We are wrapping up a home renovation project in Houston and the electrician wants to move the pool equipment electrical breakers from the main electrical panel outside to the sub panel inside the garage, in order to manage available breaker slots. Is there any code requirement that breakers for pool equipment much be on the outside of the home? TIA

The maintenance disconnecting means must be readily accessible and located within sight and at least 5 ft from the permanently installed pool, storable pool, outdoor spa, outdoor hot tub, or fountain equipment, unless separated from the open water by a permanently installed barrier that provides a 5-ft reach path or greater.

Stumped By the Code? Requirements for Installing Maintenance Disconnect at a Pool, Acceptable Wiring Methods for Class I Locations, and More | EC&M (ecmweb.com)



I read this that as long as you have a disconnect within sight of the equipment you are good.

Similar to the A/C where you have a disconnect at the unit, but the breakers are in your panel.

Thanks TexAg1987

I am not an electrician, btw.

Get a professional electrician to verify.

I prefer to have pool equipment breakers by the equipment. That way everyone 10 years down the road knows they're for the pool.

If your main panel isn't within sight or even nearby the pool equipment, the location doesn't really matter. If your home is like most, you have a main panel with six breakers in it, which is the max without one single, larger main. Electrician might need to take a couple of smaller or single pole breakers out of the main to free up some of the six for a bigger load than the pool equipment.

If your main panel isn't within sight of the equipment, and you don't have local disconnects, you have a different problem anyway.

Corps_Ag12 said:

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I prefer to have pool equipment breakers by the equipment. That way everyone 10 years down the road knows they're for the pool.

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Update the label at the sub panel and sharpie in a note at the main that the pool equipment is fed from the sub.

shouldn't your electrician know the code?

Thanks for the replies. Just checking to make sure everything is up to par.

UnderoosAg said:

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Corps_Ag12 said:

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I prefer to have pool equipment breakers by the equipment. That way everyone 10 years down the road knows they're for the pool.

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Update the label at the sub panel and sharpie in a note at the main that the pool equipment is fed from the sub.

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That's great until your pool guy needs to shut something off or work on something while you're at work and can't kill the power.

Corps_Ag12 said:

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UnderoosAg said:

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Corps_Ag12 said:

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I prefer to have pool equipment breakers by the equipment. That way everyone 10 years down the road knows they're for the pool.

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Update the label at the sub panel and sharpie in a note at the main that the pool equipment is fed from the sub.

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That's great until your pool guy needs to shut something off or work on something while you're at work and can't kill the power.

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There has to be a disconnect at or near the equipment.

Agreed, and that may be code in some municipalities. I can't comment for sure but that is what we always do anyway.

The disconnect within sight is universal. It could be the breaker or a local disconnect switch. If you use the breaker, some places will let you get around the "within sight" if you have a handle lock on it.

We have a subpanel with breakers near our meter and main panel. That subpanel feeds the pentair intellicenter panel next to the pool equipment. The pentair panel has breakers for the pool equipment. Neighbor has a similar setup and I assume that's a common setup.