Any electricians?--Inground Pool wiring questions

[midlf]

Coffeeman - The NEUTRAL (the white wire) goes through the GFI breaker as well as the hot wire (usually black or red). The neutral is bonded to ground at the main panel (which may or may not be the panel the GFI breaker is in). The ground wire (bare or green) does NOT go through the GFI breaker. If the GFI breaker trips when you connect a GROUND to the motor case/frame then you have a defective motor. A pool motor is REQUIRED to be grounded. Mounted on a wood base your motor is not grounded and presents a hazard.

A GFI device (breaker or receptacle) compares the current going out on the hot wire with the current coming back on the neutral. If those two currents are different by more than the prescribed amount there is a problem and the GFI device trips. You want a working ground on equipment so the current to ground that trips the GFI is through the ground, not through you.

 

[Inspector507]

A lot of people mistake a "ground" wire for a "grounded conductor".
Also keep in mind that pool equipment manufactured before 1985 will NOT work on a GFCI no matter what you do with it.

 

[midlf]

Inspector507 - I have not heard about the 1985 thing. What is the reason for this?

We have an in ground pool installed before 1982. I recently reconnected the pump to a GFCI and it works fine. I do not know the age of the pump itself. The pump may be newer, don't know as we bought the place two years ago.

 

[Inspector507]

midlf,
I really don't know the reason they won't work well together. Maybe I should clarify what I said......pool equipment manufactured before 1985 MAY NOT work with a GFI protected circuit.

 

[coffeeman]

Hi Midlf

Thank's for the heads up. My pool has been like that since it was installed. I took notice when a big rain storm comes up and shuts down the motor if it gets wet. I just thought that's the way it should work. It has to be 16 years old. Of course, just because it has been like that for years, doesn't mean it's right.

Again, thanks for info. Something I will check fast.

Cheers....Jeep

 

[midlf]

Inspector507 - that makes sense. Knowing how standards work NEMA probably instituted leakage standards on pump motors a few years before NEC required GFCI protection of pool equipment. Older motors could have had enough leakage to trip a GFCI without being considered as failed or defective.