Waxahachie, TX Owner Build - A race to beat the baby!

[ibreslin]

Thanks for those helpful points to consider. When you guys used gravel for fill, did they put anything on top before they poured the concrete? Was it any particular kind of gravel? Not needing compaction is appealing! What did they use under the rest of your deck?

My electrician mentioned originally that they could use the u-channel frame, but we could pay them to come out later to move the panel to the fence if we wanted. I just sent an email to find out what that charge would be. Your setup sounds great and I can see how making a stand to match would be nice, but if I factor in the effort to do that compared to having them come out and remount the panel, it might be worth doing the latter.

Of course, if I just did as Brian suggested and had the fence installed first, then all this would be moot! Oh well.

something like the below would be my preference in your case. mounting on fence not ideal, fences sometimes get blown over is texas wind storms. this way you're not reliant on how well the fence was installed.

 

[bmoreswim]

That's pretty much exactly what mine looks like. I was going to snap a pic until I remembered the many feet deep drifted snow between the back door and pool.

 

[JamieP]

Thanks for those pictures. It looks like we will just go with the u-channel frame after all, set to the height I want, since I just want to get the electrical in on Thursday in one visit to keep the rest of the project moving along. If we had more time or planned ahead better, we'd be able to make something like you've shown, but sometimes little details like this, although nice overall, get me too stressed out to worry about. We will eventually be putting some sort of cedar shade structure over the pad so the u-frame won't be that visible anyway. I know this way of mounting the panel is not ideal, but oh well. I'm not going to be too hard on myself about it. I do appreciate everyone's advice though. I'd have taken it if it had been easier to do so!

 

[Helen203]

Excellent attitude, striving for perfection is rarely worth the struggle.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Jamie,

We had an old saying where I worked -

"Don't let 'the perfect' be the enemy of 'the good'!"

In order words, sometimes the less than perfect option in a small part of the overall plan is good enough. There's plenty of stuff to sweat over in this build and "the look" of u-channel is not one of them.

Looking good so far; you're doing an awesome job!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006

 

[blazeone]

The possible blown over fence issue is a good one I'd mount elsewhere.

 

[JamieP]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I think we'll be ok, and you're definitely right about not stressing over perfection.

As for the fence issue, we are on top of limestone and will pay to have the posts put in very deep and cemented, so I don't think it will be a problem. We had a 6' cedar fence put in that way several years ago, and it has much more wind resistance than an aluminum fence will, not to mention it is 150' long, and it is still standing strong.

 

[JamieP]

The package I have for my electric hookup allows for one GFCI outlet to be installed. Right now I have it planned for closer to the house, so I can use it for my robot. Is there a reason why I would want it at my pad instead? Right now I have the EasyTouch 8 panel and I assume everything is being hooked up directly to it. Am I missing something?

 

[bdavis466]

The GFCI in the Easytouch panel is typically where the power from the pool lights is directed to provide GFI coverage. Regardless of the other places you choose to put outlets, you should still have one at the pad, if not for anything else then the fact that the ET is built to house one, they are cheap and provide the necessary protection for the pool lights.

How much could they possibly want to install the outlet in the panel? A GFI outlet and cover can be had for well under $20.

 

[JamieP]

The GFCI in the Easytouch panel is typically where the power from the pool lights is directed to provide GFI coverage. Regardless of the other places you choose to put outlets, you should still have one at the pad, if not for anything else then the fact that the ET is built to house one, they are cheap and provide the necessary protection for the pool lights.

How much could they possibly want to install the outlet in the panel? A GFI outlet and cover can be had for well under $20.

I'll have to ask how they typically do it. You make a good point about wanting an outlet in the panel, regardless. I'll see what it costs. I don't know if it matters to the question at hand, but we are installing the 12v Intellibrites and both they and the lighted bubblers require a transformer at the pad. Is that a separate issue though?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yeah, you want an outlet at the pad. I use mine for all sorts of things. It's just a "nice to have" kind of thing. If you need an additional outlet by the pool for a robot, see how much the electrician will charge you for a new run from your house main to somewhere on the house near the pool. It's just metal electrical conduit and some wire runs with a new breaker in the box and an outlet. Heck, you could do it yourself as a weekend project. It's not that hard if you have even basic electrical skills and are willing to watch a few YouTube videos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006

 

[JamieP]

Yeah, you want an outlet at the pad. I use mine for all sorts of things. It's just a "nice to have" kind of thing. If you need an additional outlet by the pool for a robot, see how much the electrician will charge you for a new run from your house main to somewhere on the house near the pool. It's just metal electrical conduit and some wire runs with a new breaker in the box and an outlet. Heck, you could do it yourself as a weekend project. It's not that hard if you have even basic electrical skills and are willing to watch a few YouTube videos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006

Neither my husband nor I have experience dealing with electricity, but we have a friend that does this kind of stuff a lot and should be able to help us. It sounds like if I have to choose between the two (assuming we don't want to pay to have a second one installed) that I should go with the outlet at the pad.

