Electrical question...

[nyteowl]

Hi there,

I'm building a deck next to my pool and want to relocate the electrical box that, I suspect, has something to do with my pool light but I don't know exactly what.

As you can see in the images, the piping is all rusted out and needs to be replaced, so what I'd like to do is first dig out until I hit solid piping, remove the bad sections, and then run the wires into a weatherproof box. From there I'll splice the wires and run them through two lengths of flexible conduit that will run up the 4 x 4 post to a new 2-gang weatherproof box mounted above the black line, which is where the top of the deck will be. I'm mounting it on the post so it will be out of the way and not sticking up in an awkward place in the middle of the deck.

I don't see why this wouldn't work, and am quite comfortable doing the electrical myself, but not knowing the exact purpose this electrical box, I thought I'd toss this out here and get some outside opinions.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[PoolGate]

Pool lights by code are required to be elevated like that. I see no issue with you moving it as long as you are burying it properly per your local codes and the new junction box is also per pool light codes. I am not sure about the underground splice of the wires though hopefully someone else comes along that knows what codes for that are.

 

[ajw22]

You want to do things to code?

That is an old style pool light junction box. A modern junction box looks like this...

Pool Light Junction Box.jpg

• ajw22
• Apr 25, 2020

You should not be burying a splice. Connections should be done in junction boxes. Relocating a pool light junction box properly is a PITA as it brings together the electrical feed from your panel with the wires from your pool lights.

 

[Randrx2]

The trick is going to be where the splice is. You mentioned a weather-proof box. Where is that going to be? Basically, the cord from the light in the pool to the first junction box should be a continuous cord with no splices. That cord will run to the first junction box that is required to be 8” above the maximum water level of pool, i.e. the highest the water could possibly get if it overflows.

 

[Randrx2]

Also, is that EMT in the ground? You may be digging quite a bit to find a “solid” section. While technically EMT is allowed underground, I wouldn’t do it. What happens is, ”if” the EMT was made with good corrosion protection coating, what typically happens is that once the EMT is cut, the exposed cut section does not have the protection on it. The electrician rarely paints the cut section with the zinc paint. So the corrosion typically starts there. Another section that corrodes is where they bend the pipe. As the pipe bends, the corrosion protection is lost by the bend and the contact scratches with the pipe bender.

 

[PoolGate]

You want to do things to code?

That is an old style pool light junction box. A modern junction box looks like this...

Pool Light Junction Box.jpg

• ajw22
• Apr 25, 2020

You should not be burying a splice. Connections should be done in junction boxes. Relocating a pool light junction box properly is a PITA as it brings together the electrical feed from your panel with the wires from your pool lights.

I believe it is permissible by code to do an underground/buried splice. I have seen electricians and the electric company employees do it. They sell proper waterproof, permanent splice kits for this.

 

[ajw22]

I believe it is permissible by code to do an underground/buried splice. I have seen electricians and the electric company employees do it. They sell proper waterproof, permanent splice kits for this.

That may be for other electrical feeds but Part 680 does not allow it for pool lights.

 

[nyteowl]

Thanks for all the replies.

Not evident in the pix, but the metal piping has corroded just above a 90º elbow, so the piping is very shallow. I'll just be digging out to a point where I can attach a short length of flexible conduit approved for underground use to the existing piping which will then run to a weather proof junction box mounted onto one of the deck support stringers, so that box will be 9-12 inches above ground. The splices will be inside that box, and using more of the same flexible conduit, I'll run the wires to the new pool light junction box which will be mounted even higher on the 4 x 4 post, easily 12-15 inches or more above the water level should the pool ever overflow.