Outdoor Outlet off 220v pool pump

I have a dedicated 220v circuit running out to my pool pump. It is a 3 wire circuit (Hot, Neutral, Ground). Currently there is a switch in a outdoor gangbox, soon to be replaced with a timer.

I just put in a large gazebo in the same area as the gangbox. I installed a hanging light fixture in it connected to a surge protector, to an extention cord, and wanted to run both the light and say a boombox radio in the gazeebo at night while the pool pump is off.

After I ran the light wiring and the extention cord and what not, I went to turn the breaker off to install a gfci in place of the switch, and SHIIIIITTTTTTT. That is when I noticed that it was 220v. DUH, I should have known. First thing I did was return the 110v timer, and purchased a 220v timer instead for the pump.

I still want to have a light and radio in the gazeebo though, so... What are my options?

  1. I'm thinking of replacing the existing gang box with a bigger waterproof box, conduit the 220 to and from the timer, and install a
220v outlet in it, then use a step-down transformer in that. Or...

  1. Use a normal 110v GFCI in the existing gangbox, conduit the timer, and use a transformer in the gazebo? Or install an outdoor transformer and plug it into the GFCI. Or...

  2. Use a normal 110v GFCI in the existing gangbox, conduit the timer, buy a 220v bulb, and buy batteries for the radio and call it a day.

Is any of this code? Is any of this do-able? Anybody know where to get a good step-down transformer? An outdoor waterproof type?

Any help is appreciated.

Reply to
f.amendola
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How about you just run a new 120 volt circuit from your service panel to the gazebo and leave the pump wiring intact

Reply to
RBM

The gazebo is in the yard, the conduit for the pump runs under the ground and winds up in the service panel in the garage. There is no other outdoor outlet close the where the gazeebo is, and I am not about to run new conduit all around my house to the garage. I guess I am looking for an easy way out. Is there one?

Reply to
f.amendola

First of all............ if you've got a 220 circuit to the pool pump & you have a 3 wire circuit

its NOT a Hot, a Neutral & a Ground......... you should have 2 Hots & a Ground. No neutral needed for a 220v pump.

Are you calling the existing wiring a Hot, a Neutral & a Ground because you've got a black, a white & a bare ground conductor?

How big is the conduit? How long is the run? What wire size? Wire colors? Breaker capacity?

If you've got the allowable capacity in the conduit ..........I would suggest you pull two new hots, they can be used to supply the pump off the existing twin breaker.

Use the existing Hot, Neutral & Ground, that you identified as running the pump, for your 110v convenience outlet. Put it on a breaker in the garage service panel.

You're done, no new conduit needed...just pull two new wires.

If you've got space in the garage panel you can add a single breaker for the 110v circuit. If not & you've got breakers rated for two wires, just piggyback the 110v outlet onto another circuit.

No need to lay new conduit if you've got room in the existing one.

Forget that transformer stuff, just pull the extra wire & do the installation right. It will be less work & hassle (in the short term & long run) than messing around with transformers & other "work arounds".

cheers Bob

Reply to
BobK207

I suppose it is possible you aren't trolling, but a step down transformer to run your radio is difficult to believe. Buy a 220v bulb and batteries for the radio; an amp for the light probably won't hurt anything. What were you going to do with a 110v GFCI?

Reply to
Toller

Thanks Bob!!!

As you can tell I am not an electrician by trade, although I have run conduit and installed fixtures, appliances etc... Never worked with

220v though...

Yes you are correct, 2 black wires and a ground in the gangbox all 14 gauge, not romex, rather single conductor wires. 20 amp breaker. Conduit is big enough for 2 new wires.

The run from the yard to the garage is pretty far. We are talking halfway around the house from corner to corner. Maybe 150 feet. The conduit runs underground, I do not see it after it runs underground, or where it enters the sheetrocked garage. Dont see how I could pull two new wires through it. I have never pulled additional new wire through an existing conduit, how do the pro's do this? Fish tape? Pull new wire using the old wire as a drag? Can you tell I have no idea?

There is another outdoor 110v outlet about 50 feet away that I never use, but running conduit from this outlet would be problematic because it would need to pass the sliding rear doors. I do NOT want conduit running up and over it, and there is a brick patio underneath.

I guess I will have to get some sort of solar powered fixture, and run the radio off batteries?

Reply to
f.amendola

on 8/22/2007 10:56 PM snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net said the following:

I had the same situation. Originally, the subpanel box (mounted to a 4x4 post by the pool pump) only had the GFCI breaker for the in-ground pool pump and a GFCI breaker for the one outlet that was required near the pool, also mounted on a separate 4x4 pole. I forgot how far or how close to the water's edge that outlet was supposed to be, but mine looks like

20-25 feet. A couple of years later, I pulled a permit and built a 12 x 16 cabana by the pool, right next to the panel box which, when the cabana was completed, was mounted to the cabana side. I had an electrician come in and he wired the cabana for 120 v. electric lights and outlets, using the original 220 v. wiring from the house to the box.. All circuits protected by GFCI breakers. The new wiring passed the municipal electrical inspection.
Reply to
willshak

First of all, you don't have 120 volts at the junction box, you have 2 hot legs and a ground, giving you a 240 volt circuit. If the conduit is continuous, two more conductors can be pulled through it, back to the panel for an additional 120 volt circuit. If the pool was built in the last 30 years, it should have a 120 volt outlet somewhere between 10 and 20 feet from the waters edge, possibly you can tap into that

Reply to
RBM

Thanks all.

Reply to
f.amendola

Your pool circuit of 14 gage wire is on a 20 amp breaker?!

Depending on the draw of the pool pump you either need to switch to a

15 amp breaker or pull new set of 12 gage wires.

You can pull an addtional hot & neutral you need by connecting a nylon cord or fish tape to one (only one) of the existing wires in the conduit.

Use wire pulling lube & pull the wire out thus feeding the tape or cord into the conduit.

Now attach your new wire (a color & a white) ....along with the wire that you pulled out.

Pull all this back into the conduit & you're good to go.

Doing this alone is possible but having a helper makes it a lot easier. Plus.....do you have friend or neighbor that has some more electrical knowledge?

This stuff isn't rocket science but it does have to be done correctly. Your situation seems like it will be easy since you've got conduit already in place.

I would suggest checking the pump amp requirements & changing the pool breaker or wire accordingly.

Pull a new circuit for the convenience outlet..... do it right & be done with it.

cheers Bob

Reply to
BobK207

This is what I've learned. To tap a GFI outlet off of 220 it needs to be

3-phase 220. It can't be done off of 2-phase.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Reply to
Don Wiss

...

This is pure nonsense.

Reply to
M Q

Are you sure you meant "phase" there? The third (neutral) wire is not a phase.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

The common house current in the US is not 3 phase, or 2 phase. It is single phase. The house is fed with a single phase 220 circuit with a center tap for 120 volts.

There may be some 3 phase 208 volt circuits but this would be unusual in most homes.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Maybe he meant "wire" instead of "phase" there.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

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