Electrical questions: wall outlets and light switches - Article 680 and conduit?

[wgipe]

OK - I'm building a 14x18' pool house that will house my pool equipment as well as serve as a place to store floats, toys, etc. when not in use. I understand that I will need to have all pool equipment electrical in NM liquid-tight flex, and that's the plan. I've populated the IntelliCenter with all GFCI breakers for all circuits.

My question is this - One of the 14-ft walls will be filled with my pool equipment, IntelliCenter, etc. I plan to have outlets along the other three walls as well as a few lights and light switches for inside / outside lights. All walls will be insulated with foam insulation, with the inside finished with painted shiplap. Is there still a requirement for those outlets inside the walls to be in liquid tight? I assume standard romex is fine for this given that it will be inside the wall. Can someone confirm that? There is 8' of concrete between the pool wall and the pool house.

Thanks!

Wes

 

[ajw22]

Did you need a permit to build your pool house? Will it need local inspections and approval? If yes then you should check on the way your inspector will interpret things.

Either way I would construct the interior of the pool house to be a wet interior. Pool equipment can spring leaks. Water can spray in all directions. Things can get real wet inside before you realize there is a leak. When equipment is outside it is no big deal.

We have seen all sorts of leaks posted here. The filter housing can crack or get a pinhole and water can spray out. Water can spray out of a bad PVC joint. Or from a failing O ring. Or your SWG can explode and your pump keeps running pumping the pool water into your pool house. You will realize something is wrong when you look out and see half the water missing from your pool.

Build the pool equipment house as though it can be flooded and be fine. Someday you will be happy you did and thank me for this advice.

BTW, put water sensors and alarms in the pool house to notify you of a leak.

 

[ajw22]

BTW, put water sensors and alarms in the pool house to notify you of a leak.

 

[wgipe]

Build the pool equipment house as though it can be flooded and be fine. Someday you will be happy you did and thank me for this advice.

I'll do you one better and thank you now.... I think that answers it. It really won't take that much effort to run liquid-tight to all locations, and then I don't have to even think about it again.

 

[wgipe]

BTW, put water sensors and alarms in the pool house to notify you of a leak.

Definitely. I have them throughout our finished basement for that very reason, and plan to do the same out there. I've already had nightmares about 20,000 gallons of water being pumped into that little building.

 

[ajw22]

On a side note, water can do more damage to a house then a fire. I have water sensors in my house under every sink, toilet, and other areas that have the possibility of water leaks. Some of the sensors are tied into my house alarm system and others end an email when they get wet.

That ahs saved me from some very expensive repairs or insurance claims over the years. Once a fitting on my water heater popped a leak and the alarm woke me up at 1AM. It was eeasy to tunr off the valves and mop up a bit of water then find a flooded finished basement in the morning. In anothe the plastic nut holding the pipe that fed the toilet bowl cracked and water was spraying all over a second floor bathroom. That would have damaged half the house if not caught quickly.

Water sensors around a house are highly recommended.

 

[wgipe]

On a side note, water can do more damage to a house then a fire. I have water sensors in my house under every sink, toilet, and other areas that have the possibility of water leaks. Some of the sensors are tied into my house alarm system and others end an email when they get wet.

That ahs saved me from some very expensive repairs or insurance claims over the years. Once a fitting on my water heater popped a leak and the alarm woke me up at 1AM. It was eeasy to tunr off the valves and mop up a bit of water then find a flooded finished basement in the morning. In anothe the plastic nut holding the pipe that fed the toilet bowl cracked and water was spraying all over a second floor bathroom. That would have damaged half the house if not caught quickly.

Water sensors around a house are highly recommended.

Yes. I'm probably overly paranoid about this, but the way I see it is a couple of hundred dollars of prevention is worth what could easily be tens of thousands of cure. I've looked several times at the Moen Flo leak detector / smart valves, but haven't pulled the trigger on one yet. They are pretty cool in that they can detect anomalies in water pressure and indicate even a dripping faucet. The reviews seem to back that up, but I have to wonder how effective they are.

 

[ajw22]

I've looked several times at the Moen Flo leak detector / smart valves, but haven't pulled the trigger on one yet. They are pretty cool in that they can detect anomalies in water pressure and indicate even a dripping faucet. The reviews seem to back that up, but I have to wonder how effective they are.

I have looked at them also. But from what I remember the way my 25 year old house is plumbed the outside spigots and the sprinkler system can't be zoned off and the smart valves will see it as a leak.

In new construction I would do electrical load management at the circuit level and smart valves for water.

 

[HermanTX]

Water sensors around a house are highly recommended.

@ajw22 - What water sensors are you using. I have some around the water heaters but they just emit a sound - not linked to an app. Would appreciate what new technology works best. Thanks.

 

[wgipe]

For what it's worth, WYZE is due to release their home security suite of sensors in the next few months. I have a few different brands, and they are OK, but looking forward to the WYZE solution so everything is in one app.

 

[ajw22]

I have some water sensors that are connected to my Honeywell house alarm system. They will wake me up or notify me on the app if I am out of the house.

I also have some Twine IOT sensors that connect to my house WiFI and send me an email when it gets wet.

Supermechanical: Twine. Listen to your home, wherever you are.

supermechanical.com

This article covers the latest sensors since I did my stuff a few years ago...

Best water leak detectors in 2024

The best water leak detectors can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs

www.tomsguide.com