installing a indoor wall switch for pond lights

waynefrcan

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Hello, i'm at the pond lighting and electrical stage in my pond build.

2 questions:

Whats the best outdoor receptical box for ponds for double outlets?

Anyone have an inside house light switch to turn on/off pond lights etc? I was thinking of running 2 lines. One for pumps and one for pond and landscape lights.

thks
 
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Whats the best outdoor receptical box for ponds for double outlets?
I'd guess you have different equipment then we have. Here we place a regular indoor outlet into a watertight box. We're required to have all outlets GFCI so normally the first outlet is GFCI and then the rest are regular.

I was thinking of running 2 lines. One for pumps and one for pond and landscape lights.
It is a good idea to have 2 circuits. GFCI outlets do go bad. With 2 circuits you can just unplug the pump from the bad outlet and plug into the other. So I'd still have an outlet for the lights circuit.

You can run a single line from your panel and then connect 2 GFCI outlets and branch separate circuits from each. That gives you 2 circuits but only use one breaker in the panel. Depends what the load will be and if your code allows this arrangement. Canada might be stricter and require a GFCI breaker in the panel.
 

sissy

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You can use a wireless also check out home depot or lowes they sell the wireless unit you plug the lights into and then you have the wall unit inside .I think it was around 30 dollars .I use it and it works pretty good ,I had outlets in my gardens and LED'S came with a sensor dusk to dawn .But I wire up some of my own LED'S and the sensor I wanted I could not find so used that wireless .I do like the dusk to dawn LED"S by the pond so if any unknown intruders out there i can see .Cheap to run them also .Superbright led's .com has good ideas and prices online to build your own .
 

brandonsdad02

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I have 12 outlets around my pond. I use the "in use" weather proof covers for them. I used a pvc double gang box, ran direct burial uf romex wire to the boxes, sealed the holes in the bottom with silicone and put the in use box cover on. These allow the cover to be completely close but still allow the cords to be plugged in. There is a rubber piece that all the cords run thru. I have 2 2gang boxes and 2 single gang boxes. I have never tripped a gfi yet with these box covers.

Most of your pond lights will come with a photo eye to turn them on at night. I have 2 sets of landscape lights around my pond and in my bog, and 4 strings of underwater pond lights. 2 strings are LED lights and I love those. I will never buy anything but LED lights.
 

brandonsdad02

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You can run a single line from your panel and then connect 2 GFCI outlets and branch separate circuits from each. That gives you 2 circuits but only use one breaker in the panel. Depends what the load will be and if your code allows this arrangement. Canada might be stricter and require a GFCI breaker in the panel.

You lost me on this one. One breaker in the panel is one circuit. You can branch off with different lines for boxes, but you are still drawing all your power from the single breaker in the panel. I ran a 12-3 direct burial uf romex wire to my pond and have 2 circuits ran down to my pond. I have a my 2 pumps on different breakers then all the lights plugged in to where the cord will reach.

Like WB said, most just have the one GFCI and then line, load the the outlet. On every gfci outlet I have seen, the is a set of screws that have a piece of yellow tape or a sticker across them. Those are the screws that you want to use if you want the rest of your outlets to be gfci protected. A standard outlet will still act the same as a gfci when wiring the outlets that way.
 

crsublette

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Brandon, I think he's referring to making another circuit from each GFCI. Both GFCIs still coming from one breaker in the panel and he mentions that part about them still using the same load. That's what the electrician did for me with the multiple GFCIs. I asked for this since it really sucks when the GFCI trips, turning off the entire line of outlets. For where I live and wire used, I was told that, as long as I am within 80% amp capacity of my breaker, then I'm alright.
 

waynefrcan

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I was lost at wireless electrical outlets lol.
 

waynefrcan

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Brandon, I think he's referring to making another circuit from each GFCI. Both GFCIs still coming from one breaker in the panel and he mentions that part about them still using the same load. That's what the electrician did for me with the multiple GFCIs. For where I live and wire used, I was told that, as long as I am within 80% amp capacity of my breaker, then I'm alright.

That won't help as one circuit will be maxed out.
 

waynefrcan

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You lost me on this one. One breaker in the panel is one circuit. You can branch off with different lines for boxes, but you are still drawing all your power from the single breaker in the panel. I ran a 12-3 direct burial uf romex wire to my pond and have 2 circuits ran down to my pond. I have a my 2 pumps on different breakers then all the lights plugged in to where the cord will reach.

My electrical guy never mentioned 12/3 instead of 2 12/2 lines?? Maybe not a Canadian code. So you have one breaker for the pumps and all the lights just plug into a house outlet?
 

waynefrcan

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I have 12 outlets around my pond. I use the "in use" weather proof covers for them. I used a pvc double gang box, ran direct burial uf romex wire to the boxes, sealed the holes in the bottom with silicone and put the in use box cover on. These allow the cover to be completely close but still allow the cords to be plugged in. There is a rubber piece that all the cords run thru. I have 2 2gang boxes and 2 single gang boxes. I have never tripped a gfi yet with these box covers.

Most of your pond lights will come with a photo eye to turn them on at night. I have 2 sets of landscape lights around my pond and in my bog, and 4 strings of underwater pond lights. 2 strings are LED lights and I love those. I will never buy anything but LED lights.

You have a photo for the outlet box?
 

brandonsdad02

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I'm on my phone right now but in the morning I'll get a picture. I have each pump on a different circuit. I have 6 outlets per circuit. My pond is 75' from my house so I had to run electric to the pond. I also ran a water line to my pond. Ran that in 1/2" pvc pipe.

Circuit breakers will only handle 80% load before they trip. That's just how they are made. Your electrical buy wouldn't tell you to use 12-3 because they won't make as much money. 12-3 is 2 power wires, a neutral and a ground. You can get by in a pinch for short term using 12-2 for 2 circuits by using the neutral as a power, and ground as your neutral and your ground. The neutral and ground go to the same bar in your panel or they are 2 different bars but both bonded to panel. The latter option is not code and not recommend for long term use.
 

waynefrcan

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I'm on my phone right now but in the morning I'll get a picture. I have each pump on a different circuit. I have 6 outlets per circuit. My pond is 75' from my house so I had to run electric to the pond. I also ran a water line to my pond. Ran that in 1/2" pvc pipe.

Circuit breakers will only handle 80% load before they trip. That's just how they are made. Your electrical buy wouldn't tell you to use 12-3 because they won't make as much money. 12-3 is 2 power wires, a neutral and a ground. You can get by in a pinch for short term using 12-2 for 2 circuits by using the neutral as a power, and ground as your neutral and your ground. The neutral and ground go to the same bar in your panel or they are 2 different bars but both bonded to panel. The latter option is not code and not recommend for long term use.

Do you hide the outlet boxes? The transformer I just read needs to be min 12" off ground.
 

brandonsdad02

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On my plumbing redone post, I think the second picture is a pic of the in use box. I didn't try to hide my boxes but most are hidden from the plants that I have around the pond.
 

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make fake rocks Or like I did I found a big clay frog with the bottom out of it and put it over the electric box in my flower garden.Garden art of some sorts is easier to find these days and even a pot up side down works and makes a great sit when your out there ,just protect the cords from weight . :razz: :razz:
 

waynefrcan

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On my plumbing redone post, I think the second picture is a pic of the in use box. I didn't try to hide my boxes but most are hidden from the plants that I have around the pond.

Yes pefect boxes, I can't find those here. What maker and model are they? Maybe I can buy over the web. Please and thanks :goldfish:
 

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