Journeyman
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Swimming pool electrical code

Updated · Written for the 2023 NEC

Short answer

NEC Article 680 covers wiring for swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and fountains. The core rules: keep receptacles at least 6 ft from the inside wall of the pool, GFCI protect receptacles within 20 ft, bond all conductive parts in and around the pool with 8 AWG solid copper under 680.26, and keep luminaires, switches and overhead lines at set distances from the water. Underwater luminaires have their own depth, GFCI and junction box rules in 680.23 and 680.24.

Why pool rules matter on the exam

Article 680 exists because wet skin and water make small voltages dangerous. Most exam questions are distance questions: 6 ft, 20 ft, 12 ft, 5 ft, 3 ft, 18 in. Learn which number goes with which rule and they become fast points. Part I applies to all pools, Part II to permanently installed pools, and later parts to storable pools, spas, fountains and hydromassage tubs.

Receptacle distances and GFCI (680.22(A))

  • Minimum distance: a 125 V, 15 A or 20 A receptacle may not be closer than 6 ft to the inside wall of the pool. Receptacles for the pool pump or other circulation equipment must also be at least 6 ft away and GFCI protected.
  • Required dwelling receptacle: at a dwelling with a permanently installed pool, at least one 125 V, 15 A or 20 A general-purpose receptacle must be between 6 ft and 20 ft from the inside wall, and not more than 6 ft 6 in above the floor, platform or grade serving the pool.
  • GFCI zone: receptacles within 20 ft of the inside walls must be GFCI protected. In the 2023 NEC this covers receptacles rated 125 V through 250 V and 60 A or less.
  • How to measure: use the shortest path a cord would follow without passing through a floor, wall, ceiling, doorway, window or other permanent barrier. It is not always a straight line.

Outlets supplying pool pump motors on typical residential circuits also need GFCI protection under 680.21(C), cord connected or hardwired. See branch circuits for GFCI rules elsewhere.

Luminaires, switches and overhead clearances

  • Outdoor luminaires and ceiling fans (680.22(B)(1)): in a new outdoor installation, those over the pool or within 5 ft horizontally of the inside walls must be at least 12 ft above the maximum water level.
  • Indoor pools (680.22(B)(2)): the height may drop to 7 1/2 ft when the luminaires are totally enclosed and the circuit is GFCI protected.
  • Switches (680.22(C)): at least 5 ft horizontally from the inside walls unless a permanent barrier separates them.
  • Maintenance disconnect (680.13): pool equipment other than lighting needs a disconnect that is readily accessible, within sight, and at least 5 ft from the inside walls unless behind a permanent barrier.
  • Overhead conductors (680.9): Table 680.9(A) sets clearances in any direction from the water, the pool edge and diving platforms. For example, insulated cables of 750 V or less cabled with a grounded bare messenger or grounded neutral need 22.5 ft. Communication cables need 10 ft under 680.9(B).
  • Underground wiring (680.11): generally not allowed under the pool or within 5 ft of the inside walls, except wiring that supplies pool equipment.

Equipotential bonding (680.26)

Equipotential bonding ties conductive parts around the pool together so they sit at the same voltage, removing a shock path between a swimmer's hand and feet. It is not grounding, and the grid does not have to run back to the panelboard, service or an electrode.

  • Conductor: solid copper, insulated, covered or bare, not smaller than 8 AWG (680.26(B)). Stranded wire is not permitted.
  • Pool shell: conductive shells, including structural reinforcing steel, are bonded.
  • Perimeter surfaces: bonded for 3 ft horizontally beyond the inside walls (680.26(B)(2)). Where a copper ring is permitted for an unpaved perimeter, it is 8 AWG bare solid copper 18 to 24 in from the inside walls and 4 to 6 in below grade.
  • Metal parts: ladders, handrails, diving board stands, metal fittings, luminaire forming shells, pump motors and fixed metal parts within the distances in 680.26(B).
  • Pool water: at least 9 sq in of conductive surface in contact with the water (680.26(C)), such as a listed water-bonding device or a bonded ladder.

See grounding and bonding for how bonding differs from equipment grounding.

Underwater lighting basics (680.23 and 680.24)

  • GFCI: a luminaire operating above the low-voltage contact limit needs a GFCI-protected circuit (680.23(A)(3)).
  • Depth: a wet-niche luminaire's lens top must be at least 18 in below normal water level unless listed for less, and never less than 4 in below (680.23(A)(5)).
  • Junction box: a box on a conduit running directly to a wet-niche forming shell must be at least 4 ft from the inside wall unless a permanent barrier separates it, and its bottom must be at least 4 in above the deck or 8 in above maximum water level, whichever is higher (680.24(A)(2)).

Worked examples

Example 1: junction box height. The deck is 2 in above maximum water level. How high above the deck must the box bottom be?

