Pool lighting and #8 bonding jumper?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Greentagger

Greentagger

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Master Electrician, Electrical Inspector
In relation to 680.23(B)(2)(b), would the #8 insulated bonding jumper be required in a low voltage led pool luminaire. Noted is the language “not required a listed low voltage lighting system not requiring grounding“. If the forming shell comes with a lug on the inside of it , might this be construed that this needs to be grounded then even being low voltage below the contact level would require this additional #8? The forming shell is metal and not one of those small poke thru wall lights in a 2” sleeve. Thanks for some clarity.
 
If it's a wet niche light set up of either stainless or PVC, there will be a bond lug inside the niche and on the backside. Both must have #8 wire. The inside connection that makes contact with the water, must have potting compound on the connection and the wire must be insulated. The connection on the back can be bare #8. Some inspectors in the past wanted potting compound on that connection as well.

The "poke through the wall" lights you speak of, are the nicheless LED lights. They are 12V and do not require bonding or grounding.. I've been installing this type for close to 15 years. They use ether 1.5" PVC or 2" depending on the manufacturer.
We have not installed a traditional incandescent light or wet niche light on new builds or reno's since then.
 
The luminaire in question would be a low voltage LED wet niche with a metal forming shell with a bonding lug on the interior.
 
Sounds like someone is retrofitting an old incandescent light to LED using the old niche. Since the lug is there, I would bond it. Well, if the feed is in PVC that is. If it's a metal conduit you wouldn't need the bonding jumper.
 
My reasoning for how it reads is thus: The plastic "poke-through" kinds completely isolate the low voltage wires that feed the bulb from the pool sides and water. Even if the wiring to the bulbs somehow got elecrified, you're still insulated.

However, just driving a wet niche with low voltage doesn't give that guarantee. If the LV wiring were to get a dangerous potential on it, you want the niche to be bonded.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top