Public Pool GROUND RESISTANCE TESTING

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Power Solutions

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Hi All,
Was call by a local pool that was having a ground issue in a pavilion near by.
Trying to track down the yearly ground resistance testing requirements for public pools.
I am assuming it is an OSHA requirement, as we have done many MSHA saw shop / quarry ground resistance tests.
I have a call into the local OSHA office, but do not expect a quick response.
Any help is appreciated.
Dj
 
Never heard of any OSHA requirements for public swimming pools.
In NJ, bonding certification is required every 5 years.
 
Power Solutions said:
Hi All,
Was call by a local pool that was having a ground issue in a pavilion near by.
Trying to track down the yearly ground resistance testing requirements for public pools.
I am assuming it is an OSHA requirement, as we have done many MSHA saw shop / quarry ground resistance tests.
I have a call into the local OSHA office, but do not expect a quick response.
Any help is appreciated.
Dj
Click to expand...
And they think they can fix the "ground issue" in the pavillion by improving the EPB around the pool?
 
Ground issues can be caused by the utility having a neutral issue. Grounding at the pool won’t fix that. And with a pool it’s more likely a bonding issue.
Mike Holt has a resource area on pools, start there. He once said he would not go in a pool with 120v underwater lights
 
tom baker said:
Ground issues can be caused by the utility having a neutral issue. Grounding at the pool won’t fix that. And with a pool it’s more likely a bonding issue.
Mike Holt has a resource area on pools, start there. He once said he would not go in a pool with 120v underwater lights
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How would he know?
 
petersonra said:
How would he know?
Click to expand...
The simple answer is he knows
Would you go in a pool that is energized at 120 volts?
Because Mike is very involved with pool and dock safety. He also said he would not have a dock with electrical power. Watch his videos where he goes into a pool energized at 120 volts and see his tests of voltage gradients. And look at his newsletters on the subject.
I have a picture of him drinking water from a water pitcher with an energized 120 volt plug strip submerged in the water.
So that’s how he knows.
 
tom baker said:
Ground issues can be caused by the utility having a neutral issue. Grounding at the pool won’t fix that. And with a pool it’s more likely a bonding issue.
Mike Holt has a resource area on pools, start there. He once said he would not go in a pool with 120v underwater lights
Click to expand...
petersonra said:
How would he know?
Click to expand...
Short answer like Tom said he knows.
I had a pool that had that exact issue. POCO neutral at the pad mount transformer had corroded. At the pool I had 18V in the water. Other voltage issues at panel, called POCO and that is when they found the neutral issue. They fixed the neutral and no more Voltage in the water.
The proper bonding of the EPB allowed the 18V to have little "shock" value for the swimmers.
 
Fred B said:
Short answer like Tom said he knows.
I had a pool that had that exact issue. POCO neutral at the pad mount transformer had corroded. At the pool I had 18V in the water. Other voltage issues at panel, called POCO and that is when they found the neutral issue. They fixed the neutral and no more Voltage in the water.
The proper bonding of the EPB allowed the 18V to have little "shock" value for the swimmers.
Click to expand...
If proper EPB installed shouldn't matter if the entire pool is 1000 volts above remote earth, everything in pool should be at same potential in reference to pool users, therefore no shock risk.
 
Power Solutions said:
Hi All,
Was call by a local pool that was having a ground issue in a pavilion near by.
Trying to track down the yearly ground resistance testing requirements for public pools.
I am assuming it is an OSHA requirement, as we have done many MSHA saw shop / quarry ground resistance tests.
I have a call into the local OSHA office, but do not expect a quick response.
Any help is appreciated.
Dj
Click to expand...
Please watch this video by Mike
 
In the last month I found two facilities that had GFCIs bypassed on pool or spa lights. One was a very expensive well known hotel the other was a country club. Both got fixed but it really makes me not want my kids going in any public pools. FYI I do a lot of work on commercial and city pools. I also find many pumps were the motor was changed and the bonding wires were never put back on.
 
SSDriver said:
In the last month I found two facilities that had GFCIs bypassed on pool or spa lights. One was a very expensive well known hotel the other was a country club. Both got fixed but it really makes me not want my kids going in any public pools. FYI I do a lot of work on commercial and city pools. I also find many pumps were the motor was changed and the bonding wires were never put back on.
Click to expand...
All a result of the person maintaining those not being fully qualified most likely. Sure they may be pretty good with electrical, but not in all situations, and maybe don't really understand what a GFCI is for, or how it works and maybe the fact it is tripping is often a way of indicating something besides the GFCI is the real problem.
 
kwired said:
All a result of the person maintaining those not being fully qualified most likely. Sure they may be pretty good with electrical, but not in all situations, and maybe don't really understand what a GFCI is for, or how it works and maybe the fact it is tripping is often a way of indicating something besides the GFCI is the real problem.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Usually it's an older incandescent light with a small leak that will trip a gfci. They say "the light still works if not on a GFCI." I then go into an educational rant. And yes it's usually a facility mentenance guy who also does work on the pool when he has to and really doesnt understand the importance.
 
SSDriver said:
In the last month I found two facilities that had GFCIs bypassed on pool or spa lights. One was a very expensive well known hotel the other was a country club. Both got fixed but it really makes me not want my kids going in any public pools. FYI I do a lot of work on commercial and city pools. I also find many pumps were the motor was changed and the bonding wires were never put back on.
Click to expand...
Lots of times for me also seeing bond wire off motors for years at both residential and commercial facilities.
 
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