Wiring Mess, Help Me ID

[GoGators]

Hello,

I hope this is the correct place to post this and while I have searched and spent a lot of time on your forum, I can't seem to figure this out. We just bought a house with our first pool and the light was out so I pulled it out to put a new gasket and bulb in, only to find the wax coating around the bulb has become a greasy mess so I bought a new assembly. It's a 12 volt and I planned to fish the wire through (since our pool guy is now on 3 weeks of not showing up to do this) but the wiring is less than ideal. I assumed it went to a deck box, as I found found on here but after pulling out all the wires, it appears it goes directly to the transformer, can that be? I need to pull the breaker box and pump timer down to remove the cover on the side of the transformer conduit and give the wires a better tug but it appears to be; is this incorrect?

Quick sketch



Actual mess:

 

[Richard320]

Yes. That's why that cover is there.

It's very hard pulling wires through bends, and nobody could get around the last turn into the box otherwise.

 

[gwegan]

Wow. That's crazy. The box with the transformer can be made to meet the code but it needs strain relief. You have plumbing PVC used as conduit. I hate to see what the breakers look like.

I know I'm spending your money but I would get a pool junction box or junction box transformer combination and replace what you have.

With a little thought you could get rid of a box or two and have much more straghtforward wiring.

 

[GoGators]

Wow, I thought my post was still pending, thanks for the replies! Yes, the wiring is a disaster and while I have done tons of wiring at my parent's horse farms (I'm no electrician but thanks to the Internet, it passed inspection), I don't know much about pools. There was a heater on the same circuit as the pump so I removed that because it should have its own breaker but I don't know what to do here. I would really like to consolidate all the mess of rusted out boxes but don't know my options for a nice big box to house it all or if it's even possible.

I want add a salt system but need to clean this up and get it to code first, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gwegan]

You don't generally need a separate breaker for a heater. For a heat pump yes, heater no.

You need a subpanel. Preferably with less than 6 "throws" so it can act as a disconnect.

It should have one breaker for the lights. That should have a run to the transformer which can be in a listed light junction box. You need the listed light Junction box


It should have one breaker for the pump which should generally be a GFCI breaker . There should be a run to your timer then to the pump.

There should be a breaker for general utilities. Your required outlet between 6 and 20 feet from the pool and any out let on the bad should be connected here. I generally don't make this a GFCI breaker because I want the reset and test accessible. So I place a GFCI outlet as the first outlet after the panel.

Finally you need a GFCI breaker for the salt system and a run to the salt system box.

All of it grounded with insulated green grounding wire equal in size to the conductor..

The Pump and the salt system must be connected to the bonding system.

There is more. Search "Mike Holt 2014 illustrated guide to NEC swimming Pools" in google for more.

 

[GoGators]

Gwegan,

Thank you so much for the help, really appreciate it and it was a heat pump and not working well anyway. I have researched a bit and think I can do this but with work and all the other projects going on, I'm going to call to see if someone can do it for me. I looked at pool automation boxes at Pinch a Penny this morning and that looks like a much cleaner interface but not exactly cheap.

I'm going to brush on my reading here to see if the automation is the right choice and and see what kind of SWC I should go with.

Thank you again and I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday!

 

[GoGators]

So, I've waited three times on electrians that never showed so I dug in a bit more today. Right now, the pool timer nor the light are working so I have no clue what is going on. I went through all the wiring and while I doubt anyone can follow this, any tips on how to get the timer to work? New timer motor? The gears are not spinning so I don't think it is getting power and the pool light transformer doesn't seem to show power going in either, ideas?

I know, this is a mess but no one will show up to fix it