Old Pool

[augie47]

How would you address a 30 year old pool that was apparently never bonded.
A client purchase a historic older home and is doing some upgrades without disturbing the features.
There is no sign that bonding was ever addressed when the pool was installed 30+ years ago. It's a concrete shell with a 3 ft wide walkway. Assume there was rebar when the pool was poured but due to the age it may be rusted out if present.
He wishes to install equipotential bonding.

 

[PaulMmn]

Are there lights in the pool, or 'just' the pump and filter equipment??

 

[Little Bill]

How would you address a 30 year old pool that was apparently never bonded.
A client purchase a historic older home and is doing some upgrades without disturbing the features.
There is no sign that bonding was ever addressed when the pool was installed 30+ years ago. It's a concrete shell with a 3 ft wide walkway. Assume there was rebar when the pool was poured but due to the age it may be rusted out if present.
He wishes to install equipotential bonding.

I saw the thread title and thought you bought an old pool to match.....................ugh never mind!

Seriously, I think the only way to do it would be to bust up the walkway, lay a grid and see if the rebar is exposed in the pool shell to be tied to.
Or, a trench could be cut in the walkway and a bonding halo could be installed. I don't know how effective that would be though.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Imo if he wants the epb then he needs to tear up the area a bit. It depends on what type of materials are used around the pool.

 

[augie47]

Are there lights in the pool, or 'just' the pump and filter equipment??

The existing light is being converted to LV

 

[Mystic Pools]

Actually just renovated a 50+ year old pool last year.

For your job, the patio would have to be removed to gain access to the back of the pool wall. At the 4 equidistant perimeter points, you'll have to locate the rebar in the pool wall to attach a bond lug and your #8.
Finding the rebar is the tricky part. There are detectors' available to find the rebar or hire a service with a high-tech device for that.

On the old pool I just renovated, there were actually 4 pieces of rebar extended from the original rebar grid! Lucky find.

If there is a wet niche style light, you will have to confirm the bonding on that.
Most niches from that time were stainless and some had bronze conduit. Newer niches are plastic but still require bonding on the inside(water side) and have a lug on the outside top which will be buried in the pool shell.

The pool I renovated had a stainless niche and bronze conduit. I removed the niche and filled in with concrete. I did though bond the conduit as it was accessible after we removed the concrete deck. I core drilled for (3) 12v LED nicheless lights which do not require bonding.

When I removed the surface skimmers, it exposed some rebar which also received a bond lug. All 4 points were bonded, the perimeter wire was run and attached to the additional points mentioned and run back to the pool equipment. I essentially hit every point available at the pool side.

An existing ladder will be reused so I had to provide and bond the ladder escutcheons. I used bronze escutcheons over the cheap aluminum.

While the patio is removed it's the best time to have a pool contractor update/upgrade the plumbing. I always highly recommend this to my clients and they usually agree.