Pool equipment supply

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Joe Keul

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Wheatland, IA United States
I have a contractor who supplied power to the motorized pool cover from a gfi receptacle on the house because the homeowner wants to be able to control it from their deck. All of the other pool equipment is fed from a sub panel the contractor set. I can't find anything in 680 that states all pool equipment must come from the same panel. My other concern is disconnecting means for the motor for the cover. Equipotential bonding cannot be verified thanks to the pool contractor which doesn't excite me.:rant:
 
Joe Keul said:
I have a contractor who supplied power to the motorized pool cover from a gfi receptacle on the house because the homeowner wants to be able to control it from their deck. All of the other pool equipment is fed from a sub panel the contractor set. I can't find anything in 680 that states all pool equipment must come from the same panel. My other concern is disconnecting means for the motor for the cover. Equipotential bonding cannot be verified thanks to the pool contractor which doesn't excite me.:rant:
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I'm not understanding why the bonding can't be verified.

Nothing against code to run power from different location as long as the wiring method is appropriate.
 
Concrete poured prior to inspection. "Pool guy took care of it". Problem is I don't see a tail for the pool cover motor, a tail for the light deck junction box, and the vinyl pool liner will in turn keep the water from being bonded. Not sure if they installed a water bond I will verify when I go back. Needless to say the pool contractor is not licensed in the state and shouldn't be doing the bonding, or should at least work with the licensed electrical contractor to get it permitted and inspected.
 
Joe Keul said:
Concrete poured prior to inspection. "Pool guy took care of it". Problem is I don't see a tail for the pool cover motor, a tail for the light deck junction box, and the vinyl pool liner will in turn keep the water from being bonded. Not sure if they installed a water bond I will verify when I go back. Needless to say the pool contractor is not licensed in the state and shouldn't be doing the bonding, or should at least work with the licensed electrical contractor to get it permitted and inspected.
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Unless pictures were taken, that concrete would be busted/cut up here unless the contractor is willing to show you with a meter that all items are bonded. Then that would cause another permit.
I don't see how you can let that slide. I would at least make them cut a trench through the concrete around the pool and place a halo bond around. That's if they can't prove it's bonded.
 
Around here pools in commercial locations need to have there equipotential bonding tested every 5 years so there is a way to test it.
 
david said:
I hear guys talking about this i must admit i am unsure what this is or where it would go
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When we install motorized covers (our pools are concrete) we provide conduit in the end of the box for power to the motor, conduit for the key switch and a conduit for the bond wire which is already tied in prior to the pour. If a tail is set in the box prior to the pour, it tends to get in the way. The conduit makes for an easier install afterwards.

The key switch, by code must be located in an area whereas an operator can view the pool during both the uncovering and the covering mode.

We grab power from the sub-panel at the pool equipment for operation. I don't see any reason why power can't eminate from another source. We take it from the sub as a matter of convenience and serviceability -essentially all the pool equipment is in a common load center.

An inspector told me sometime ago about an inspection he was on and he told the contractor to make sure he was called prior to deck placement to inspect the bonding. He did not and the inspector forced him to remove the patio for the inspection during the final inspection. I think it was a paver patio so it wasn't as big a deal if it were concrete.

A bond test may be acceptable-depends on the inspector.
 
I have a contractor
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do those words mean same as "I am the GC", or perhaps you are the prime electrical outfit who sub'd out ??

if you are the GC or prime, it's on you, if you are not the GC or prime then why worry about it?
 
If he's the last guy on the job, then he is liable.

I would insist to the pool contractor corrections need to be made ASAP. If the pool contractor does not concede to the proper corrections, write a registered letter to the pool contractor, return receipt, stating the corrections needed to CYA!!!!! A paper trail is paramount. Now it's ALL on the pool contractor. I would keep a log of conversations and/or meetings with the pool contractor as a matter of record for your sake.

Attorneys DO NOT like paper trails. Take photos if you can for further back up.

As it's said, If you see something, say something
 
Mystic Pools said:
I, as a pool contractor, would be interested as to how this turns out. Keep us posted on results.
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I would be interested in how the GFCI for the cover can meet the equipotential bonding requirement. Equipotential within the pool perimeter does not equal equipotential at the Service. Even if everything else in and around the pool is bonded properly, I don't see how an external GFCI outlet (or any outlet for that matter) outside the equipotential perimeter can provide the same equipotential reference at the cover.

Note: Although it can be difficult to "verify" proper bonding after the fact, it is often relatively easy to verify that it has not been done properly. Take a voltmeter and measure the voltage between the cover motor chassis and/or ground and the pool...and an assortment of other points around the pool. It you measure a potential difference, that's a sign of improper (or lack of) bonding. If you measure zero, then that doesn't equate to a proper bond...just not an indicator of an improper one.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I am not sure I follow. The equipotential bonding has nothing to do with the gfci circuit.
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I think that's the point. If the GFCI circuit has nothing to do with the equipotential bonding, then there is a good chance the GFCI circuit ground is different than the equipotential in the pool area. As the GFCI circuit will bring an EGC to the motor (as the ground fault path), it will unwittingly also energize the motor with the voltage difference between the GFCI ground and the equipotential voltage. EVERYTHING that can possibly carry current that enters the equipotential area must be bonded together to ensure all is the same potential...the very definition of equipotential bonding.

Now, if one can show the GFCI ground and the equipotential ground will always be the same...then that's OK. That's what I'm looking for. I'm not sure how that can be accomplished unless the GFCI ground is explicitly part of the equipotential bound.
 
JPinVA said:
I think that's the point. If the GFCI circuit has nothing to do with the equipotential bonding, then there is a good chance the GFCI circuit ground is different than the equipotential in the pool area. As the GFCI circuit will bring an EGC to the motor (as the ground fault path), it will unwittingly also energize the motor with the voltage difference between the GFCI ground and the equipotential voltage. EVERYTHING that can possibly carry current that enters the equipotential area must be bonded together to ensure all is the same potential...the very definition of equipotential bonding.

Now, if one can show the GFCI ground and the equipotential ground will always be the same...then that's OK. That's what I'm looking for. I'm not sure how that can be accomplished unless the GFCI ground is explicitly part of the equipotential bound.
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The equipotential bond goes to the pump motor as well as the EGC for the circuit. They will become "one" at that point. Also any other equipment that has a bonding lug, the EGC will bond there as well.
 
You can have many supply sources to pool items, equipotential bonding conductors are there primarily to bring them all to same potential regardless of what they may have for reference point before being connected to EBC.
 
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