Light wiring

[nafarmboy]

Howdy, We are in process of having pool installed, builder installs pool and concrete but since everybody's electrical needs are different he doesnt price that with job. Instead he has electrican he recommends and then electrical is between you and him. Well electrican and I butted heads right away over several things, such as I wanted more service than neccesary to run pool so we would have enough to run pavillion when we build it and I wanted to run service from house to pool in conduit instead of just putting uf feeder to it, uf is fine but we still have lots of stuff going on in yard since house is new and we still landscaping and such and its lot easier to find conduit without cutting wire than just buried wire. I decided to let electrican that wired our house help me but a few things are puzzling us. Now that I hit every bump in the road Ill ask my question. The pool guy ran 12-2 uf for the lights, 2 lights, 300 watt 12 volt, one is about 40 ft from equipment pad and subpanel and the other about 80 ft. I intend to put px300 transformers to run lights, according to the install guide they should have had bigger wire if I plan on placing them by the subpanel rather than beside the pool where the light wires come out of ground. My orginal plans was to mount the transformers beside the subpanel and just put watertight jboxes where the pool lights and uf feeding them meet. Should I pull bigger wires for the lights, mount the transformers next to lights, or take a chance that 12-2 will run lights without issues. Dont even know if anyone can understand question as much as I rambled.
Thanks Tom

 

[bdavis466]

UF wire is not permitted for pool lights. Where is the junction box located and how far is the panel from that area?

Can you post some pictures?

Pool electrical is outside of the knowledge of most electricians. The codes are difficult to interpret and more importantly an error can have severe consequences.

 

[nafarmboy]

Thanks for replying, there is 2 junction boxes, one on far end of pool from pump, the wire from the light is in conduit and it will come up through concrete inside the diving board pedestal (about 90 ft from pump) where it will connect to the 12-2 either in water tight jbox or transformer box, and the other is on the other end closer to pump (about 40 ft) a seperate 12-2 will feed it either by watertight jbox or transformer box. both lights are factory connected wire in conduit the uf is only feeding them from the subpanel by pump to the junction boxes where they connect, is it still against code.

 

[nafarmboy]

Really the main question was if the 12-2 would feed the lights if I installed the transformer beside the subpanel at the pump being 40 and 90 ft away or would i have to install bigger wire or move transformers closer.
Tom

 

[bdavis466]

12g is plenty. The transformer should be at the equipment pad. Most transformers are capable of supplying 12,13 and 14v power to make up for voltage drop over long distances.

The junction box needs to be a listed pool junction box not a standard one.

 

[nafarmboy]

Thanks again for the reply. I am satisfied that if it wasnt big enough the pool guy wouldnt have put it in, its just that in the install guide it was calling for 6g wire to run the 90 ft even on the 14 vac wire. that just seemed big for 12 volts. Wonder why code wouldnt allow uf. Maybe cause non insulated ground.

 

[gwegan]

UF should never be used in residential backyards. Its just to dangerous.

In pool applications there are several reasons the the code won't allow UF.

First, what i stated above, its bad practice to use UF in residential backyards.

Second, pools have various pieces of equipment that have a variety of useful lives. You want conduit so you can pull new wire for various different uses as equipment changes. The light niche to junction box conduit run is almost certainly going to have to have the wire replaced when the initial fixture dies.

Additionally you should use a minimum 3/4 inch conduit. 1 inch is better.

The code requires insulated grounds in part to make sure no current shorts to the ground and thence to the bonding system. All shorts or strays or whatever need to go to the main neutral buss bar.

Have you made sure the electrician properly installed the bonding system. That also confuses electricians.

 

[nafarmboy]

I agree about the dangerous, notice in my first post why I am not using electrition recommended by pool installer, he wanted to run service from house to panel with uf. That would have went the middle of yard. The pool guy left the uf feeding the junction boxes just sticking out of the ground next to conduit going down to niches, at the least Im going to take it up and put it conduit from the junction box to edge of concrete to protect it coming outta the ground and so i can replace it even if i have to trench it to edge of concrete if i have to replace it later. I'm gonna have trencher rented to run service to subpanel I may go ahead and run conduit to junction boxes from panel. I certainly am if i decide the 12-2 will no feed lights from transformer. What is your thought on that, the subpanel is 40 and 90 ft from the lights and I want to put transformers by subpanel. According to px300 manual the 12-2 wont carry the 12 volts that far.

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Info is why I like the forum. Just wish it had spellcheck

 

[bdavis466]

12g is fine especially considering the wattage of LED fixtures. Use the 14v connection in the transformer to help with the voltage drop. What is not OK is the UF cable and non listed junction boxes.

Please make sure the pool is properly bonded as Gordon mentioned above.