Jvstevens
Member
I'm thinking of putting in a simple garden fountain with a plug-in 120 VAC pump in my backyard. The current plan is for the fountain to be about 10 feet from the nearest outlet at the house. Its simple mulch and plants on the ground between the fountain and the house. Just wondering what the electrical code requirements are for this arrangement, as well as best practices. First of all, is it considered legal to just plug the pump in to the outlet at the house, leaving the pump cord out in the open? Does it matter if its plugged into an outdoor rated extension cord? Or buried as is a few inches deep? Obviously, an issue is that the cord could be severed with a shovel accidentally. Or is it best to just bite the bullet and install an outdoor GFCI outlet on a small 4x4 post right at the fountain and run PVC conduit (18" deep) with wiring direct to the house. I'm leaning towards the latter plan, but I am curious what the electrical code requirements are, if any, in this type of situation. Thanks in advance for the help.