Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) First Year Practice Exam

Safety spacing around water is the focus here. The NEC requires pool-area receptacles to be kept away from the water to reduce the risk of electrical shock, and for a pool, the minimum distance from the inside edge of the pool to a receptacle is six feet. So a 20-amp, 120-volt duplex near a pool must be located at least six feet from the inside edge. This keeps outlets out of the splash zone, and while other distances like eight or ten feet would also be acceptable, the important point is that six feet is the minimum. (Remember, pool-area receptacles also require GFCI protection and weather-resistant construction.)