[thorimm]

It was pointed out to me by my pool plumber that my pool panel is not up to code. The panel itself is fine, the way it is wired up is not.

The panel is fed by a 30A DP breaker in the garage. The wire is #8. There are two circuits wired to this panel, a 15A for the pool vacuum/cover pump GFCI recpeticle, and a 15A AF/GFCI breaker for lighting 15' from the pool. The pump is on a separate 30A DP breaker in the garage, wire to a timer that controls the salt cell and a DPST switch for the pump shutoff. The panel is grounded to a ground rod next to the pump pad, and the equipment is properly bonded as well.

Pool plumber says I should have the panel fed from a 60A breaker in the house, and the 30A DP for the pump and timer should be in the panel poolside. The conduit under the concrete is 1" PVC.

What should I do?

 

[TarheelTerp]

It was pointed out to me by my pool plumber that...
The panel is fed by a 30A DP breaker in the garage. The wire is #8.
Pool plumber says I should have the panel fed from a 60A breaker...

The conduit under the concrete is 1" PVC.

Is he volunteering to rewire it (#6) all for you?
(btw... who did this work?)

There are two circuits wired to this panel,
a 15A for the pool vacuum/cover pump GFCI recpeticle, and
a 15A AF/GFCI breaker for lighting 15' from the pool.
The pump is on a separate 30A DP breaker in the garage...

What should I do?

Go fishing. Maybe walk the dog.

 

[thorimm]

I replaced the damaged panel with a new one and wired in the salt generator and rewired the pump connection. As far as who will redo it? I will, I have the ability and knowledge for the physical labor, just need advice on the electrical mechanics; what size wire should I use, is 60A adequate for what I'll be running, etc.

 

[Oso954]

What you don't have knowledge of is article 680 of the NEC.
Without that, you are going to end up with a non-compliant system.

You bet bet is to hire a pool electrician. The grounding and bonding around a pool can get complex. Mistakes can be fatal.

 

[thorimm]

The grounding and bonding are correct. I even replaced the original grounding rod, which looked like a piece of rebar, with the correct copper rod which was a royal pain in the ass to hammer into the ground. Also bonded all the ladder and handrail mounts to the pump, which wasn't originally bonded. Replaced the original 30A breakers with AF/GFCI breakers. Replaced to original pool outlet mounted to a tree with UF cable with liquid-tight flex and 3/4" PVC mounted to a wooden post.

 

[Oldmaster]

There shouldn't be a ground rod at the pool panel. Did you use a #8 conductor the bonding.

 

[J. V.]

I must agree with the others that a licensed, and insured professional do this work.
This is no DIY project.

 

[thorimm]

There shouldn't be a ground rod at the pool panel. Did you use a #8 conductor the bonding.

Yes. And it runs all the way around my pool, connecting all four handrail/ladder mounts, then the pump and salt generator. From there it goes to the ground rod, which the electrician who installed my main panel said was needed. My pool panel ground is isolated.

 

[Oldmaster]

He's wrong on the ground rod.

 

[seharper]

*eyeroll* "Walk your dog", "hire an electrician"... make up your mind, crowd!

I see 2 problems: a small SAFETY problem, and a big CODE problem.

The small SAFETY problems

First, that 30A run to the pump needs to be on a GFCI breaker because water + people + electricity = electrical drownings. It needs a GFCI breaker because it's a 240V load.

Second, small matter, the pool subpanel is poolside, is it not? So if some doofus splashed enough water on it, that water might contact a conductor *before* the GFCI breaker. Which would not be protected. It's a small thing, but I'd rather see that subpanel be fed by a GFCI breaker in the garage panel. That way all the innards of the panel itself are under GFCI protection also. The two GFCI breakers now in the pool sub would then be redundant, and can be re-tasked for other uses.

Of course I just told you to spend $180 on breakers and waste another $80 of breakers. So let's look at plan B, which I think is what your plumber is on about.

Big Code problem, small safety problem

You have a 240V-only run to the pool pump (tell me it doesn't have a neutral??) and a 120/240V line (with neutral) to the subpanel. That might be interpreted as violating NEC 225.30, the Highlander Rule: There can be only one circuit going to the same out...um...building, of the same voltage and characteristic.

The NEC 225.30 compliant way to do that would be, as advised, run 50/60A to the subpanel, then come off the subpanel for the 30A pump circuit and the two 15a light circuits.

Here's an interesting side effect. You can make the 50/60A breaker in the garage panel a GFCI breaker, and it'll protect the whole kaboodle for $90 - subpanel, pump, branch circuits, everything. And you only need plain breakers in the subpanel, so if you only have 2 spaces, you could use a 15/30/15 triplex/quadplex.

And you know what, if the entire feed *into the pool area* is protected by a properly installed GFCI breaker with a 4-wire feed and no bootlegging... then I don't think you could get yourself in too much trouble. And I take electrical water hazards very seriously.

I for one would much rather see GFCI(s) back at the garage panel then the current dog's breakfast you have now.

 

[thorimm]

The pump and panel breakers are both two-pole 30A AF/GFCI breakers. Expensive buggers. There is no neutral to the pump circuit. The breaker for the vacuum/winter pump outlet in the pool panel is NOT GFCI, but the single receptacle on that circuit is GFCI. The light circuit is an AF/GFCI breaker in the pool panel.


Both panels use the same breakers. All the wire to the panel and pump are #10. The pump and timer are wired with #10. The light and winter pump/vac circuit are both 15A using #12.

The pump is rated 12A max @ 230V. The Salt Cell and heater are both rated 1.25A @ 240V.