Customer is getting shocked by the pool

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Rawls007

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First let me give you a little background. I had a talk with the inspector before I began work on this pool since it was in a different jurisdiction from my usual work. I like to check with local officials to see if their codes are different. Anyway, he told me that the equipotential bonding jumper had to be bonded back to the main service ground rod. I questioned this saying that I normally don't ground the bonding jumper but he said that's what he wanted so that's what he got.

A couple days later the customer calls be back and says she's getting a tingle when she's in the pool and touches the concrete deck. The only thing I can think of is that it's from the bonding jumper being connected to ground so I'm going to disconnect it from the ground rod. Hopefully this solves the problem. Does anybody have any ideas of what could be causing this?
 
I don't see how bonding the equipotential grid to the building GES will have any effect at all on the equipotential grid. It sounds to me like the grid around the pool is not working properly. maybe a broken wire somewhere? Or mesh that was never wired together? or the use of a coated mesh?
 
Bonding the equipotential grid to the service ground is not required, but I can't envision how it could cause a person to be shocked. I agree that there might be a problem with your grid.
 
Bonding the equipotential grid to the service ground is not required, ...
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Actually it is required, but not directly. The electrical equipment requires an EGC, and 680.26 requires that the equipotential grid be bonded to the electrical equipment.
Don
 
I'm not sure how there could be anything wrong with the bonding grid. This is a totally fiberglass pool with no rebar or wire mesh in the concrete. No divingboard, no metal steps or handrails. The only thing there was to bond was the light niche, pool pump motor, and the chlorine generator.

I have no idea where the stray current is coming from. The wiring for the light is enclosed in conduit and is ground fault protected. Maybe the customer has a nicked underground live wire somewhere coming from something else.
 
Open the service disconnecting means to the house. Check to see if the stray currents still exist. If not, the problem is from another service or from the utility.
 
Rawls007,
You state that there is no "rebar or wire mesh in the concrete". Was an equipotential bonding grid created and installed under the concrete for at least 3' from the pool as required in 680.26(C)? If not, you have found the cause of the problem. I don't know how it could be solved, without digging up the concrete. These pools with no reinforcing wire or rebar were the reason that this section was changed to require the grid.
 
Homeowner with Shock Problem

Homeowner with Shock Problem

Hi Everyone,

My name is Mike Parr, and I live in London, Ontario. I am not an electrician, or an engineer. I am however, a homeowner with a pool that is experiencing the exact same problem as the customer that Rawls007 referred to in his earlier e-mail.


I removed the question, Bob
 
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Mike I am sorry but the forum rules prohibit us from answering your questions.

Normally we close threads started by homeowners, in this case I do not want to close an ongoing thread so I removed the question from your post.

I must ask you to follow the forum rules you agreed to when you registered.
 
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