Pool Pump Bonding Lug

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Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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This thread is just a Heads Up about the bonding lugs on some of the double insulated motors. Mark Odie told us that he had questioned a pool pump manufacturer as to why a bonding lug was installed on their double insulated pumps. To his surprise, the mfg said that people expect to see the lugs so they just glue the lug to the plastic. :jawdrop:

Seriously, this is terrible and dangerous because some will think that have satisfied code by installing the equipotential bonding wire to the lug.

Anyway, be aware of this-- that's all I know about it and thought it would be worth mentioning.
 
I fail to see a problem. Since 680.26(B)(6)(a) requires a bond wire be brought to the site of a double-insulted pump in the event it is replace by a "standard" pump, it seems like a good idea to me/ What am I missing ?
 
augie47 said:
I fail to see a problem. Since 680.26(B)(6)(a) requires a bond wire be brought to the site of a double-insulted pump in the event it is replace by a "standard" pump, it seems like a good idea to me/ What am I missing ?
Click to expand...

The problem, as I see it, is that the pump is normally taken to be the automatic point where the pool equipotential grid and the premises EGC mesh come together, whether there are other connections or not.
If the piping is bonded to the e-grid and the "fake" bonding lug of the pump motor is connected to the EGC then that bond between the two meshes may be missing.
If both bond wire and EGC are connected to that same lug on the motor, then the desired bond should still be there.
But the NEC appears to require a more explicit connection, not at the pump motor, in that situation.
 
augie47 said:
I fail to see a problem. Since 680.26(B)(6)(a) requires a bond wire be brought to the site of a double-insulted pump in the event it is replace by a "standard" pump, it seems like a good idea to me/ What am I missing ?
Click to expand...


The code doesn't just state for replacement pumps

(a) Double-Insulated Water Pump Motors. Where a
double-insulated water pump motor is installed under the provisions
of this rule, a solid 8 AWG copper conductor of sufficient
length to make a bonding connection to a replacement
motor shall be extended from the bonding grid to an accessible
point in the vicinity of the pool pump motor. Where there
is no connection between the swimming pool bonding grid
and the equipment grounding system for the premises, this
bonding conductor shall be connected to the equipment
grounding conductor of the motor circuit.
Click to expand...

So someone sees the bond lug and connects to it thinking it is connected to the internal parts which are bonded with the equipment grounding conductor then they would be incorrect
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The code doesn't just state for replacement pumps



So someone sees the bond lug and connects to it thinking it is connected to the internal parts which are bonded with the equipment grounding conductor then they would be incorrect
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

OK so now you expect me to read the ENTIRE Code section rather than the one sentence I want :D
 
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