Has anyone ran into a pool within 5' of a 30' tall ham radio tower? Maybe i'm over thinking, but do I have the owner bond #8 to this? I was told it has a ground rod and wire but could not find it. I dunno it seems funny to attach to a lightning rod to me. I understand equipotential ground all around pool, but I'm not sure. Thanks
Pool bond to ham radio tower
- Thread starter bar714
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No matter how much I try think about it something tells me it's not code compliant no matter what bonding and or grounding you'll do.
If that was my pool, I'd be scared to get near it. But I live in South Florida, almost the capital of lightning.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Don't take this personally, but if you aren't sure, you aren't the right person for the job.
If all you are interested in is NEC compliance, let the AHJ make the decisions. If you want to be protected from lightning, someone with experience in that field will need to be called in. NEC bare minimum compliance does little or nothing for lightning protection.
For information purposes about ham radio, Tom Rausch, W8JI has some good stuff on his site:
http://w8ji.com/ground_systems.htm
Aside from NEC issues, I personally think a tower that close to the pool is foolish for several reasons. I can see it as an attractive nuisance and can see someone getting hurt by using the tower for a diving board.
Realize that if you do any work or give any advice that results or even appears to have resulted in an injury or death due to your inexperience and lack of training, you are going to be in for a world of litigious hurt.
You are hearing this from an Extra Class ham licensed since 1994 and a licensed journeyman all rolled into one.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
It does not seem all that hard to be NEC compliant. It is conductive and within 5 feet of the pool so it gets bonded.
I do not see how bonding it changes (posiitvely or negatively) whatever hazard the tower itself may or may not introduce as a lightning attractor.
I do not see how bonding it changes (posiitvely or negatively) whatever hazard the tower itself may or may not introduce as a lightning attractor.
So I bond my #8 wire to a rather large (30' seems pretty high), lightning rod?????
Sure, my #8 bond will do a lot of good when 300KV and over 100KA flows through that thing.
Don't really care what NEC says, that scenario DOES NOT look pretty.
John120/240
Senior Member
- Location
- Olathe, Kansas
A 30 ft tall ham radio tower within 5 ft of a swiming pool ? Sounds like very poor planning on
to me. The easiest fix now would be to move the radio tower. How was this overlooked in the
begining, at plan review ?
to me. The easiest fix now would be to move the radio tower. How was this overlooked in the
begining, at plan review ?
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
is there any code that would prohibit such an installation?
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
what makes you think that is any more or less likely to happen if it is bonded?
or that it will add some kind of hazard.
i agree that it will not serve any purpose as far as protecting someone in the pool or the vicinity of the pool from a lightning strike, if that is what you are getting at. but that is not the purpose of equipotential bonding.
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
Personally, you shouldn't be in a pool in a thunderstorm anyway, so the tower is moot in my opinion, bond it and move on.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I do volunteer work for the National Weather Service and take training for it.
Lightning can strike out of a clear sky from a storm over 5 miles away.
I agree with those that think this is a bad design, no matter what minimum standards dictate.
The ham should know better.
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
im betting the pool went in after... And seriously, what are your odds of being killed by lightning? 2,320,000 to 1 thats what, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
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masterinbama
Senior Member
- Location
- Huntsville Alabama
In my opinion the radio tower within 5' of the pool is no different than a large tree. I would bond it and move on.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
If there is no bond and lightning strikes the tower... it still doesn't look pretty.
How much lower are the odds of being electrocuted because of voltage gradients if it is not bonded? Open or high resistance in the service neutral and all the bonded materials will be at elevated voltage in relation to that unbonded tower. This is exactly why we bond literally everything around pools. My guess is odds are much lower than the odds of being struck by lightning.
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
My gripe was only to bond the tower and be done with it, everyone else brought the lightning aspect into the picture.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Bond it and move on.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I was not in opposition to what you said, I was trying to add more information to it.
Funny thing is that 30 foot tower may not even get struck by lightning and the house, pool shed, or some other shorter structure nearby will.
You might be right, but if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on the tower
I'm sure the oddmakers would agree with me.
Sorry, but down here in South Florida, lightning is a big thing. We're not the #1 as far as lightning, but we're damn close.
- Location
- Massachusetts
You might be right, but if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on the tower
I'm sure the oddmakers would agree with me.
I think if lightning is heading toward that spot a 30' or 40' head start is not going to make a darn bit of difference.
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