to a j box that's made for the purpose it has a cord grip to grab the lights cord, so when the light is being relamped someone can't pull the wire junction apart. Also a 8awg green stranded insulated conductor needs to be run in the same conduit. In the wet niche shell there's a lug and in the light junction box there's a lug. The connection in the wet niche light has to be covered with a potting kit to protect the connection from chlorine water. Also the conduit in the j box needs to be sealed with the same potting kit because the conduit always has water in it and the gas can eat at the connections. The junction box if I remember right has to be 8 inches above pool water level and so many feet from edge of water. As far as the circuit I always run a separate 20 amp to the panel with a gfci breaker always in pipe unless inside a dwelling. You can't use any smaller than 12 awg for grounding and no uf near the pool. Also the outside of the wet niche light there's another lug to attach to the ground grid. A lot of work for a light.

 

[GoldDigger]

Sounds like the OP may be missing the bond to equipotential grid. No good way to tell without digging down to the shell on the outside unless there is a second ground wire in the PVC.
Also not sure whether the insulated ground he saw was #8 or just same size as the other conductors.

 

[Michael15956]

Thanks Gentlemen! You all have answered my question. Steve, going to print out your response for future reference!

 

[Little Bill]

The way I usually wire wet niche lights are. The conduit from the light 90s up to a j box that's made for the purpose it has a cord grip to grab the lights cord, so when the light is being relamped someone can't pull the wire junction apart. Also a 8awg green stranded insulated conductor needs to be run in the same conduit. In the wet niche shell there's a lug and in the light junction box there's a lug. The connection in the wet niche light has to be covered with a potting kit to protect the connection from chlorine water. Also the conduit in the j box needs to be sealed with the same potting kit because the conduit always has water in it and the gas can eat at the connections. The junction box if I remember right has to be 8 inches above pool water level and so many feet from edge of water. As far as the circuit I always run a separate 20 amp to the panel with a gfci breaker always in pipe unless inside a dwelling. You can't use any smaller than 12 awg for grounding and no uf near the pool. Also the outside of the wet niche light there's another lug to attach to the ground grid. A lot of work for a light.

Here's a visual to aid in what you described. This is one I did for a pool remodel a while back.

Insulated EGC landed on the lug inside the niche




Insulated EGC terminated on the lug in the niche with the potting compound



Bare #8 to the outside of the shell





#8 tied to the rebar for the grid under/around the pool

 

[jusme123]

The way I usually wire wet niche lights are. The conduit from the light 90s up to a j box that's made for the purpose it has a cord grip to grab the lights cord, so when the light is being relamped someone can't pull the wire junction apart. Also a 8awg green stranded insulated conductor needs to be run in the same conduit. In the wet niche shell there's a lug and in the light junction box there's a lug. The connection in the wet niche light has to be covered with a potting kit to protect the connection from chlorine water. Also the conduit in the j box needs to be sealed with the same potting kit because the conduit always has water in it and the gas can eat at the connections. The junction box if I remember right has to be 8 inches above pool water level and so many feet from edge of water. As far as the circuit I always run a separate 20 amp to the panel with a gfci breaker always in pipe unless inside a dwelling. You can't use any smaller than 12 awg for grounding and no uf near the pool. Also the outside of the wet niche light there's another lug to attach to the ground grid. A lot of work for a light.

...that's not a code requirement

 

[Dennis Alwon]

...that's not a code requirement

I agree

 

[an_elec_eng]

Thank youuuuuu