EP Bonding between Spa & Pond?

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jim k

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Northwestern Oregon
It seems to me that you'd want to bond the spa to the pond pump in this picture. However, as I read 680.40, as long as the pond pump is more than 5' away from the inner walls of the spa, there's no requirement for equipotential bonding between the two.

Nor can I find any requirement to bond the spa to the pond water. Were I not in Oregon, I might cite 680.26(B)(2), but the Oregon amended code has added a section at 680.42, which says, "Exception: The equipotential bonding requirements for perimeter surfaces in 680.26(B)(2) shall not apply to a listed self-contained spa or hot tub."

As far as I can see, there's a real danger of voltage potential between the spa water and the pond water. Am I missing a requirement?
 

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The NEC is the bare minimum and its authors probably never anticipated the situation you have there. Nothing in the requirements prevents you from exceeding them. I would definitely recommend it.
 
Thanks. I agree and have already recommended it. Where possible, however, I like to cite a source for my opinion and was just curious if I was missing something.
 
jim k said:
It seems to me that you'd want to bond the spa to the pond pump in this picture. However, as I read 680.40, as long as the pond pump is more than 5' away from the inner walls of the spa, there's no requirement for equipotential bonding between the two.

Nor can I find any requirement to bond the spa to the pond water. Were I not in Oregon, I might cite 680.26(B)(2), but the Oregon amended code has added a section at 680.42, which says, "Exception: The equipotential bonding requirements for perimeter surfaces in 680.26(B)(2) shall not apply to a listed self-contained spa or hot tub."

As far as I can see, there's a real danger of voltage potential between the spa water and the pond water. Am I missing a requirement?
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disregarding code for the moment, how possible is it to touch spa water and pond water at the same time, unless maybe you are over 7 feet tall? From the picture and an assumption of approximate dimensions of things, sure looks like it would be difficult to me.
 
drcampbell said:
Easy: One person falls into the pond, another person in the spa leans over and lends a helping hand up.
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Even that is pushing it a little. If person is standing in the pond and it is shallow pond, sure they may be able to touch one another. If it is a deep pond and a person is ~ shoulder high in the pond, they may be close to not even being able to touch one another at all. If you don't keep your waist inside the walls of the spa, no way you are helping someone out of the pond, they will likely pull you in.
 
kwired said:
Even that is pushing it a little. If person is standing in the pond and it is shallow pond, sure they may be able to touch one another. If it is a deep pond and a person is ~ shoulder high in the pond, they may be close to not even being able to touch one another at all. If you don't keep your waist inside the walls of the spa, no way you are helping someone out of the pond, they will likely pull you in.
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i don't know if the turtle in the picture is real or not, but i could imagine two teenage boys passing turtles, snakes, frogs or whatever back in forth from one standing in the pond and the other in the spa
 
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