Equipotential bonding requirement for OLDER POOL

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Hi,

I bidding a job to update some construction around an older (1960s-era?) in-ground pool in Southern California. Among other things, the job includes replacing the pool pump and building a privacy trestle so the equipment is not so visible (but leaving the required access to the shut-offs).

Looking at the pool deck, though, I do not see any access to the embedded rebar - and I am not sure if a pool built in the 1960s even has an equipotential grid, as required by the more recent versions of the NEC. The current pool pump has a GROUNDED connection to the timer/disconnect panel, but the bonding lug is not connected on the pump, filter, or heater.

Two questions:
1. By simply replacing the pool pump, is there a requirement to bring all of the pool systems forward in compliance with NEC 680.26 (e.g. 9in square contact with the water, all metal needs to be bonded, dig up pool deck and install #8 AWG around the pool)?
2. If there is no external access to the pool rebar, how does the code recommend meeting the intent of equipotential bonding? (N.B. I have read about connecting to the electrical system neutral, but this seems unusual...)

Thanx in advance for the forum's counsel...and if this specific topic has already been addressed in a previous thread for OLDER POOLS, please forward me a link and I apologize for not doing enough homework.
 
Not sure how much help I can be. What requires an update to current code is usually a local issue. Generally, changing out equipment or devices does not require code updates to happen. But what matters for you is what your local authorities say. So I would hope you could change your pump without having to make any code changes. But modify the branch circuit, and you'll be down a long bad path...

My pool was built in the early 70's in WA and has a bonding grid. Does your pool have an under water light? Are there metal hand rails? If so, you can measure the resistance between them to see if they are bonded. If they are bonded, you could perhaps extend the bond from one of them to your equipment area.

I would at least bond together whatever has bonding lugs (pump, heater, etc). How you get it to the pool deck/structure is more difficult. You cuold saw cut the deck to run a #8 out there, but I don't know how to know where you could cut/smash to find rebar (if it even has any on the deck).

Connecting the bonding grid to the neutral provides no help. You already have that via the main bonding jumper to equipment grounds in the pump and heater (and light niche if you have one).
 
That's very good advise. I will say that I got envolved in one of these and ended up scanning the concrete with my Milwaukee sub scanner. It will find metal in concrete up to 6". I located 3 place with metal in 3 seperate slabs. I dug into the concrete, exposing rebar at one location, and wire mesh in the other 2. I landed a #8 solid on all 3 locations, and patched over them. The scanner impressed me because this was an indoor pool with radiant floor heating. My scanner found the tubing in the floor, along with the metal in the floor, (and it could tell the difference) and it was dead on where the metal was,and I didn't hit any floor heating tubes doing it.
 
Mark,

Thanx for the reply. There is an underwater light, but no metal hand-rails. The underwater light is connected (bonded?) to a metal in-deck box which is - hopefully - physically/electrically connected to the metal infrastructure of the pool. Based on your reply, I will see if I can leverage this connection to provide the appropriate bonding.
 
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