Didnt think about electricity in my pool plan?

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C

chi-chi

Well-known member
Jun 21, 2019
124
Ashburn, VA
Pool Size
8403
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Intex Krystal Clear
Okay so this is my first post and I have to be honest I'm already overwhelmed and rethinking settings up my pool..

So far I have purchased a few materials needed including the pool, pump/filter, skimmer, cleaning equipment. I have gotten local permits to level the ground and for the placement of my pool and I am going to start the grading/leveling process soon.

This brings me to my question of many.. as I map it out (in my head) and on paper. How is everyone getting power to their pool filter and pump? I purchased an intex saltwater system (model info in signature) which I assume has a regular plug but my outlet is connected to my house which is probably 75ft away. What options do I have for connecting power or possibly trenching power (before starting a grade and leveling ordeal). I also read I have to ground the pool itself? Thanks in advance if anyone can make sense of this but before I I just scrap the whole project i wanted to see how involved it would be.

If anything is unclear please dont hesitate to ask and I apologize if I left anything out.
 
chi-chi said:
Okay so this is my first post and I have to be honest I'm already overwhelmed and rethinking settings up my pool..

So far I have purchased a few materials needed including the pool, pump/filter, skimmer, cleaning equipment. I have gotten local permits to level the ground and for the placement of my pool and I am going to start the grading/leveling process soon.

This brings me to my question of many.. as I map it out (in my head) and on paper. How is everyone getting power to their pool filter and pump? I purchased an intex saltwater system (model info in signature) which I assume has a regular plug but my outlet is connected to my house which is probably 75ft away. What options do I have for connecting power or possibly trenching power (before starting a grade and leveling ordeal). I also read I have to ground the pool itself? Thanks in advance if anyone can make sense of this but before I I just scrap the whole project i wanted to see how involved it would be.

If anything is unclear please dont hesitate to ask and I apologize if I left anything out.
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You will bond the pool and equipment, lots of information on here about that. For electrical you will want to check the pump specs and see what is required, also consider future additions such as heater, etc... AJW is the man when it comes to bonding and electrical, i would wait for him to chime in on that.
 
Generally speaking Intex pools should not require bonding, per my read of the NEC and talking to my local electrical inspector, as they are classified as "storable pools", and storable pools do not require bonding.

Your local electrical inspector will tell you what may be applicable in your area though.

For my own Intex, I'm going to dig a trench and put a post in and have an electrician install GFCI protected 120 V outlets on that post, near (but more than 6' 10' from) the pool. According to my local electrical inspector this is all I have to do for an Intex, provided I stick with equipment rated for storable pools. If I upgrade my pump to one rated for a permanent pool (as most non-Intex pumps are), or add other equipment not rated for a storable pool (such as a non-Intex SWCG), then my pool is no longer classified as a storable pool and all the bonding requirements for permanent pools come into effect, such as the buried bonding wire and bonding all metal parts of the pool, which quite honestly is a pain for an Intex pool due to lots of unconnected metal poles.

Bottom line: 120 outlets on a post should be all you need for an Intex, but it's a good idea to check with your local electrical inspector, as they could require the pool to be bonded even if the NEC doesn't.
 
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The NEC defines a storable pool as: Storable Swimming, Wading, or Immersion Pool. Those that are constructed on or above the ground and are capable of holding water to a maximum depth of 1.0 m (42 in.), or a pool with nonmetallic, molded polymeric walls or inflatable fabric walls regardless of dimension.

If the pool is an above ground and is considered storable then the following codes apply:
  • All electrical equipment used with storable pools are required to be GFCI Protected.
  • All 120-volt outlets or receptacles within 20 feet of the inside walls of a pool require GFCI Protection.
  • Receptacles are not permitted within 10 feet from the inside walls of a storable pool.
  • Receptacles rated for 15 or 20 amps and are 120 through 240 volts which supply the pool pump motors are required to be GFCI Protected.
 
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jseyfert3 said:
I suppose I need to re-read the code on storable pools, thanks!
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I think that has changed some over the years so it may depend which version of the code we are discussing. And different localities have adopted different versions of the code. So there is no one size fits all. Local electricians should be aware of what applies in your area. Confirm with the local building department as they have the final say.
 
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sammckin said:
Also, planning for a permanent pool likely won't cost much more in this case. If you ever decide to go with something permanent you will be ready and likely save some money.
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This. I mentioned this to my electrician. They are running 3/4" conduit, so upgrading wires should be fairly easy.

While direct bury of wire such as UF is probably slightly cheaper for a single or dual 120 volt outlets, the lack of conduit means a new trench if you ever decide to upgrade to a permanent pool.
 
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After watching some videos and reading the material(couldn't even find NEC code 680 in the free NEC codes) I feel like throwing the whole pool away and it's not even opened out of the box. This is definitely way to much. I figured getting an above ground pool would be easy and inexpensive. I dont have any more room in my circuit breaker and was hoping to use my outdoor outlet on my deck. If there was a way to run from that outlet and trench to the pool that would be great but doesn't look like that's to code and this doesn't seem like something a homeowner can do for a Walmart bought type of pool..

