Where to Find Swimming Pools and Other Bodies of Water in the Code
Article 680 Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations
Article 680 applies to swimming and wading pools, decorative pools and fountains, therapeutic bathtubs and tanks, hot tubs, and similar types of tubs. The installations covered in this article can be indoors or outdoors, permanently installed or storable, and may or may not be connected to electrical circuits. Such bodies of water carry a high risk of electric shock, so Article 680 includes requirements for enhanced grounding and bonding, GFCI protection, Insulation and Isolation, and many other restrictions specific to these wet locations. Requirements for bodies of water not covered here can be found in Article 682.
I. General (680.1 Through 680.12)
This part includes definitions for various types of pools and tubs, and overall requirements for pool heaters, underground wiring to the pool, equipment rooms, and disconnecting means.
II. Permanently Installed Pools (680.20 Through 680.27)
This part requires each permanently installed pool in a residential setting to have at least one receptacle, and requires receptacles to be at least 6 feet but not more than 20 feet from the pool and to be GFCI protected. Direct-connected swimming pool pump motors are also covered, as well as luminaries and special equipment such as underwater audio equipment or pool covers.
III. Storable Pools (680.30 Through 680.34)
According to this part, storable pools and their associated equipment do not require bonding equipment, but all pumps must be double insulated, and the flexible cord must include an integral grounding conductor.
IV. Spas and Hot Tubs (680.40 Through 680.44)
This part contains protection requirements for wiring installations in and around indoor and outdoor hot tubs, including the requirement for a local disconnect switch to be used in case of an emergency.
V. Fountains (680.50 Through 680.58)
The provisions in this part apply to permanently installed decorative fountains and reflecting pools, either indoors or outdoors. They do not apply to fountains in naturally occurring bodies of water. These provisions can be found in Article 682.
VI. Pools and Tubs for Therapeutic Use (680.60 and 680.62)
The installation and grounding and bonding requirements covering permanently installed therapeutic pools and tubs are generally the same as those covering permanent swimming pools, with some exceptions that are addressed in this part.
VII. Hydromassage Bathtubs (680.70 Through 680.74)
Hydromassage bathtubs are subject to the same requirements as ordinary bathtubs with regard to installation of luminaries, switches, and other electrical equipment, but some special restrictions apply, such as the requirement in this part that the required GFCI device protecting the tub must be readily accessible.
Article 682 Natural and Artificially Made Bodies of Water
This article covers electrical equipment (such as pumps, luminaries, and their associated supply wiring) installed in, on, and around lakes, ponds, aeration and treatment basins, and similar bodies of water. The requirements in this article are designed to minimize the shock hazard inherent in these wet locations.
I. General (682.1 Through 682.3)
As a means of defining Artificially Made Bodies of Water, this part lists some of the types and purposes of artificially made bodies that can be found (such as fish pond farms, irrigation facilities, and many more). Also defined in this part are Equipotential Plane and Electrical Datum Plane, important concepts to the grounding of structures in water.
II. Installation (682.10 Through 682.15)
This part covers location, installation, protection, disconnecting means, and location of service equipment and wiring methods associated with artificially made bodies of water.
III. Grounding and Bonding (682.30 Through 682.33)
This part is concerned with the grounding of feeders and branch circuits supplying equipment and with the bonding of equipotential planes to mitigate step and touch voltages around artificially made bodies of water.
Other Articles
Topic Section or Article
Wiring Chapters 1–4
Junction box support 314.23
Rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit (Type PVC) 352.12
Reinforced thermosetting resin conduit (Type RTRC) 355.12
Audio Equipment Article 640,
Parts I and II
Adjacent to pools and fountains 640.10
Underwater speakers *
*Underwater loudspeakers shall be installed in accordance with 680.27(A).