# Wet niche line voltage pool light



## splatz

There was a recent thread about this, there are probably low voltage retrofits available, have your cake and eat it too!


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## HertzHound

Tell whoever supplied the lights that you need the ones with 200' cords. 

Line or low voltage need "deck boxes". Line voltage need to be 4" above deck and 8" above water water line. Low voltage can be flush with deck. 

Usual place to hide line voltage is under diving board or in planter around pool. Unfortunately you don't see diving boards anymore because of liabilities. Maybe they can make some sort of structure like a built-in bench or table to hide the deck boxes if you have no planters.


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## HertzHound

McGraw Hill Hanbook.


680.24. Junction Boxes and Enclosures for Transformers or Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters. Part (A) covers junction boxes that connect to a conduit that extends directly to a pool-lighting forming shell or no-niche luminaire mount- ing bracket, such as shown in Fig. 680-9. The junction box must be of corrosion- resistant material provided with threaded hubs for the connections of conduit, or nonmetallic hubs for nonmetallic wiring methods. Part (A)(3) requires these boxes to ensure continuity between metal conduit entries, even if the box is plastic, through the use of an “integral” means. This would mean a box con- structed to meet 314.3 Exception No. 2, (refer to the discussion at that point) and it is unlikely such a box will be encountered. Plan on using metal-based swimming pool junction boxes if you are using metal conduits for wiring.
For line-voltage (120-V) pool luminaires, the so-called deck box (set in the concrete deck around the pool) is no longer permissible (except where approved dry-niche luminaires include flush boxes as part of an approved assembly), because the deck box, which was installed flush in the concrete adjacent to the pool, was the major source of failure of branch-circuit, ground- ing, and luminaire conductors due to water accumulation within them. The rule of part (A)(2), covering low-voltage and line-voltage lighting, states that these junction boxes must be located not less than 4 in. (100 mm) above the ground level or above the pool deck, and not less than 8 in. (200 mm) above the maximum pool water level (whichever provides the greatest elevation), and not less than 4 ft (1.2 m) back from the pool perimeter.
Watch out for this placement issue on junction boxes. Now that the “maxi- mum water level” has been defined as where the water can spill out, these two dimensions will use the same starting point (the deck) in most cases, thereby adding 100 mm (4 in.) to the elevation of most deck boxes. Swimming pool junction boxes require a domed cover to lift up and off the enclosed wiring, so a 200 mm (8 in.) spacing to the bottom translates to about 350 mm (14 in.) of minimum clearance from the deck to the underside of a diving board or other structure the box may be placed under. This will often complicate the location of these boxes, which are a tripping hazard if left in the open. This was the rea- son for the 100 mm (4-in.) height reduction when it first went into the NEC; with the new definition, it no longer has much practical effect.
The wording of part (A)(2) does make clear that the elevated junction box could be less than 4 ft (1.2 m) from the pool’s edge if a fence or wall were constructed around the pool, with the box on the side of the wall away from the pool, isolating the box from contact by a person in the pool. Or the box could be within 4 ft (1.2 m) of the edge if the box were on the other side of a perma- nent nonconductive barrier.
Important: The last part of the rule in 680.24(A)(2)(c) still permits flush deck boxes where underwater lighting systems are 15 V or less if approved potting compound is used in the deck boxes and the deck boxes are located 4 ft (1.2 m) from the edge of the pool. In Fig. 680-11, a deck box for a 12-V luminaire could be used in the deck but the use of the box less than 4 ft (1.2 m) from the pool’s edge might be considered a violation, which does not recognize the fence along the pool in the same way as the first part in part (A)(2)(b). That is, the fence is not mentioned in the first part as sufficient isolation of the box from the pool—although the installation certainly does comply with the basic con- cept in part (A)(2)(b).
Part (B) covers installation of enclosures for 12-V lighting transformers and for GFCIs that are required for line-voltage luminaires. Such enclosures may be installed indoors or at the pool location. If a ground-fault interrupter is utilized at a pool, its enclosure must be located not less than 4 ft (1.2 m) from the perimeter of the pool, unless separated by a permanent means, and must be ele- vated not less than 8 in. (200 mm), measured from the inside bottom of the box down to the pool deck or maximum water level, whichever provides higher mounting. These rules cover installation of transformer or GFCI enclosures that connect to a conduit that “extends directly” to a forming shell.
Part (B)(1) specifically and clearly mandates that “other enclosures” be listed and labeled for the purpose. Use of any enclosures for GFCIs or transformers permanently installed in swimming pools that are not listed specifically for use at swimming pools is a violation. Enclosures that are so listed will be engi- neered to meet the following requirements.
