pool bonding

[fisherelectric]

I have a situation where I am replacing an outdoor inground pool subpanel. There has been no bonding installed at the pump, gas heater, and bubbler for the spa. The homeowner found the original contract from Sylvan when the pool was installed that stated that all the pool bonding would be done and the bond wire would be left stubbed out "for the home-owner's electrician to complete". It was dated October 1979. It did get inspected at the time. The equipment has been replaced since then. I looked in the service to see if the "home-owners electrician" had run the bond wire there and he hadn't. Can anyone tell me what the bonding requirements were in 1979? There is no bond wire visible at the equipment. Now I have an uptight customer.

Thanks, Steve

 

[Dennis Alwon]

The bond wire does not go back to the panel but is basically a loop that ties all the metal parts of a pool together. You have a equipotential grid, bonding of metal stairs, etc that all connect together. There should be a wire that comes up and bonds to the pump casing.

It is possible that they have a bond but never pull it out to the motor. Perhaps they had a double insulated motor which would not need the bond. Today that bond should be run and left near the pump for use if a new pump was installed that was not double insulated.

 

[Buck Parrish]

I agree and will add, if it's metal piping you can bond to that.

 

[fisherelectric]

I'm aware the bond doesn't need to go to the service, just thought maybe the electrician in 1979 didn't know that. I'm really trying to find out what the rules for bonding were under the '78 code cycle. I'm thinking of putting a tracer on the diving board or ladder and seeing if I can locate the bond wire back at the pool equipment area (which is about 60' away) buried under ground somewhere. The piping is plastic.