680.25 Swimming Pool Feeders.
Code Change Summary: An exception was deleted and revised text requires an insulated equipment grounding conductor with most swimming pool feeders.
An exception was deleted from 680.25(A) that previously allowed swimming pool equipment to be fed by an existing feeder (with a bare equipment grounding conductor), between an existing remote panelboard and the service equipment.
Be careful when looking at early printings of the 2014 NEC®. This change to section 680.25 is found only in the errata on the NFPA website and may not be present in first and second editions of the NEC®.
Imagine bidding the electrical installation for a new swimming pool at an existing dwelling where a service disconnect outside supplies an interior panelboard by SE cable with a bare equipment grounding conductor. Even if there is plenty of room in the interior panel to add the swimming pool loads, it is not allowed to be done because the existing SE cable feeding the panelboard does not have an insulated equipment grounding conductor. In this case, the existing feeder would need to be replaced with a wiring method containing an insulated equipment grounding conductor.
That’s exactly what occurred with the revised text in 680.25(B) and deletion of the exception in 680.25(A). See revised text and strikethroughs for deleted text below.
Below is a preview of the NEC®. See the actual NEC® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on the “free access” tab and select the applicable year of NFPA 70 (National Electrical code).
2014 Code Language: See Errata 70-14-2 on the NFPA website: http://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/70/Errata70-14-2.pdf
680.25 Feeders. These provisions shall apply to any feeder on the supply side of panelboards supplying branch circuits for pool equipment covered in Part II of this article and on the load side of the service equipment or the source of a separately derived system.
(A) Wiring Methods.
(1) Feeders. Feeders shall be installed in rigid metal conduit or intermediate metal conduit. The following wiring methods shall be permitted if not subject to physical damage:
(1) Liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit.
(2) Rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit.
(3) Reinforced thermosetting resin conduit.
(4) Electrical metallic tubing where installed on or within a building.
(5) Electrical nonmetallic tubing where installed within a building.
(6) Type MC cable where installed within a building and if not subject to corrosive environment.
Exception: An existing feeder between an existing remote panelboard and service equipment shall be permitted to run in flexible metal conduit or an approved cable assembly that includes an equipment grounding conductor within its outer sheath. The equipment grounding conductor shall comply with 250.24(A)(5).
(2) Aluminum Conduit. Aluminum conduit shall not be permitted in the pool area where subject to corrosion.
(B) Grounding. An equipment grounding conductor shall be installed with the feeder conductors between the grounding terminal of the pool equipment panelboard and the grounding terminal of the applicable service equipment or source of a separately derived system. For other than (1) existing feeders covered in 680.25(A), exception, or (2) feeders to separate buildings that do not utilize an insulated equipment grounding conductor in accordance with 680.25(B)(2), this equipment grounding conductor shall be insulated.