wiring for decorative fountain pump

[Bryan]

I bought a house with a small decorative fountain. There's a submersible pump in the "well" surrounding the fountain. It is outdoors. The pump must be removed during the winter to prevent freeze damage.

There's an electrical box mounted on the outside wall of the house, with a GFI. Outdoor romex comes out of the box, is buried in the yard to the fountain area. No conduit is involved.

At the fountain end, the pump has a standard grounded plug on a 6' wire coming out of the fountain. There is an outlet attached directly to the romex. The two are plugged together above ground and wrapped with "waterproof" tape. I don't like this.

What's the right thing to do to connect the pump and the romex? Can I put a box below grade and hide the connection? Remember, the connection must come apart every fall and be reconnected in the spring.

- Bryan

[Mark]

Given that it's on a GFCI, you can do pretty much anything you want. If your intent is to hide the connection, go ahead and put a 6x6 plastic box at grade, cut slots to get the cables in, and drill a couple holes in the bottom for drainage.

[barry martin]

Bryan:

B > I bought a house with a small decorative fountain. There's a B > submersible pump in the "well" surrounding the fountain. It is B > outdoors. The pump must be removed during the winter to prevent freeze B > damage.

Also keep the pump in water while stored. We used to replace a couple of pumps at the start of the season because 'froze up'. Since keeping them in water overwinter they last years.

B > There's an electrical box mounted on the outside wall of the house, with B > a GFI. Outdoor romex comes out of the box, is buried in the yard to the B > fountain area. No conduit is involved. B > B > At the fountain end, the pump has a standard grounded plug on a 6' wire B > coming out of the fountain. There is an outlet attached directly to the B > romex. The two are plugged together above ground and wrapped with B > "waterproof" tape. I don't like this.

Not the best, and don't unplug when the ground is wet or not wearing non-conductive shoes! OTOH you are supposed to test the GFCI once a month.

B > What's the right thing to do to connect the pump and the romex? Can I B > put a box below grade and hide the connection? Remember, the connection B > must come apart every fall and be reconnected in the spring.

I wouldn't put a box underground, especially one you need to open twice a year. I'm going to get yelled at for this suggestion but may provide a better solution. The fountains and water feature here are plugged into outlets connected to the conduit housing the Romex (to a GFCI). We've put an inverted plastic or ceramic plant container over the outlet box the pump is plugged into.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Rock------>ME