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| For anybody with pond plus electrical knowledge, how do I set up a receptacle near my garden pond? I'm an amateur at wiring, but know how to wire homes. I just don't know how to abide by the rules for ponds. I have a little how-to book that says for pools, a receptacle must be 5' away from the pond edge. Trouble is, the underwater pump I have has only a six foot cord, and must go several feet more to be in the bottom of the pond. I'm pretty sure you can't use an extension cord on a permanent basis, so I'm not sure how I can set up an underwater pump, unless I have to extend its cord? Any help would be appreciated. (I suppose I could use an out of water pump, but I'm sure somebody out there knows how this is done, or can refer me to a website that explains it? Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by mjmcdevitt South Jersey z6 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 15, 10 at 16:16
| Randywest You got it right. 5' from the inside edge. Most submersible pond pumps have a 12' or longer cord on them. Are you sure you don't have a sump pump?? or something? I WOULD NOT use an extension cord for this. You can buy a pond pump for less than $100 depending on how many gallons you need to move. That would be better. Matt |
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| I have an outdoor outlet with an underground wire run to the electrical box in my house. I connect my pumps directly to the outdoor outlet but I do run an extension cord to my aquarium bubblier which have been running 24/7 for over two years. The aquarium bubblier is not made for outdoor use and I would not what to expose the power cord to rain and snow. I keep the air pump in a plastic box and run a quality outdoor extension line from the outdoor electrical outlet to the plastic box containing the pump and power cord. The extension cord is in the back of my pond in an area containing gravel There is no water buildup as the gravel provides good drainage. I've not had any problems using the extension cord. |
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- Posted by catherinet z5 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 16, 10 at 21:29
| I have been using extension cords for years. They are on a GFCI outlet on my deck. I use big cords, something like 14 gauge. But I only have them to small ponds (50 and 300 gallon stocktanks). |
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| Matt, you're very astute. The Flotec pump I have (1300X) is an emergency flood pump, which drains basements down to 1/4 inch of the floor. I'm not sure if it would be good for continuous usage, but seemed strong enough to pump lots of gallons for an extended period of time. I've used it to drain a portion of a large earth pond of mine. You can see it here... http://www.flotecpumps.com/FP0S1300X.html My pond is something like 16'x10'x3', but I don't know how big a pump I'd need for that. I'd just like to breed a few sunfish/bluegills in the pond, and then throw the fry into my earth ponds. Thankyou for confirming the 5' rule. I'll get another pump made for continuous running that can handle a 2-3000 gallon pond. |
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- Posted by mjmcdevitt South Jersey z6 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 17, 10 at 23:22
| The problem with the Flo Tech you have is that it is costing you a FORTUNE to run. It is a utility pump and is not efficent at all. A Pondmaster MAG pump will move 1350 gallons per hour at 1.2 amps. 144 watts. Cheap compared to the Flo Tech. Also comes with a 10' cord. Matt |
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| Yes, I had already checked into the power usage, and was not very happy. My pump is 5 amps. My only thought had been that I already owned that pump. I'm happy to hear I can do better with the Pondmaster MAG pump. I'll check into it. Randy |
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- Posted by sleeplessinftwayne z4-5 IND (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 1:16
| Randy, You must have a GFCI outlet for the pond. It is a crucial part of the pond and can save you a lot of heartache and money. If you are not knowledgeable about wiring, bite the bullet and hire an electrician. We lived in a large apartment/townhouse complex while we were looking for a house. One day after a rain I went outside through the grass and got my tennis shoes wet. I started to get a voltage tingle and ran to the dry porch as fast as possible. Thirty minutes after one phone call to the leasing office there were 8 men in rubber boots and gloves digging up the yard. Voltage meters were going off everywhere they set them down. Some one had goofed and put in the wrong kind of box a year earlier. I only got a tingle, a child could have been badly injured. Outdoor wiring is not for amateurs. |
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| Well done Sandy, for mentioning a GFCI, the most important part of outside power supply to a pond. Randy if you do not have a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting receptacle (or GFCI circuit breaker in your home power panel) then you should really think about having one installed for your pond pump power supply. There are extension cords on the market you can purchase for TEMPORARY USE outside, that have a GFCI built in to them. But since you have only a six feet long cord on your pump, that does not help your situation. It would leave any plug in too close to the water to be safe. |
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| Well, you all are a very friendly bunch. "Sleepless," I had that "tingle" experience at my Mom's house, just outside by the water faucet. The wires in a metal conduit, leading to an outdoor lamp, were shorting onto the metal conduit and you could experience the "buzz" just by touching the water faucet. ;) So yes, I will use a GFCI. I've installed them before. Thanks for your concern! Horton, I will undoubtedly get a new pump, even though I could probably attach a longer cord onto my utility pump. Matt is right that the power use on my utility pump is way too high, and would cost me way too much. I suppose that's going to cost me a couple hundred dollars. Oh well, you get what you pay for. A new wrinkle on this is, I called a local seller of aquatic plants, and he told me that for just a few sunfish I shouldn't have to have a pump at all, or a filter! This is his website: http://www.roadhousenursery.com/ Do you think "George" knows what he's talking about? Anyway, I'd like a pump for a waterfall, and so I'm going to put the powerbox in. I may likely put in lights too--I'm thinking that if I put in one of those "detector" lights, unwanted intruders at night, eg racoons, might be frightened away? Otherwise, I may just use the lower voltage and even solar lights, which seem to be not just safe but adequate. All comments have been appreciated. |
