240 installation

hello

I was about to wire in 240v for a pool pump and was wondering how it was done?
I have 240v comming into the breaker pannel. I know I need 2-120v leads. Each 120 volt line must be 180 out of phase but I do not know where to get these from. Do I also ne a particular 240 circuit breaker.

Any help would be appreciated

 

Just buy a double-pole breaker of the correct amperage for the size of wire you plan to use, which is turn depends on the power requirements of the pump.

Find two available slots in your panel, one above the other. In most panels these are two consecutive even numbers (e.g., 22 and 24) or two consecutive odd numbers (e.g., 21 and 23). Pop the breaker in. The two screws on the breaker will have 240 volts between them.

Having said all that, I must now issue a stern warning. This is one of those areas that if you have to ask, you probably don't know enough to do it. The instructions I've provided above are only a small subset of what you need to know. Use this information as a starting point for further study. Find a book to read that talks about installing breakers in panels. Do not attempt to do this without a full understanding of how panels work. To do otherwise could kill you!

 

You'll need a 2-pole GFI CB and you'll need to comply with either Art.680-25 (c) or 680-25 (d) NEC.

 

And don't forget what I think may be the most important for pool safety, Article 680-22(a) and (b), and maybe (c) if there is a heater. This article requires that (my parahrasing) any metal side walls, concrete reinforcing cages, ladders, lighting niche shells, pumps, and any other metallic object greater than 4 inches in any dimension and within 5 feet horizontal and 10 feet vertical shall be bonded with a No. 8 gauge solid or greater. Does not have to be grounded to the panel, just bonded. The intent is to reduce the possiblity of voltage gradient hazards.

I searched all of Article 680 and could find no requirement that a pool pump on a permanently installed pool be supplied through a GFCI breaker. Is that a new requirement? My book is not new.

 

Switchman, are you still using that 1996 (or older) NEC? You keep confusing us by quoting sections that have been rewritten or renumbered in the 1999 NEC. Please don't quote the NEC unless you're quoting the latest version. The sections you've quoted don't have anything to do with this topic in the 1999 NEC.

 

I quote the 1999 NEC on 680-25 (c) motors and (d) panelboards. Art. 680-6 (d) requires GFI protection for motors in other than dwelling units and 680-31 requires GFI protection for all electrical equiptment used with storable pools.These GFI article may or may not apply to this particular pool but my statement "you'll need a GFI" is sound advice for a D-I-Y-S person.