Swimming Pool Bonding Inspection - Residential

[djankly]

Hi and thanks for having this forum! Let me start off by saying I am a homeowner (LA County) with 3 young kids, and I don't touch the electric...

We recently completed construction on an in-ground pool with concrete shell and deck. All the pool equipment (including the electric sub-panel for the pool) is a minimum 10ft from the pool water. All electric has been properly grounded. The pool passed the equipotential bonding inspection prior to pouring the deck.

Only thing holding up final inspection is that the inspector says the bonding grid must be physically connected to the pool equipment. What is the rule here? If the equipment is 10 feet away does the bonding wire need to be connected to the equipment?

If so, can't the ground lines be considered as a bond lines as well? Seems to me that since everything (lights-which are connected to the equipotential grid and the ground at the subpanel, pool equipment and all other electric) is connected (grounded together) at the panel they all have the same equipotential. Shouldn't this satisfy the bond requirement?

This pool project has been an absolute 6-month nightmare because of the contractor and any help would be greatly appreciated! It will take at least a month for he contractor to get back to me...Dan

 

[Dennis Alwon]

All metal parts of the pool associated equipment must be bonded together to reduce voltage gradients in the pool area

680.26 Equipotential Bonding.
(A) Performance. The equipotential bonding required by
this section shall be installed to reduce voltage gradients in
the pool area.

(6) Electrical Equipment. Metal parts of electrical equipment
associated with the pool water circulating system, including
pump motors and metal parts of equipment associated
with pool covers, including electric motors, shall be bonded.
Exception: Metal parts of listed equipment incorporating an
approved system of double insulation shall not be bonded.
(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.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Hi and thanks for having this forum! Let me start off by saying I am a homeowner (LA County) with 3 young kids, and I don't touch the electric...

We recently completed construction on an in-ground pool with concrete shell and deck. All the pool equipment (including the electric sub-panel for the pool) is a minimum 10ft from the pool water. All electric has been properly grounded. The pool passed the equipotential bonding inspection prior to pouring the deck.

Only thing holding up final inspection is that the inspector says the bonding grid must be physically connected to the pool equipment. What is the rule here? If the equipment is 10 feet away does the bonding wire need to be connected to the equipment?

If so, can't the ground lines be considered as a bond lines as well? Seems to me that since everything (lights-which are connected to the equipotential grid and the ground at the subpanel, pool equipment and all other electric) is connected (grounded together) at the panel they all have the same equipotential. Shouldn't this satisfy the bond requirement?

This pool project has been an absolute 6-month nightmare because of the contractor and any help would be greatly appreciated! It will take at least a month for he contractor to get back to me...Dan

in the real world, the code isn't what is the question.
the inspectors interpretation of the code is what is the question.
firstly, how do you make sure the pool is safe, and secondly,
how do you make the inspector happy, so he just signs the
damn inspection certificate, and goes away?

i'm not available to help you with this, but if you want to
drop me a phone call, i'll give you a nickels worth of free
advice on how to resolve your situation.

as this is a professional forum, DIY and homeowners threads
are usually closed by a moderator.

if you want to discuss this, my phone number is 714 293 0017

Randy

 

[Brent Koerting]

Bonding VS Grounding again

Bonding VS Grounding again

This is one of the most questioned topics especially relating to hot tubs and pools
A: The Bonding can not be considered your ground, why because its not a direct path back to the grounding buss bar.
B: They get this wrong all the time, even in the inspection industry. The bonding is actually a an electromechanical bond and serves a different purpose. One of the most common wrong calls I've seen is that 8awg copper having to be ran back to the panel and buss bar.


They are separate and yes the equipment needs to be bonded..

 

[ActionDave]

....B: They get this wrong all the time, even in the inspection industry. The bonding is actually a an electromechanical bond and serves a different purpose. One of the most common wrong calls I've seen is that 8awg copper having to be ran back to the panel and buss bar.


They are separate and yes the equipment needs to be bonded..

Tell me about it. I had an inspector tell me I had to run the band wire back to the panel. Quite politely I said, "No I don't".

He looked at me like I had a third eye when I broke out my code book and showed him the part that says you don't run the bond wire back to the panel.

 

[Brent Koerting]

Glad they changed the verbaige Dave

Glad they changed the verbaige Dave

They use to not even spell it out and I had to have arguments with other inspectors all over around here about the topic.

 

[ritelec]

Tell me about it. I had an inspector tell me I had to run the band wire back to the panel. Quite politely I said, "No I don't".

He looked at me like I had a third eye when I broke out my code book and showed him the part that says you don't run the bond wire back to the panel.

I think it gets run back through the egc.

I know it's bonding. But except for wording. To me it looks like the pool and equipotential bond becomes another grounding electrode and the egc for its power feeder becomes a gec.

But not to create waves "bonding " it is .

 

[augie47]

I think it gets run back through the egc.

I know it's bonding. But except for wording. To me it looks like the pool and equipotential bond becomes another grounding electrode and the egc for its power feeder becomes a gec.

But not to create waves "bonding " it is .

Assume for a moment a pool with no lighting and a re circulation pump driven by a water wheel or windmill. Equipotential bonding would still be required (sometimes the voltage variant originates somewhere othetrthan the premises electrical system).
Because of the electric pump & pool lighting (line voltage type), the bonding grid ends up having a connection to the equipment ground so, to me, it is bonding
(I am glad you don't create waves as those set off the dangable State required pool water alarm)