Flush Deck Junction Box

[LarryF_In_So_Cal]

All,
As previously posted, I'm working on having work done to my pool. My biggest concern is "rewiring" my pool light. The conduit to the pool light must be replaced as it is old metal pipe. See attached pictures. I had one electrician out to look at the repair, he went on to say that I need to have my pool light niche re-placed. I talked to several pool guys, and they are telling me that my niche is fine, and the only thing that needs to be done is remove the deck junction box, run a smooth 90 degree copper fitting from the existing copper pipe coming off of the existing niche. Once the smooth 90 is attached it can then transition to PVC conduit then to the junction box where my GFI box is located.

Along with the new niche, which the electrician said must be PVC, the electrician went on to say that the pool will need to have three grounding points to the re-bar in the concrete.

Can someone enlighten me on the specifics of this sort of job. I just don't want these guys to make it sound more then what it is and over charge me.

I appreciate any feedback you may have.

LarryF_In_So_Cal

 

[Bama Rambler]

Unless the niche is leaking you don't need or want to replace it. I agree with the pool guys about the junction box. It needs to be moved. The NEC requires that light junction boxes now be at least 4" above the surrounding area (ground or deck) and at least 4' from the pool wall. I suggest just moving yours up and back to meet the requirements. Where do the conduits on either side of it go?


The electrician is almost correct about the tie points to the rebar. It's bonding not grounding and it's four(4) points uniformly spaced around the pool, not three(3). It also has to be at least # 8 solid copper wire or metallic conduit and it also has to extend to every piece of metallic equipment that touches the pool water (pump, swg, heater, etc.) that is larger than 4 in².

 

[swimcmp]

Larry do you have to meet any local codes. If so this is what you must be concerned with. Possibly your electrician may be spot on as to your local code. But he may be way off. Make sure you comply with local codes if you are required to.

 

[LarryF_In_So_Cal]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies,

Where do the conduits on either side of it go?

On one side it goes to a junction box located next to my brick wall. and just to let you know, that junction box is about 6 inches from the ground and would only activate when I turned on the pool light.

On the other side, the metal 3/4" conduit goes back about 15 or so feet and up to my main breaker panel. The wiring for the light is connected to a 20 amp GFI breaker mounted in the breaker panel. My panel has a 3/4" metal pipe just below, I guess used for an additional connection to the breaker panel, anyway that is where all the conduit goes, it is metal and attached along the exterior wall, goes to an external junction box then down to the pump and pool light via the 3/4" metal conduit. The external junction box has two exterior grade switches that i used to turn on the pool light as well as a light pole in the pump service area.

I had one electrician come out today to discuss wiring the light he mentioned that he would simply run a new conduit from the niche to a junction box about 20 feet behind a block / wood wall covering my equipment.

He mentioned that he would need to dig down to connect the new conduit to the existing niche, but didn't say exactly how he was going to connect it.

How do you think he is going to connect it?

Can the existing niche be used and a new piece of conduit be attached to where the old piece of conduit is currently connected to?

This guy didn't sound too knowledgeable about connecting to the niche, when I questioned him he gave a sort of bogus answer and said he would dig and attach a the new conduit to the niche.

I would imagine that the conduit going down to the niche, the one you see in the attached picture, the vertical piece going down, could be cut a few inches from where it is currently connected to the flush deck box is, and since it is copper, I could just sweat a smooth elbow to it and start the conduit path back to the junction box.

Can someone please clarify how to connect to an existing metal light niche?

Any replies would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Sweating a long radius elbow onto the vertical conduit is the proper way to do it. It's most likely sweated into the niche so digging down to the niche is just more work that gains you nothing.