Part (B)(1)(1) requires any such enclosure connected to a conduit that extends directly to an underwater pool-light forming shell to have threaded hubs or bosses or a nonmetallic hub. An enclosure of cast construction with raised, threaded hubs or with threaded openings in the enclosure wall would satisfy that rule. But because approved swimming pool transformers are usu- ally available only in sheet metal enclosures with knockouts, this is usually not practical. Such a transformer connection will not meet other requirements in this section and violate the UL rule that “unless marked otherwise, these trans- formers are not suitable for connection to a conduit that extends directly to a wet-niche or no-niche luminaire.” In general, plan on running a raceway between the transformer enclosure and a listed swimming pool junction box that will receive the conduit running to the luminaire.
Part (B)(1)(2) requires corrosion resistant construction, using brass, copper, stainless steel, plastic, comparable material. Often a combination of such mate- rials are used.
Part (B)(1)(3) also requires that transformer or GFCI enclosures be provided with an approval seal (such as duct seal) at conduit connections to prevent cir- culation of air between the conduit and the enclosure; that they must have elec- trical continuity between every connected metal conduit and the grounding terminals by means of copper, brass, or other approved corrosion-resistant metal that is integral with the enclosures; that they must be located not less than 4 ft (1.2 m) from the inside walls of the pool (unless separated by a solid fence, wall, or other permanent barrier); and that they must be located not less than 8 in. (200 mm) from the ground level, pool deck, or maximum pool water level, whichever provides the greatest elevation. This distance is measured from the inside bottom of the enclosure. (See Fig. 680-10.)
Note that part (B)(1)(4) intends to ensure a grounding path from the enclosure and its grounding terminals to any metal conduit. The section specifically states “metal conduit.” Where PVC conduit is used, the provision is not appli- cable, and the No. 8 ground wire in the PVC bonds to the forming shell. How- ever, the section requires electrical continuity between an enclosure and “every connected metal conduit.” The conduit feeding the transformer primary does not seem to be involved with that rule because the concern is with the ground- ing path between the transformer or GFCI enclosure and the forming shell and because the No. 12 equipment grounding conductor in the primary supply will carry any current from a fault originating within the transformer enclosure. Local Code authorities should be consulted on the point.
The phrase “integral with the enclosures” is meant to cover a situation where the enclosure is nonmetallic. In this case, electrical continuity between the metal conduits and the grounding terminals must be provided by one of the metals specified, and this “jumper” must be permanently attached to the non- metallic box so that it is “integral.” Refer to the discussion on the same topic at (A)(3) for swimming pool junction boxes; this is not a practical alternative.
In Fig. 680-10, the transformer enclosure is being used as a junction box to an underwater light, with the equipment grounding conductors terminated at the grounding bar and carried through. The figure is predicated on the unlikely (but conceivable) assumption that the transformer is listed for a direct connec- tion to a forming shell, and therefore meets all the requirements for such enclo- sures. However, the primary purpose of this enclosure is to house the transformer. Parts (B), (C), (D), (E), and (F) of 680.24 still apply. 680.24(A) would apply to boxes connected directly to underwater lights and is intended to cover situations where splices, terminations, or pulling of conductors might be required. Again, plan on providing a listed swimming pool junction box, which will be designed to meet all these rules, at every conduit termination that runs to a forming shell.
Part (C) of this section warns against creating a tripping hazard or exposing enclosures to damage where they are elevated as required. It is also important to remember that these junction boxes must be afforded additional protection against damage if located on the walkway around the pool. For protection against impact, they may be installed under a diving board or adjacent to a per- manent structure such as a lamppost or service pole. As noted in the discussion at (A)(2), panel action on the maximum water level definition has greatly com- plicated the placement of these boxes under many diving boards.
Part (D) can be satisfied simply by using listed equipment; this is the rule requiring one more terminal than conduit entries, as discussed at 680.23(B)(2)(b). Part (E) calls for strain relief to be added to the flexible cord of a wet-niche light- ing luminaire at the termination of the cord within a junction box, a transformer enclosure, or a GFCI. This mechanism will be furnished with or as an integral part of any listed swimming pool junction box.


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## Cl906um

Sucks how they haven't come up with something better by now for line voltage


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## RachelClarson

HertzHound, thanks for this detailed answer, I learned something new. Btw, I agree with you, Cl906um. I want to install good lighting in my pool, because I like to swim at night and have some quiet time for myself, so your post came in handy. By the way, I've recently moved into this new house with a pool and there are a few things I'm missing. For example, I am very annoyed by the water on the tiles around the pool, so I am looking for the best pool cleaner to solve this thing. I hope the Pentair Kreepy Krauly Legend automatic pool cleaner doesn't only looks great, but also works well, but I'm wondering which of these cleaners would you choose?


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## Kevin

RachelClarson said:


> HertzHound, thanks for this detailed answer, I learned something new. Btw, I agree with you, Cl906um.


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