Required elevation = greater of (deck + 4 in) or (max water level + 8 in)
  1. 4 in above the deck is 2 + 4 = 6 in above the water.
  2. The water rule requires 8 in above the water, which is greater, so it governs.
  3. The box bottom sits 8 - 2 = 6 in above the deck.
  4. With a deck 6 in above the water, deck + 4 in is 10 in above the water and governs, so the box sits 4 in above the deck.

Example 2: bonded perimeter area. A pool measures 16 ft by 32 ft inside. How much perimeter surface is bonded?

  1. Add 3 ft on every side: (16 + 6) × (32 + 6) = 22 × 38 = 836 sq ft.
  2. Subtract the pool: 16 × 32 = 512 sq ft.
  3. 836 - 512 = 324 sq ft must be bonded.

Example 3: cord path. A receptacle is 4 ft from the pool in a straight line, with a permanent wall between. The cord path is 3 ft to the wall's end plus 5 ft to the pool, or 8 ft. That meets the 6 ft minimum, and at under 20 ft it still needs GFCI.

Common exam mistakes

  • Mixing up 6 ft and 20 ft. 6 ft is the closest a receptacle can be. 20 ft is the edge of the GFCI zone.
  • Sizing the bonding conductor like an EGC. It is always 8 AWG solid copper minimum.
  • Bonding only 18 in out. Perimeter bonding goes 3 ft. 18 to 24 in is only the copper ring placement.
  • Measuring in a straight line. Follow the cord path around permanent barriers.
  • Confusing 12 ft and 7 1/2 ft. 12 ft is outdoor. 7 1/2 ft is the indoor allowance with enclosed luminaires and GFCI.

Practice questions

Question 1 · Special locationsAt a dwelling with a permanently installed pool, at least one 125-volt, 15- or 20-ampere receptacle must be located:
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Answer: C. Not less than 6 ft and not more than 20 ft from the inside wall of the pool. NEC 680.22(A)(1)

A convenience receptacle between 6 and 20 ft from the pool, and not more than 6 ft 6 in above the floor or grade, gives people a safe place to plug in. This discourages long extension cords near the water.

Question 2 · Special locationsWithin what distance of the inside walls of a permanently installed pool must a 125-volt, 20-ampere receptacle have GFCI protection?
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Answer: B. 20 ft. NEC 680.22(A)(4)

This 125-volt, 20-ampere receptacle requires GFCI protection when within 20 ft of the pool inside walls. The broader 2023 provision covers receptacles rated 125 through 250 volts and 60 A or less, with GFCI or SPGFCI protection as applicable.

  1. Use the 125 V, 20 A receptacle scope of 680.22(A)(4).
  2. The GFCI distance threshold is 20 ft from the inside walls of the pool.
  3. Answer: 20 ft.
Question 3 · Special locationsFor a new outdoor pool, luminaires and ceiling fans installed above the pool or within 5 ft horizontally of the inside walls must be at least how high above the maximum water level?
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Answer: A. 12 ft. NEC 680.22(B)(1)

Outdoor luminaires over or near the pool must be at least 12 ft above the maximum water level so that swimmers and poles cannot reach them.

Question 4 · Special locationsWhat conductor is required for the equipotential bonding grid around a permanently installed pool?
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Answer: A. Solid copper, insulated, covered, or bare, not smaller than 8 AWG. NEC 680.26(B)

Pool bonding equalizes voltage across the area people touch. The bonding conductor must be solid copper not smaller than 8 AWG, or rigid metal conduit of brass or other corrosion-resistant metal.

Question 5 · Special locationsA wet-niche underwater pool luminaire must be installed so the top of its lens is at least how far below the normal water level, unless listed for less depth?
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Answer: B. 18 in. NEC 680.23(A)(5)

Wet-niche luminaires must have the top of the lens at least 18 in below normal water level unless listed and identified for a lesser depth. Even then, no luminaire may be less than 4 in below.

Frequently asked questions

How far does an outlet have to be from a pool?

A 125 V, 15 A or 20 A receptacle must be at least 6 ft from the inside wall under 680.22(A), measured along the path a cord would follow. Any receptacle within 20 ft must be GFCI protected.

Does a pool need a receptacle?

At a dwelling with a permanently installed pool, yes. At least one general-purpose receptacle must be 6 ft to 20 ft from the inside wall and no more than 6 ft 6 in above grade.

What size wire is used for pool bonding?

Solid copper not smaller than 8 AWG, insulated, covered or bare (680.26(B)). Brass or other identified corrosion-resistant rigid metal conduit is also permitted.

How do I study Article 680 for the journeyman exam?

List every distance with its rule, then drill them on a timed practice test. Is the journeyman electrician exam hard explains where special occupancy questions fit in the whole exam.

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