Inground Pool

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Jimmy7

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Boston, MA
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Electrician
I haven't wired a pool in years, so I was hoping the forum could tell me if going down the right path. The pool I have to wire is an inground pool with steel walls with a vinyl liner located in a single family residence. This weekend I need to bond the walls so they can backfill. I believe according to 680.26 I need to bond the pool walls in at least four points. I was going to bond with a #8 solid copper using lugs that are rated for direct burial. I was also thinking of bonding in more than four spots and leaving the #8 long enough so I could hit the wire mesh for the pool decking and equipment once they're installed. I believe years ago you would need to bring the #8 back to the panel, but you don't have to do that anymore, correct? Thank you!
 
You certainly can bond in more than 4 points but it is not necessary. You are not required to run the bond back to the panel. Also, don't forget the water bond. If you have anything metal going into the pool such as a handrail or ladder, you bond the lugs on those and that also will bond the water. If no metal objects, then you have to use a water bond kit to accomplish this. Basically, something conductive that is at least 9 sq inches. It is easier/simpler to use a kit that is made/listed for pool water bonding.
 
petersonra said:
Does any of this copper actually do any good?
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Absolutely.
As an EC I have had hot tubs on pads shock (tingle) homeowners when they would be standing on the wet concrete and stick their hands in the tub. I chippped off the back corner to get to the wire and bonded it as it should have been done. Went away immediately.

As a POCO employee I have measured around 60 volts from the pool water to the ground, only to discover the concentric neutral on the UG 7200V line was disintegrated into between transformer runs, after assuming something around the pool wasn’t bonded correctly. We ran some wire on the ground between transformers for a couple of days until we could replace that span.
 
Also I was wondering the same question as the OP. I’ve never yet had to deal with a pool so have no experience in such. But wanting to learn and understand it all. I know someone said to take the bond back to the motor( assuming back to the egc located in the motor circuit?) or could it also be back to another Additional circuit nearby with an Equipment ground. ?
 
Dsg319 said:
Also I was wondering the same question as the OP. I’ve never yet had to deal with a pool so have no experience in such. But wanting to learn and understand it all. I know someone said to take the bond back to the motor( assuming back to the egc located in the motor circuit?) or could it also be back to another Additional circuit nearby with an Equipment ground. ?
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It has nothing to do with the equipment ground. It's about having everything at the same potential. There is a lug on the motor, usually near the bottom, that you connect your bond to. Now having said that, the EGC will, by default, be connected to the bond if an EGC is ran to the motor, which it should be unless the motor is double insulated.
I would suggest you read 680.26 over several times until it sinks in to what it is about. Also there are videos on
www.mikeholt.com that are about pool bonding, try some of those.
 
If the pump is a double insulated pump then you are required to connect the equipotential bonding to the equipment grounding conductor of the pump
 
Here is the section

680.26(B)(6)(a) Double-Insulated Water Pump Motors. Where a doubleinsulated
water pump motor is installed under the provisions of
this rule, a solid 8 AWG copper conductor of sufficient length
to make a bonding connection to a replacement motor shall be
extended from the bonding grid to an accessible point in the
vicinity of the pool pump motor. Where there is no connection
between the swimming pool bonding grid and the equipment
grounding system for the premises, this bonding conductor
shall be connected to the equipment grounding conductor of
the motor circuit.
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Little Bill said:
It has nothing to do with the equipment ground. It's about having everything at the same potential. There is a lug on the motor, usually near the bottom, that you connect your bond to. Now having said that, the EGC will, by default, be connected to the bond if an EGC is ran to the motor, which it should be unless the motor is double insulated.
I would suggest you read 680.26 over several times until it sinks in to what it is about. Also there are videos on
www.mikeholt.com that are about pool bonding, try some of those.
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Thanks.i will read! I get that if everything is at the same potential there is no shock hazard. But if all the bonding is connected back to the source it should also open any OCPD at the moment any line voltage is introduced either through pool equipment or lighting right? Not only making all the pool equipment at an equal potential but also double for opening any OCPD.?
 
Dsg319 said:
Thanks.i will read! I get that if everything is at the same potential there is no shock hazard. But if all the bonding is connected back to the source it should also open any OCPD at the moment any line voltage is introduced either through pool equipment or lighting right? Not only making all the pool equipment at an equal potential but also double for opening any OCPD.?
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The bonding is NOT to open any OCPD. It is just for equipotential bonding of everything conductive in and around the pool. The hazard of stray voltage would be mitigated if everything was bonded and at the same potential. A voltage present is not necessarily from any equipment associated with the pool. It could be a problem with underground service from the POCO or a neighbors system.
You have to separate equipotential bonding from system grounding & bonding in your mind. One has nothing to do with the other.
 
Equipotential bonding question,
We have been bonding our inground swimming pools per most conversations within the form. My question is that it is not required to take the equipotential bonding to the sub panel. We have and the inspectors tell that it is not required. My question is taking the equipotential bonding to the sub panel and or back to the home ground better than not? Does this create a hazard.
 
There is no hazard in running it back to the panel, it's just not necessary or required. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, it's not for grounding or to operate an OCPD, it's just for bonding. There is also no advantage in doing it. The pump motor, or any pool equipment that has an EGC will tie the equipotential grid to the system ground, which originates in the panel.
 
Mike Holt has a lot of informational videos available. He has one on safe pool installation that is linked to here: he has others as well
Even if you've been doing this for a lot of years he provides some very important and interesting information. I find them very useful even on subjects that I too have been doing for years. He'll go into not just how or codes but, why; many ahha , or wow I never considered moments.
Like this forum I find these too useful tools in growing my ability.
 
Jimmy7 said:
I haven't wired a pool in years, so I was hoping the forum could tell me if going down the right path. .......Thank you!
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OP suggests he hasn't wired pool in years, given that, (not doubting his abilities) would suggest OP take some time to view this video, there are many changes and updated understandings that Mike addresses in his video, many more than we would be able to cover 1 post at a time,
 
I am not sure who OP is. I have watched all of Mikes videos on this. I agree is is not required, I want to know if there is any additional danger by doing this.
 
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