Ontario’s electrical safety code guidelines for pool/spa installations

Requirements for GFCI protection

Rule 68-068 requires electrical equipment located within the confines of the pool walls or within 3 m (9.8 ft) of the pool’s inside walls to be protected by a ‘Class A’ GFCI unless the electrical equipment is suitably separated from the pool area by a fence, wall, or other permanent barrier.

Therefore, for a cord-connected pool pump, based on the receptacle type and location, the following are code requirements for GFCI protection:

1. If the pump is cord connected to an outdoor residential receptacle of 5-15R or 5-20R configuration, Rule 26-710 (n) requires the receptacles to be protected by a Class A GFCI. In this case, it does not matter if the pump is located further than 3 m (9.8 ft).
2. If the pump is cord connected to a receptacle other than a 5-15R or 5-20R configuration, and the pool pump is within 3 m (9.8 ft) of the pool, the code requires Class A GFCI protection for the branch circuit supplying this receptacle.
3. If the pump is cord connected to a receptacle other than a 5-15R or 5-20R configuration, and the pool pump is not within 3 m (9.8 ft) of the pool, GFCI protection is not required by the code.

It is important to note, Rule 68-064 does not permit a receptacle to be located closer than 1.5 m (5 ft) to the swimming pool. Further, in the 2012 edition of the OESC, Rule 26-702 requires receptacles of 5-15R, 5-20R, 5-20RA, 6-15R, 6-20R, and 6-20RA configurations that are exposed to weather be provided with cover plates suitable for wet locations, whether or not a plug is inserted into the receptacle. These cover plates are commercially known as ‘in-use covers’ or ‘Raintight While-In-Use covers.’

Electrical equipment such as saltwater chlorinators and control panels are not required to be protected by GFCI if they are located further than 3 m (9.8 ft) from the swimming pool (or spa/hot tub), or behind a suitable barrier as per Rule 68-068, unless required by the electrical equipment manufacturer. It is important to note, the recently amended Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard C22.2 No. 218.1, Spas, Hot tubs, and Associated Equipment, now includes certification requirements for electrolytic chlorine and bromine generators and does not provide requirements for GFCI protection for chlorinators. Although it is not mandated in Section 68 for all installations, and the standard referenced above for chlorinators, many manufacturers of associated pool equipment require Class A GFCI protection of their products as per nameplate or installation instructions.

When a heater or pool pump is located more than 3 m (9.8 ft) away, or is isolated by a suitable barrier supplying a spa/hot tub that shares common water circulation with a pool, the OESC does not require GFCI protection unless it is required by the manufacturer. Although Rule 68-070 (7) requires spas/hot tubs to be protected by a GFCI, the spa/hot tub is part of the swimming pool and, therefore, is inspected as part of the pool.

Q. Does the OESC permit the installation of extra-low voltage landscape lighting systems within 3 m (9.8 ft) of swimming pool or spa/hot tub?

A. Yes, provided the power supply is GFCI protected as required by Rule 68-068 and does not bear the marking “Do not mount power supply or luminaires within 3 m (9.8 ft) of a swimming pool or spa” (Rule 2-034). Further, CSA standard C22.2 No. 250.7-07, Extra-low-voltage landscape lighting systems, Clause 6.101.3 power supply marking and instructions, states, “A power supply shall be marked in accordance with Table 20.101.1 and shall be provided with installation instructions in accordance with Table 20.102.1, Items 2.1 to 2.11, as applicable.” Item 2.8 in Table 20.102.1 states, “Do not mount power supply or luminaires within 3 m (9.8 ft) of a swimming pool or spa.”

For more information, see the ESA Bulletin 68-7-*. This bulletin is updated frequently as additional questions are asked or the code requirements are changed. For more information about ESA Bulletins and how to purchase them, visit http://www.orderline.com/detail.asp?group=23613.

Tatjana Dinic, P.Eng., is a code engineer with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) in Ontario, which establishes safety standards for the installation of electrical equipment in the province and is in charge of enforcing the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC). She can be reached via e-mail at tatjana.dinic@electricalsafety.on.ca.