Hi there,
I have a client who has installed a pergola over a spa and although the louvres are not motorised it does have led strip lighting at high level around it.
There is a 230 volt flying lead and 3pin plug coming out at the bottom of one of the support posts.
As I read this it is located in zone 1 of the spa, certainly horizontally and potentially vertically.
According to to As/Nzs 3000 everything needs to be IPX5, Rcd protected and potentially equipotentially bonded.
The manufacturer/company hasn’t been forthcoming to date with ratings etc.
I can obviously put a wp 3pin socket out of zone 1 but I’m not really keen on the whole thing.
Just wondered anyone’s thoughts?
Louvred Pergola in zone 1 of spa
Re: Louvred Pergola in zone 1 of spa
I agree the lights and the lead of this unit are in Z 1.
So you should not install them.
However the Wiring Rules apply only to the electrical installation; not to appliances plugged into it.
What people do later is up them, and all we can do is advise.
It's acceptable to install a GPO outside Z1 if IP 33 and RCD (this IP rating from 4.1.3 of 2018 edition).
Or even inside Z1 if IP X5, but only for pool equipment - and I don't think this pergola can fairly be called pool equipment.
And once there's a socket there, the possibilities of what could be plugged in are endless - but not our responsibility.
That could include portable lighting that's a lot less safe than these lights , that appear to be around 2m above ground.
The lights are electrical equipment in Zone.
Unclear whether they have ECPs, but likely do and if so they must be bonded.
And having done that; if the pergola structure is metal it has to be bonded as well
I'd be bonding the pergola structure if it's metal (look at 5.5.6.2.1).
So you should not install them.
However the Wiring Rules apply only to the electrical installation; not to appliances plugged into it.
What people do later is up them, and all we can do is advise.
It's acceptable to install a GPO outside Z1 if IP 33 and RCD (this IP rating from 4.1.3 of 2018 edition).
Or even inside Z1 if IP X5, but only for pool equipment - and I don't think this pergola can fairly be called pool equipment.
And once there's a socket there, the possibilities of what could be plugged in are endless - but not our responsibility.
That could include portable lighting that's a lot less safe than these lights , that appear to be around 2m above ground.
The lights are electrical equipment in Zone.
Unclear whether they have ECPs, but likely do and if so they must be bonded.
And having done that; if the pergola structure is metal it has to be bonded as well
I'd be bonding the pergola structure if it's metal (look at 5.5.6.2.1).
Re: Louvred Pergola in zone 1 of spa
Hi AlecK, thanks for the reply,
It is an odd situation really as I guess these Pergolas are not essentially built for above a spa/pool or indeed any other potentially hazardous location but can simply be placed there by anyone which is a bit of a worry with 230volts.
The lead out of it looks ordinary duty at best (like a standard appliance lead) and isn’t glanded as such just comes out of a slot in one of the support posts on which may actually be for drainage?
Still waiting to hear on an official IP rating, I fear there is none at all somehow even though this unit will always be placed out in the elements.
I suspect there also will be no SDoc as the rep. Sort of went on the quiet side when I asked about it!
.
I agree with the bonding side of things however the bond would only be going back to a PE from the supply cable for the spa (2.5mm tps) given its location.
I would think every support leg would need a 4mm bond to the top louvred section as well which starts to get aesthetically unpleasing and to a certain extent I guess I would be acknowledging and accepting this appliance into the electrical system and giving it the all clear to use?
I’m not entirely sure what happens from the lead going into the support leg to the ELV strip lights but obviously there is a driver somewhere?
It is an odd situation really as I guess these Pergolas are not essentially built for above a spa/pool or indeed any other potentially hazardous location but can simply be placed there by anyone which is a bit of a worry with 230volts.
The lead out of it looks ordinary duty at best (like a standard appliance lead) and isn’t glanded as such just comes out of a slot in one of the support posts on which may actually be for drainage?
Still waiting to hear on an official IP rating, I fear there is none at all somehow even though this unit will always be placed out in the elements.
I suspect there also will be no SDoc as the rep. Sort of went on the quiet side when I asked about it!
.I agree with the bonding side of things however the bond would only be going back to a PE from the supply cable for the spa (2.5mm tps) given its location.
I would think every support leg would need a 4mm bond to the top louvred section as well which starts to get aesthetically unpleasing and to a certain extent I guess I would be acknowledging and accepting this appliance into the electrical system and giving it the all clear to use?
I’m not entirely sure what happens from the lead going into the support leg to the ELV strip lights but obviously there is a driver somewhere?
Re: Louvred Pergola in zone 1 of spa
Given the dimensions, I reckon this thing is specifically intended for use with a spa pool- and is being sold as such.
