In the summer, North Carolina’s temperatures can become ridiculous. It’s natural to consider installing an outdoor pool to help your household deal with the heat. When you think about pool installation or hot tub installation and maintenance, you usually don’t consider electrical work much. However, a pool can be a substantial electrical hazard if it’s wired poorly. The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance mention that electrical safety requirements for pools are covered under the National Electrical Code. In this article, we’ll explore the electrical elements that a new pool installation should address.
Why Does Pool Installation Require an Electrician?
As you should already be aware, water and electricity are best friends. For pool installations, pool electrical panels and systems exist within the pool for jets, lights, and heating. These elements need power and require electrical wiring to run. However, you need to ensure that they are grounded, or else they could electrocute anyone in the pool in the event of a short circuit. When it comes to electricals for a pool, there are three main factors to consider:
1. Bonding
Also called equipotential bonding, Electrical Conductor Magazine explains that this process is necessary to reduce voltage gradients around the swimming pool area. In essence, pool bonding is a type of grounding. Even so, it doesn’t utilize the same procedure as traditional earthing. An electrician will run #8 solid copper wire to all the electrical elements within the pool and then connect it to a “ground mat” that surrounds the pool area. The ground mat is usually buried under the border of the pool. Any electrical equipment that is likely to come into contact with water should be bonded to ensure that there’s no risk of electrical shock.
2. Sub-Panel Placement
You are likely not going to wire your pool electricals into your main panel. As a result, you’ll need your electrician to run a sub-panel to handle the pool’s electrical demands. The sub-panel is usually a 100-amp breaker, but costs associated with this piece of equipment will depend on if the house’s main breaker has 100 amps to spare. Additionally, the distance from the home to the breaker, and the breaker to the pool should also be considered. Luckily, your electrician should be well-versed in situating the breaker at a reasonable distance from both areas.
3. GFCI Outlets
3. GFCI OutletsAs with most areas that are moist, a GFCI outlet is required for pool equipment. IAEI Magazine mentions that GFCI outlets work to de-energize a circuit if the current to ground exceeds a specific value. GFCI systems are required for pools because of the potential for an electrical shock in a moist environment. Your electrician should install these at 10′-20′ from the edge of the pool. Your electrician will advise you on where the best situation for your GFCI outlet should be.
4. Pool Equipment
As mentioned before, lighting and heating systems used for pools may require electrical wiring, but so does the pump and other electrical systems. It’s not a good idea to do this yourself since the risk of shock is exponentially higher because of the presence of water. A professional is necessary to have a safely wired pool.
Get a Trustworthy Electrician
Ideally, when you’re looking for an electrician that can handle pool installation, you should check those that specialize in swimming pools. The documentation that deals specifically with a swimming pool’s electrical system (the NEC’s Article 680) should be a critical part of their knowledge. LiveWire’s professional pool wiring service is done by trained experts in the field. If you want someone you can trust doing the electrical systems for your pool, give us a call today!
