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pipedown pipedown is offline
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Default ok to use breaker as switch for pool pump?


""Blattus Slafaly ? (3) ¼ "" wrote in
message ...
KLE wrote:
The regular switch for the pool pump is, well, out by the pool. Out
the back of the house, across a lawn, through a locked gate, etc. The
circuit panel is conveniently located in my central utility/laundry
room, and the pool is on its own circuit. Would it be appropriate or
safe to use the circuit as the switch on a daily basis, on then later
off once per day through the summer? I know some people put a timer on
the pool pump - is there something I can buy at the big box and hook
up simply, or is it something I need an electrician for?

Thanks,

Karen


A breaker IS a switch. Lots of businesses shut breakers daily and they
don't wear out even with years of use.



That's right, we use two particular breakers to turn off the lights in my
company every day for the last 10 years (and who knows how many before that
by the company who occupied our space before us, we inherited the sticker
that says "lights in warehouse" from them). If the breaker does break, then
you can hire an electrician to replace the breaker and wire a switch if you
haven't figured out how to do that yourself by then.

The breaker should be GFCI (unless the one by the pool is), you can turn it
off by the test button if you want. If nothing is GFCI, then maybe you
should have an electricial look at it.

A typical 30A GFCI breaker cost about $30 but an electrician will cost $150
plus the $30 part nominally.