This is a picture of an electrical box we have under our covered patio, near where I want the outlet for the robot. It was originally for a spa the previous owners had, and I was thinking that our friend could use it to help us wire for outlets and a fan/light under the pergola. If it costs too much for the electricians to use it to get me a GFCI outlet near there, then maybe our friend could use it. I don't know enough of how it all works, though, to know for sure, but I'm guessing if it fed a spa, it should be enough for what we need.

 

[gwegan]

Ok typically the electrician will put a GFCI outlet on the pad to provide protected power to the automation and other pool equipment on the pad that is not the pump. And for general purposes like plugging in Margarita machines.

However, the NEC also requires a GFCI protected outlet between 6 and 20 feet from the inside wall of the pool, generally called the "6-20." That can handle another margarita machine plus the robot.

So if the pad is more than 20 feet from the pool most electricians install two, one at the pad and one near the pool. You could do it with one but as Matt says above there are just too many good reasons to have an outlet at the pad.

Gordon

 

[gwegan]

That subpanel acted as a disconnect for the spa. Is it still connected at the main panel? Where did it terminate? In English where was the spa wired in? Depending on access your electrician may be able to use this box for a subpanel to run the pergola lights and a outlet that satisfies the 6-20 requirement. Determining if it will work requires an onsite inspection.

 

[JamieP]

That subpanel acted as a disconnect for the spa. Is it still connected at the main panel? Where did it terminate? In English where was the spa wired in? Depending on access your electrician may be able to use this box for a subpanel to run the pergola lights and a outlet that satisfies the 6-20 requirement. Determining if it will work requires an onsite inspection.

As far as I know, it is still connected to a second panel box in our attic. (The house has an addition attached, and the attic panel, from which this subpanel is wired, runs everything in the addition.) The electricity at the pad will be run from the house's original main panel in the garage since the attic panel didn't have any open knockouts to use.

I don't know where the spa was plugged in. There are no outlets nearby. There is a circular hole at the bottom of the subpanel box. I haven't unscrewed the panel to look inside to see where it goes. Maybe there is an outlet inside. Is there anything special we need to do to unscrew the panel to look inside? Like turn off the power, or is that not necessary?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ok typically the electrician will put a GFCI outlet on the pad to provide protected power to the automation and other pool equipment on the pad that is not the pump. And for general purposes like plugging in Margarita machines.

However, the NEC also requires a GFCI protected outlet between 6 and 20 feet from the inside wall of the pool, generally called the "6-20." That can handle another margarita machine plus the robot.

So if the pad is more than 20 feet from the pool most electricians install two, one at the pad and one near the pool. You could do it with one but as Matt says above there are just too many good reasons to have an outlet at the pad.

Gordon

gwegan brings up an excellent point - margarita machines!! I hope you have one priced into your build...like skimmers, you should really have two

Listen to Gordon, he knows all things electrical!! They don't call him "sparky" for nothin' ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006

 

[gwegan]

I suspect a "whip" exited the box at the bottom and serviced the spa. That is a piece of flexible watertight conduit. The subpanel served as the required disconnect device. Determining if this can be incorporated into your build would require an on site inspection. But I would suspect you could use it to power a GFCI outlet.

 

[Nursenini]

What's on the plans for today, Jamie?

 

[JamieP]

I suspect a "whip" exited the box at the bottom and serviced the spa. That is a piece of flexible watertight conduit. The subpanel served as the required disconnect device. Determining if this can be incorporated into your build would require an on site inspection. But I would suspect you could use it to power a GFCI outlet.

Thank you, Gordon. I'll probably have the guys check it out tomorrow when they're here, even if I don't have them doing any work from it.

What's on the plans for today, Jamie?

Good morning, Denise! Today is another off day for the pool. The electricians come by tomorrow and should finish that job. I've been in touch with my tile and coping guy on when they will start, but that won't be until tomorrow or Friday at the earliest. I need to hear back on what he wants to do about that. Sometimes communicstion is good and it seems like we're getting somewhere, and then all of a sudden it completely drops off! This is the first sub like that, so I'm trying to decks what's up. Maybe I've just been lucky so far.

I hope there is more progress made on your pool prerequisites. You're getting closer!

 

[ummgood]

I was thinking you could put the GFCI at the equipment pad and run a normal outlet over where you want the other outlet that is tied to the GFCI. That is what I plan on doing later after I get final inspection. If you look at most homes they run multiple outlets to the same GFCI. If you are running LED lights in your pool those should only be 50w each so not too much load to have other things hooked to the same GFCI. The cost shouldn't be much more than what you were paying anyway. The normal outlets are under $1 and you already have to run the conduit over to whereever you were planning on originally putting the GFCI. It should take an electrician maybe 5 minutes extra for the wiring to add another outlet at the box. (This is assuming the time to run the wire to the original location, conduit digging, etc... were all already in your quote).

When I think how much I have plugged into my garage on that GFCI a couple LED pool lights, a pool robot, and a few other things like speakers shouldn't be an issue. I run a box freezer, power tools, etc... off my garage GFCI all the time. I have only popped it once and that is when we were having a neighborhood party and we were running a DJ, A bounce house, etc... all off of the same GFCI.