Swimming Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs and Hydromassage Tubs: Article 680
"Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations" is its own named sub-topic in the Special Occupancies area, and Texas pool work is everywhere. Almost every 680 question is a distance, a depth, a wire size or a GFCI rule. Written from the 2026 text.
NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, 2026 edition · Reviewed 2026-09-19
"Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations" is its own named sub-topic in the Special Occupancies area, and Texas pool work is everywhere. Almost every 680 question is a distance, a depth, a wire size or a GFCI rule. Written from the 2026 text.
1. General rules — Part I
- 680.2: all electrical equipment covered by the article shall be listed.
- 680.5 GFCI vs SPGFCI: where the article requires ground-fault protection — ≤ 150 V to ground: Class A GFCI on single-phase circuits ≤ 60 A and 3-phase circuits ≤ 100 A; over 150 V to ground up to 480 V: SPGFCI with a trip not exceeding 20 mA (IN: the high leg of a 4-wire delta and corner-grounded delta phases exceed 150 V to ground).
- 680.7 grounding and bonding: feeders and branch circuits in corrosive environments or wet locations use an insulated copper EGC per Table 250.122, never smaller than 12 AWG; cord-and-plug equipment cords carry an insulated copper EGC ≥ 12 AWG to a fixed grounding contact; field-installed terminals in damp/wet/corrosive locations are copper, copper alloy or stainless steel and listed for direct burial.
- 680.8: fixed or stationary equipment (other than underwater luminaires) may be cord-and-plug connected for servicing with a cord not exceeding 3 ft.
- 680.9 overhead conductor clearances — Table 680.9(A): insulated cables ≤ 750 V on a grounded messenger — 22.5 ft above the water/edge/diving-platform base, 14.5 ft above an observation stand or diving platform; all other conductors 0–15 kV — 25 ft / 17 ft; the horizontal limit runs to the outer edge of those structures but not less than 10 ft from the inside wall of the pool; communications and CATV cables ≥ 10 ft above the maximum water level and diving structures.
- 680.10 electric pool water heaters: resistance elements subdivided into loads ≤ 48 A, protected at ≤ 60 A; conductors and OCPD sized at ≥ 125 % of the nameplate load.
- 680.11 underground wiring: wiring within 5 ft horizontally of the inside wall is permitted only in **RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, jacketed MC listed for burial, or LF
Preview
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