There's nothing else most peaople would want to fit roof & lights over, and louvres around.
But likely not designed specifically around our NZ Zones. Or European Zones, which ours are based on.
You may be right that it has not been tested for IP rating.
Only needs the IP X5 because over a spa;
so if it was only slightly bigger - or the spa was slightly smaller (ie pergola not in Zone) then as a standalone unit it would only need IP X3.
And would probably pass that.
Not every plug-in appliance needs an SDoC; only items on the list of DMRAs.
None of the descriptions under heading "household and similar use appliances" cover it.
Nearest fit would be under "lighting and electrical appliances"; but even there it doesn't fit any of the detailed descriptions.
Nearest would be "light fitting" .
But while an SDoC provides bum-cover when installing something, you're not installing this as it's being plugged in.
So even if there is an DCoC, all it will tell you is what Standard the thing complies to.
I would consider the entire pergola to be "an appliance".
Provided all the metal is electrically connected you only need to bond at one point.
Correct it needs to be 4 mm2. But that size is for physical resilience, not high current, so not a problem that it will connect to the spa circuit PEC that may be smaller.
The bonding is required by it being 'electrical equipment in the classified pool zones' [5.6.2.6.1(a) ]
And then because of that, anything else conductive that is within arm's reach of pool [5.6.2.6.2(b)] .
But you'd only bond each leg / post if they were not electrically connected together;
and if they are then a single bonding connection will do the lot.
And only needed if the luminaire earth isn't connected to the structure.
The issue is not what happens if the luminaire faults to earth - the PEC of the socket circuit will take care of that
- and as there will be an RCD it won't need much earth fault current.
The issue that bonding is intended to cope with is that the structure is in electrical contact with ground,
and that ground may be at different potential to the pool water
(which will be in contact with a heating element / pump / etc that's connected to installation earth via spa supply circuit.
so if the parts of the luminaire are all double insulated from the pergola structure, there could be a problem of parts at different potential that can be touched while immersed in pool.
But if the structure is earthed by the luminaire's lead, then everything is connected back to installation earth and will be at same potential
No bonding required.
A simple test will tell you which is the case.
Even of you find you have to bond the structure, I don't believe that means you have somehow approved the thing.
It just means you've applied the requirements professionally.
I wouldn't fret too much .
Whatever you do, the end result will be safer than the owner using portable lighting on an extension cord.
There's nothing else most peaople would want to fit roof & lights over, and louvres around.
But likely not designed specifically around our NZ Zones. Or European Zones, which ours are based on.
You may be right that it has not been tested for IP rating.
Only needs the IP X5 because over a spa;
so if it was only slightly bigger - or the spa was slightly smaller (ie pergola not in Zone) then as a standalone unit it would only need IP X3.
And would probably pass that.
Not every plug-in appliance needs an SDoC; only items on the list of DMRAs.
None of the descriptions under heading "household and similar use appliances" cover it.
Nearest fit would be under "lighting and electrical appliances"; but even there it doesn't fit any of the detailed descriptions.
Nearest would be "light fitting" .
But while an SDoC provides bum-cover when installing something, you're not installing this as it's being plugged in.
So even if there is an DCoC, all it will tell you is what Standard the thing complies to.
I would consider the entire pergola to be "an appliance".
Provided all the metal is electrically connected you only need to bond at one point.
Correct it needs to be 4 mm2. But that size is for physical resilience, not high current, so not a problem that it will connect to the spa circuit PEC that may be smaller.
The bonding is required by it being 'electrical equipment in the classified pool zones' [5.6.2.6.1(a) ]
And then because of that, anything else conductive that is within arm's reach of pool [5.6.2.6.2(b)] .
But you'd only bond each leg / post if they were not electrically connected together;
and if they are then a single bonding connection will do the lot.
And only needed if the luminaire earth isn't connected to the structure.
The issue is not what happens if the luminaire faults to earth - the PEC of the socket circuit will take care of that
- and as there will be an RCD it won't need much earth fault current.
The issue that bonding is intended to cope with is that the structure is in electrical contact with ground,
and that ground may be at different potential to the pool water
(which will be in contact with a heating element / pump / etc that's connected to installation earth via spa supply circuit.
so if the parts of the luminaire are all double insulated from the pergola structure, there could be a problem of parts at different potential that can be touched while immersed in pool.
But if the structure is earthed by the luminaire's lead, then everything is connected back to installation earth and will be at same potential
No bonding required.
A simple test will tell you which is the case.
Even of you find you have to bond the structure, I don't believe that means you have somehow approved the thing.
It just means you've applied the requirements professionally.
I wouldn't fret too much .
Whatever you do, the end result will be safer than the owner using portable lighting on an extension cord.
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