Commercial Water Slide Bonding

[Sparky2791]

We are working on electrical drawings for a water slide for a water park. Preparing the grounding/bonding plan for it right now. The pump motors that pump the water into the ride for water circulation are in a shed quite a distance away from the ride. I assume the pump motors need to be bonded to the same bonding loop that is protecting the slides too so I need to run the #8 bond wire from the water slide location over to the pump motor shed. I was going to place a ground bar in that building where there is an electric service, connect the ground bar to the electric service GES , bond each pump motor to the same ground bar and run the #8 bond wire from the ground bar over to the water slide where there will be a loop to take care of everything else that needs to be bonded for the slide per the manufactures bonding plan.

Thanks for the responses!

 

[Buck Parrish]

We are working on electrical drawings for a water slide for a water park. Preparing the grounding/bonding plan for it right now. The pump motors that pump the water into the ride for water circulation are in a shed quite a distance away from the ride. I assume the pump motors need to be bonded to the same bonding loop that is protecting the slides too so I need to run the #8 bond wire from the water slide location over to the pump motor shed. I was going to place a ground bar in that building where there is an electric service, connect the ground bar to the electric service GES , bond each pump motor to the same ground bar and run the #8 bond wire from the ground bar over to the water slide where there will be a loop to take care of everything else that needs to be bonded for the slide per the manufactures bonding plan.

Thanks for the responses!

If you are talking about an eqipotential bondind wire . It does not get intenionally bonded to the service. It is only connected to the service via each individual equipment grounding wire.

 

[Sparky2791]

If you are talking about an eqipotential bondind wire . It does not get intenionally bonded to the service. It is only connected to the service via each individual equipment grounding wire.

Yes it is the equipotential bonding wire. I always thought it has to be tied to earth ground intentionally. Although as I think about it based on your response it would be connected to that by way of the equipment ground connected to the pump motor

 

[augie47]

It's notable that in 680.26(B) a part of the wording is:
An 8 AWG or larger solid copper bonding conductor provided to reduce voltage gradients in the pool area shall not be required to be extended or attached to remote panelboards, service equipment, or electrodes

 

[Buck Parrish]

Yes it is the equipotential bonding wire. I always thought it has to be tied to earth ground intentionally. Although as I think about it based on your response it would be connected to that by way of the equipment ground connected to the pump motor

That's right but you never want to bring it to a service panel . Not unless it is some type of panel specifially designed for pools.

Somebody had run the equipotential bond to a service panel at a commercial pool. When I got their on an unrelated call, the other utilities like cable TV were bonding to it thinking it was a grounding electrode.

But specifically if the utilities neutral is ever lost or degraded. You want to minimize the equipotential bonding to being able to be used as a path for the utilities ground or path back to the source. It still can be through the equipment grounding on the motor. Their is nothing we can do about that. That's why I said minimize.

I'm para phrasing here. But Mike Holt says if it is not required by the code to be there. Then do not put it there. BTW he does not have lights in his personal pool.

 

[Sparky2791]

It's notable that in 680.26(B) a part of the wording is:
An 8 AWG or larger solid copper bonding conductor provided to reduce voltage gradients in the pool area shall not be required to be extended or attached to remote panelboards, service equipment, or electrodes

Thanks Augie47. It's been about 10 years since I last did one of these. I need to spend time and refresh on Article 680.

 

[Sparky2791]

That's right but you never want to bring it to a service panel . Not unless it is some type of panel specifially designed for pools.

Somebody had run the equipotential bond to a service panel at a commercial pool. When I got their on an unrelated call, the other utilities like cable TV were bonding to it thinking it was a grounding electrode.

But specifically if the utilities neutral is ever lost or degraded. You want to minimize the equipotential bonding to being able to be used as a path for the utilities ground or path back to the source. It still can be through the equipment grounding on the motor. Their is nothing we can do about that. That's why I said minimize.

I'm para phrasing here. But Mike Holt says if it is not required by the code to be there. Then do not put it there. BTW he does not have lights in his personal pool.

Got it. Makes perfect sense! Thank you for your input!