To use a breaker or fuses

kabbak · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 2:13 am

I've two 30A fuses in a pullable block in the Square D, QO line, panel controlling the 240 VAC power to pool and pool sweep pumps.
IS there some requirement that these STAY fuses rather than be changed to breakers?
Say a 2-pole 30Amp breaker?
The fuses may be time delay types. Don't remember.
Thanks!

JohnT · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 6:52 am

No, you can use breakers. I used a GFCI breaker in mine, but that's not a requirement either.

Isaac-1 · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 9:11 am

I am fairly sure GFCI is now a requirement as of the 2008 NEC, which may not yet be adopted in some areas.

Ike

bk406 · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 9:12 am

Isaac-1 wrote:

I am fairly sure GFCI is now a requirement as of the 2008 NEC, which may not yet be adopted in some areas.

Ike

Only for bedroom circuits and some wet locations, not the entire panel, yet.

Bama Rambler · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 10:22 am

And it doesn't have to be a breaker either. An inline GFCI device is fine.

kabbak · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 10:24 am

Also, in case it matters, this electrical panel is in pool equipment shed near pool. Not the house's panel. It's fed by breakers from house.
My understanding is that GFCI breakers can be problem w/ big motors and that GFCI not needed unless have open outlets, which I don't on this circuit.
AFCI are what's called for in all bedroom ckts. GFCI on bathroom, kitchen, outdoor & garage ckts w/ outlets having a splash risk.
Thanks!

Durk · Posted: June 4th, 2010, 10:37 am

I looked around. It appears NEC does now require GFCI's on pool pumps. My 2004 pool does not have them (on the pump) and your local authority may not have adopted this NEC at this time.

Quote:

Pool Pump Motors

According to 680.22(B), all 15- or 20-ampere, 125-volt or 240-volt, single-phase outlets supplying pool pump motors are required to be provided with ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel. GFCI protection for pool pump motors is required whether supplied by receptacle or direct connection. GFCI protection for pool pump motors has not always been required for a direct connection, but the NEC now requires GFCI protection for these motors whether cord-and-plug connected or hard-wired. It should be noted that 680.22(B) applies to these pool pump motor outlets regardless of their location from the inside edge of the swimming pool.

http://www.iaei.org/magazine/?p=2991

With PVC plumbing and bonding in place, and my experience with problematic GFCI's in outdoor locations, I would personally not put these on a hard-wired pump unless the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction in electro-speak) said I had to. I get lots of lightning on top of a hill and those things are always tripping out in a big storm. I am not an electrician but I have done my own wiring for forty years.

SteveH · **Joined:** April 13th, 2010, 12:32 am **Posts:** 20

Are your lights for the pool from the same circuit? Are your lights 120V? Either way, anything short of an RCD/GFCI is precarious. Fuses are the worst of the lot.

Steve

kabbak · Posted: June 5th, 2010, 12:54 am

Ironically, there is the obligatory pool power disconnect box nearby the pool that uses the QO breaker to feed the power to the pool shed where it then goes through the fuses.
I'm going to change the dual pole fuse pack to a QO dual pole breaker. I may try a GFCI version in the pool side disconnect.

Good news is that the pool light is ALREADY on a separate ckt with a GFCI breaker.

Thanks much everyone for the feedback and great research on the topic!

Isaac-1 · Posted: June 5th, 2010, 2:23 am

bk406 wrote:

Isaac-1 wrote:

I am fairly sure GFCI is now a requirement as of the 2008 NEC, which may not yet be adopted in some areas.

Ike

Only for bedroom circuits and some wet locations, not the entire panel, yet.

What you say is true of the 2005 NEC, take a look at the 2008 changes, either AFCI, GFCI (in wet locations) or combo AFCI/GFCI is now required in almost all living spaces (examples given in the NEC include areas like halls and stairways in addition to living rooms bed rooms,etc.) and outdoor spaces. About the only exceptions are for dedicated refrigerator outlets in the kitchen and outlets in non living areas like attics, etc.

bk406 · Posted: June 5th, 2010, 7:35 am

Havent seen that yet :shock:

As of april, 2008, we were still under the old code in the town where i live in massachusetts. Thats one of the quirks with the NEC. Different towns/states can be on different versions at any given time.

To use a breaker or fuses

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