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- Posted by cweathersby NE TX 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 11:59
| Randy, I just spent the weekend laying conduit with 12 gauge romex wire in it. An electrician is coming to hook it into an extra breaker I've got. |
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- Posted by mjmcdevitt South Jersey z6 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 12:12
| cweathersby I hate to be the bearer of bad news but... romex is not rated for conduit. There is no provision in the National Electrical Code that allows romex to be pulled through conduit. Building wire should be used. Check with your electrician. I'm sure you got a permit for that right ;) Matt |
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| Yes, I would 2nd that. UF (underground feeder) wire is okay. UF is plainly stamped on it. It can be layed directly in the ground at the specified depth, depending on the circumstances. For conduit, the space within the conduit determines how many wires you can pull through. Randy |
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| Our electrician put the GFCI at the breaker box. That way the whole line from the breaker box to the outlet is protected not just the outlet box. If for some reason we accidentally hit the line while digging/gardening, it will trip the breaker. |
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- Posted by sleeplessinftwayne z4-5 IND (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 17:25
| Truthfully, I think George doesn't know ponds that well. Next you'll say he recommends rocks to cover the bottom of the pond. Of course you need a filter for a 2 to 3,000 gallon pond. You would need a filter for a 100 gallon pond. Mulm and debris will collect and anaerobic bacteria will grow and water will begin to stink. Think how hard it would be to get rid of that much stinky water. If any remains after you empty the pond it will contaminate any fresh water you put in. Gahhh! Even sunfish need decent water and I don't think they can even smell odors. |
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| I think the truth is somewhere in between, but I lean towards your position strongly. The reason is, I had aquariums for years, with lots of fish, and somewhat limited filtration (although I did have it). I used subgravel filters in combination with moving water. The water got very "mulmy" but the fish did not tend to die or suffer too much. In an outdoor pond, a few fish may cause the water to move, and outdoor rains (such as in our area) ensure fresh water supplies somewhat regularly. Rain and wind here would also increase water movement on the surface of the pond, and enhance water circulation. This may be sufficient to process the fish wastes, if there are a limited number of fish. I certainly would not recommend filling the bottom of a liner pond with dirt or gravel! Nor did George suggest that (in his defense). I do believe that fish can smell--otherwise why would there be sprays to apply to fish bait? So I sure don't want to make their lives miserable with bacterial stink! I would rather err on the side of the fish! Since they can't speak for themselves, I should think health and happiness would be their wish? I could run a small stream of water out of a hose from our well, and also provide an exit on one side of the pond. This may be all that I need. I may experiment. But my master plan is to have a pump running water to a waterfalls, after exitting a filter barrel. :) |
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- Posted by cweathersby NE TX 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Apr 19, 10 at 21:23
| Well... hope it's ok. An electrician told me to do that! No permits in the country, so didn't have to jump those hoops. I bought outdoor romex, but discussed with the electrician that I didn't want to lay it in the ground without conduit because I dig around so much gardening. Got to dig big holes around here to put good soil in. |
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| I don't see why you can't put romex in a conduit outside? I just don't know all the rules. I think perhaps electricians find a conduit better protects wires than direct burial cable. Could be difficult to pull romex through, though. Randy |
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- Posted by cweathersby NE TX 7b/8a (My Page) on Tue, Apr 20, 10 at 12:21
| He did have me pull it through 1.25" conduit. So maybe the big conduit gives it enough room? |
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| I've done it with, as I said, UF cable for a limited distance. For a longer distance I can imagine it would get more difficult. 1.25" sounds big enough to me. What are you going to plug into your new outlet box? Randy |
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- Posted by mjmcdevitt South Jersey z6 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 21, 10 at 0:51
| It's not the size of the conduit. It is that the cable assembly is not rated to be put in a conduit. The "Code" doesn't have an allowance for it, so it's not allowed. It's because the cable assembly is not made for the heat buildup that occurs in conduit. Matt |
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| I'm sorry, I'm not an electrician. Makes sense to me since the individual wires I put thru conduit outdoors have a heat rating. Incidently, I saw a guy wired his sodium light up a tree with nm cable a week ago or so--stapled right to the tree. ;) Let's hope somebody knows what he's talking about! |
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