Pool With Deck Box

Jute

Hi, I'm starting a job that is in So Cal for a pool light replacement. I had the inspector out to pre-walk the project so I wouldn't run into any surprises, NOT... I explained to him how I planned on cutting the concrete on both sides of the deck box, (round recessed j box about 18" from the edge of the pool directly behind the pool light) break out the cement and remove the deck box. I would then attach red brass pipe to the end and run it out to a minumum of 5' from the edge of the pool and install a GFCI. Then from the GFCI run 1/2" thinwall conduit back to the power which is located by the pump. I'm tapping the power from a outlet located under the timer for the pump. This is a GFCI protected breaker coming up to the outlet and then to the pump equipment. I know I need to bond the shell to the pool grid and thinking it should already be like this, he tells me to run a #6 bare copper wire from the pool light (not the shell) back to the pump also?? I must be missing something because I've replaced quite a few pool lights and there's no place to connect a ground wire to the pool light and how would you change the lamp with a #6 wire attached to it? (be kinda hard to pull it up on the deck for replacement)Then he says I can't run 1/2" thinwall conduit on the wall from the GFCI back to the power becuase it would be unsightly and I need to bury sched 80 conduit 18" down all the way back to the GFCI protected outlet, replace the GFCI protected outlet with a GFCI and add another j-box and a switch... Any suggestions???Thanks, JB

Shoreline58

I have built over 20 large public pools over the years and am currently building the pool and spas at the new MGM Grand Resort at Foxwoods Casino. This pool has lots of big lights.

The light niches are stainless steel, the have a bonding lug on the concrete side so that they can be tied to the rebar with a #8 bare copper wire.

They have a grounding lug on the water side to ground the light assembly. These are "wet niche" lights, there is 4-5 feet of wire in the niche so that the lamp can be replaced without lowering the water level. Once again this grounding wire is a bare #8. Bare #8 is not bad to work with on a large light, a small one could be a pain, I agree.

I do not know why the inspector thinks that he can trump the manufacturer's installation instructions or NEC Code. I can honestly say that after having built millions of dollars worth of public pools that were designed by architects and engineers, I have NEVER seen a bonding OR grounding line spec'd any heavier than #8 bare copper.

When I first started boning up on this subject I used a web site called Mike Holt Electrical Forums, or something like that. They have a forum dedicated entirely to this sort of thing.

Good Luck

Jute

Thanks for your help on this and I passed final inspection on it thursday of last week...