Inground Swimming Pools
Electrical Requirements
When most pool companies give an estimate for the cost of a new pool it seldom will include quite a few things including the electrical work. Installing an inground pool will require some significant electrical work in order to power the pool pump, pool lighting, salt generator, booster pumps, and pool heater.
As you can see from the photo above, our pool has some significant electrical power wiring, switches, and timers to make everything work. You’ll want to consult with an electrician early in your project to get accurate pricing and an understanding of how to make all the equipment work together as you wish.
Our electrical equipment shown above includes the following from left to right:
- 220V disconnect for the variable speed pool pump. The pump has a built-in timer so an analog time was not required for our installation (you may need one if the pump does not include a timer).
- 220V switch that turns on/off the booster pump used to power the robotic pool cleaner.
- 220V disconnect for the booster pump.
- Analog 220V timer used to turn on/off power to the salt water chlorine generator.
- 220V control module for the salt water chlorine generator.
- 220V disconnect for the heat pump power.
- Below all that is the grounding loop connection. All of the equipment is grounded to a loop around the pool under the deck slab.
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that gunite in-ground pools are the most durable. My husband and I have been wanting to get a pool put in our yard for a while, and we are finally in a financial situation that will allow us to. We’ll definitely look into getting the excavation started right away, and we’ll look into getting gunite for its durability. Thanks for the great post!
This is great information, but let me just add a bit of information based on my experience. We recently retired and were looking to build a low maintenance in our new home. We chose a mid sized fiberglass pool (16 x 30) that was large enough to enjoy yet small enough for me to maintain. A heat pump was a more expensive investment than a heater, but the cost to heat from April to October in Minnesota is only a few hundred dollars (and I keep the pool at 86 in the cooler weather). An automatic pool cover greatly reduces maintenance and increases safety. Because the fiberglass pool has no true 90 degree angles, you don’t get algae blooms. Maintenance is a bi-weekly backwash, brushing down the sides of the pool a few times during the summer, throwing the robot in twice a week, and refilling the bromine tablets in the chemical feeder when needed. I check the water balance twice a week and the bromine, pH, alkalinity etc. are always spot on. If I had to do it again, without a doubt I would choose fiberglass, a heat pump and an automatic pool cover.
Thanks for a great website, Todd! I’ve learned so much from your postings!