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residential swimming pool heater

22K views 28 replies 5 participants last post by  lighterup 
#1 ·
working under 2014 NEC

680.9 electric swimming pool water Heaters says nothing with regard
to gfci protection
680.21 Motors (C) GFCI protection says 120 and 240 need gfci protection

I am reading this to mean the heater needs gfci protection , but
I am not sure if I'm misinterpreting cause the subject "Motors" is
throwing me off. A pool heater must have a circulating pump in it
right? There fore a motor/pump in it..or am I wrong ..is this a non
electric pump / strictly mechanical?
 
#4 ·
Most pool heater do not have any pumps inside but they have a flow switch inside the heater and some models do have interlock switch so if the pool pump is running then the heater can kick in.

is this heater is straight electric or gas fired heater ?

and yes put GFCI on that.
 
#6 ·
Thanx for input. It is a 240 volt minimum fuse 40 amps
Maximum OCP is 50 amps.

I am thinking of using a Eaton CH 50 amp GFCI disconnect on
house and then underground pipe w/ 6 awg thhn in pipe to a
240 volt fused disconnect / fused a 40 amps.

I want the Eaton ch disconnect cause it will also accomodate
a separate 120 volt circuit for the 120 volt 20 amp pool pump
which is cord & plug connected at 5' off pool base . I'm running
separate conduits for the two circuits

What could it hurt to GFCI heater?
 
#18 · (Edited)
You have to put the lugs on...

Above or inground?
I dunno about above grounds but guessing you could drill a hole and use nut n bolt for the lug....i would run 4 tails and the 360 grid, but honestly no idea on above ground pools.

Inground Im guessing your looking at the coping? They usually shoot it with a nail gun and you would see studs with a nut every couple feet.

I just slap a lug on one of those studs

Texting and Driving
 
#20 ·
The last time I did any EC work for a pool it was in ground. The pool
company had a metal grid all around it to be concrete slab around
the pool. I ran # 8 bare all around that grid and crimped the #8's to
each grid as it went around the pool . Ran the # 8 to my outdoor
panel where the pool pump was at. Bonded it all together there.

This one is above ground. I see the bonding lug on the heater chassis
but I see nothing on the pool structure which is vinyl between the
rigid supports.

I just submitted the bid to include adding a lug on each support
and running # 8 in 1 continuous run all around it from lug to lug and
then back to the ground bar on the outdoor panel.

P.S. I think this might be that material you speak of (coping)
 
#21 ·
No its not coping, thats just the supports. I would do 4 tails instead of each support then attach to your 360 grid.
But again i know nothing about above ground, im thinking of the 4 tails on cement pool attached to the rebar.

The last one you did, inground, sounds like a metal pool.
Same thing, i drill 4 holes too attach lugs and tails to 360 grid.Then run my 360 under all those metal support straps[emoji35] of course half off em are buried! Lol

Bonding (inground], you only need too bond any metal within 5ft of pool, the earth, the water, equipment and any lights.

Is there a water lug on the piping by the pump and a lug on the pump!? You may need to put one in.

FYI
You also need an outlet within 20ft of the pool. Keep that in mind!

Texting and Driving
 
#23 ·
Curious why you guys run your equi bond back to panels? Is it a local inspection thing?

I rarely do pools and always thought the the equi was to eliminate differences in voltage potential not ground the pool - although in the case of a vinyl pool it does merit 'grounding'. Similar to the reason they don't want you bonding to a double insulated pump (except for leaving a bond wire nearby for any future motor replacement) and let the EGC do that job.

Though I think for any kind of pool they still want the water 'bonded' by means of anything with 9 sq.in. of conductive metal in direct contact with water (ladder, wet-niche, etc.)
 
#27 ·
I don't know if its paint or some kind of coating.
Building official said pool manufacturers are putting
it on the supports specifically to avoid conductivity issues.

Nothing about the pool itself was conductive to include the ladder.
They want the ground ring to prevent any issues coming from under ground/pool.

Said they just had an issue a few towns over where a string of
older POCO ground rods (at the base of each pole) rotted out and
someone who owned a nearby above ground swimming pool was
getting a jolt when they stuck their feet into the water.
The EC could not figure out why and somehow it was discovered
that the POCO ground was leaking voltage into the neighborhood
earth.
P.S. We build the exact same outdoor treated lumber board!
 
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