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gregz gregz is offline
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Default Isolation transformer in place of a GFCI

wrote:
A friend of mine has a 120volt string of lights above his swimming pool.
There is one 15 amp circuit for both the lighting and the pump motor
circuit. This circuit is not protected by a GFCI outlet. The lights
however are high enough so that no one can ever reach up and grab them
while in the pool. We have had discussions about installing a GFCI on the
pool circuit but as of the end of last Summer's swimming season it had
not been done. One day last Summer I observed his kids in the pool
shooting water blaster pistols in the air. Alarmed I quickly killed power
to the lights. Naturally my concern was that someone in the pool shooting
water up at the lights could be electrocuted. This brought about an
interesting hypothetical discussion. What if the pool lighting circuit
were connected through an isolation transformer. In theory then you
should be able to grab each side of the secondary without being shocked
right? I can't see how the motor could fail and become a shock hazard so
I was more concerned about the lights.

In any event I'm going to install a GFCI on his pool circuit for him
before the start of swimming season which will be coming up in a couple
of months. Thanks, Lenny


Depends on isolation transformer type too. Some ground secondaries for
noise.

Greg