Cable from panel to light junction box

[familytr33]

Hi,

What type of cable should be run from the GFCI breaker at the pad-panel to the light junction box?

The conduit is non-metalic and the path is above ground. The distance is about 10 feet.

Thanks,

ft.

 

[atttech-2]

I would use stranded THWN if it is for LED lighting 14AWG should be more than enough. I don't think it is against code to use solid instead of stranded but I find stranded easier to work with.

 

[familytr33]

Many thanks. Is THHN required for code?

Can solid romex cable labelled "indoor" be used since it's enclosed in conduit on a short run? The guy at Lowes said it would be fine. I listened to him but am having second thoughts & I'd like to double check.

If not what should I ask for?

Many thanks,

ft.

 

[danpik]

What amp rating is on the breaker? This will determine the size wire to use. 12 guage or 14 gage for 15 amp and 12 guage only for 20 amp. make sure you buy THWN white and black for the feeds and insulated green for the ground. NM romex is not rated for wet locations and ALL conduit outdoors is recognized by the NEC as a wet location. Type UF romex is also against code as the ground wire is not insulated. (the UF romex jacket is not rated as an insulator).

 

[gwegan]

As danpik states its not ok to use Romex in any pool application. Generally Romex is prohibited inside conduit.

 

[familytr33]

So I went back to Lowes... again.

They do not carry THWN, only THHN.

But the guys in Lowes could not believe I wanted to switch from romex in the conduit.

The city building inspector/fire inspector was actually in the store (this is a small town) and they brought him over to talk about it.

He said he would not fail anyone for using romex in conduit over a short distance in such a case; this is what he would have used himself.

He said to use THHN if it would help me sleep better, but THWN was really not worth it. In any case, Lowes could only special-order THWN if I bought a 500ft spool.

I bought THHN for the 10 feet that will be in conduit, and I will switch from the romex in due course.

YMMV, but many thanks for the guidance above.

ft.

 

[gwegan]

Now thats a great story!!! Good compromise. The insulated ground wire is important in a pool application. Its often overlooked but it exists for a reason.

 

[danpik]

THHN stands for "Thermoplastic High Heat Resistant Nylon Coated". The W is for wet location. There are a lot of manufacturers making dual rated THHN THWN wire now. It is usually marked as such. While NM, UF, etc (Romex is a brand name) can be sleeved in conduit for protection, it is not rated to be used there due to the heat rating of the wire. If it is used in conduit, it may have to be de-rated. However, NM cable is not rated for wet applications as UF cable is. Most wire inside a NM jacket is THHN wire. However, you can not remove the jacket and maintain the UL listing for the wire as the wires inside the jacket do not have any labeling on them. I am a bit surprised to the inspectors comment but, seeing he is not an electrical inspector familiar with pool wiring safety,not too surprised. Not following the codes in some cases does not pose too much of a threat to human safety. Not following the codes with pools is not something I am not comfortable with