Thank you everyone here for the help and this place is great, but I do think the average homeowner has no clue what is in store for them if installing things correctly.
 
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So I think I have a solution to my problem which I will update if it works and is a good idea. I saw a video which could work in my situation where basically I would make and outdoor extension cord that is UG rated to a new receptacle near the pool.

Since I have an outdoor outlet on my house to my attached deck here is what I will do...

1) take outdoor underground rated cable and wire out to a 3 prong plug. That will plug into the already placed outdoor receptacle on my deck in and outdoor enclosure box.

2) the remaining wire from the newly made outdoor plug will go in outdoor underground rated liquid tight conduit which will run under the deck to a post close to the pool

3) the end of that wire at the new pool post will be wired for a receptacle that can only handle the same load as the original deck outlet. And will Also be placed in an outdoor enclosure receptacle box.

4) plug in the GFCI plug from my Pump and SWG. Done!

As for bonding I'll figure that out but it is a soft liner pool so lot sure on that yet. What I will probably do is add the skimmer bonding plate and trench wire to 4 legs around the pool and the pump and call it done.
 
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chi-chi said:
So I think I have a solution to my problem which I will update if it works and is a good idea. I saw a video which could work in my situation where basically I would make and outdoor extension cord that is UG rated to a new receptacle near the pool.

Since I have an outdoor outlet on my house to my attached deck here is what I will do...

1) take outdoor underground rated cable and wire out to a 3 prong plug. That will plug into the already placed outdoor receptacle on my deck in and outdoor enclosure box.

2) the remaining wire from the newly made outdoor plug will go in outdoor underground rated liquid tight conduit which will run under the deck to a post close to the pool

3) the end of that wire at the new pool post will be wired for a receptacle that can only handle the same load as the original deck outlet. And will Also be placed in an outdoor enclosure receptacle box.

4) plug in the GFCI plug from my Pump and SWG. Done!

As for bonding I'll figure that out but it is a soft liner pool so lot sure on that yet. What I will probably do is add the skimmer bonding plate and trench wire to 4 legs around the pool and the pump and call it done.
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Yeah I know can be overwhelming. Most of us here are a little fanatical about pools. If you're just looking for a basic seasonal pool all this is probably a little overboard. As I have aged I tend to plan out projects to be upgraded in the future, its a curse and sometimes gets out of control.
 
Again, for an Intex you should not need anything more than a 120 V, GFCI protected outlet. It's not that hard.

I'd recommend not reading the NEC. If you want guidance, ask your local electrical inspector. That's what ultimately matters.
 
chi-chi said:
4) plug in the GFCI plug from my Pump and SWG. Done!
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Your deck receptacle is probably already a GFCI circuit, so no others would be needed. It may be a GFCI circuit breaker. It would be a good idea to know what else is on that circuit and where it’s GFCI device is located.
The post mounted receptacle box needs to have a ‘While in Use’ bubble cover.
 
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NEC is a minimum requirement and you can always exceed it if you want to.
Because of aging electrical systems at your house, your neighbor’s house or the electric company electricity could be traveling through the ground in your pool area.
The purpose of the Equipotential Ground is to give that electricity a better path than up one wet barefoot, through your legs and out the other wet barefoot and although NEC has to draw the line somewhere, electricity doesn’t care what kind of pool you have.
 
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jseyfert3 said:
As a storable pool, the Intex pump has a built-in, non-removable GFCI on the plug end.
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Thanks for the information.
I've done commercial electrical work for years and continuously study code, but I'm not necessarily up on all of the equipment in use, especially residential equipment.
That's interesting for 2 reasons. Unless the receptacle was rendered normally unusable in some manner (twistlock or something) the pool filter receptacle would still be required to be a GFCI or on a GFCI circuit and also how do you fit a GFCI plug (they're usually large) under a 'While in Use' bubble cover?
BTW, I'm sure you know, but many I'm sure wonder, it doesn't matter how many GFCI's are on the same circuit since they do not conflict with one another.
 
Yes, it won't fit under a regular bubble cover. I mentioned this to the electrician, he thinks he can find a cover that will work for me (I'm having him install an outlet on a post in my yard for my Intex I'm putting up shortly).

This is speculation, but I think the NEC requires the GFCI on the cord because the pools are installed everywhere and almost never will electric be run for the pool, unlike a permanent pool. So the outlets may be old and not have GFCI, or a non-functional GFCI.

The NEC also requires a minimum cord length for storable pool pumps of 25'. The NEC states in the code this is to discourage the use of extension cords.
 
jseyfert3 said:
Yes, it won't fit under a regular bubble cover. I mentioned this to the electrician, he thinks he can find a cover that will work for me (I'm having him install an outlet on a post in my yard for my Intex I'm putting up shortly).
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I see the integral GFCI plug for storable pools is an NEC requirement, and what you said, not knowing where someone is going to plug in, is probably exactly right.
You could probably modify a bubble cover that'll work. Even an upside down bucket on the post is better than it getting rained on.
 

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