Swimming pool bonding on vinyl support posts??

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Skedberg

Member
Location
Warren, MI, USA
I have an above ground swimmimg pool that I need to bond but upon starting this job I discovered that the support posts on the pool are not metal at all but actually plastic. I can bond the pump, the outlet, the pool water, and the earth around it but the posts themselves have no metal to speak of. However the liner bead, post top mounts and wall bottom rails are steel. With plastic posts how do I bond the top and bottom pool steel together?? Has anyone else encountered a pool install like this??
 
Little Bill

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Skedberg said:
I have an above ground swimmimg pool that I need to bond but upon starting this job I discovered that the support posts on the pool are not metal at all but actually plastic. I can bond the pump, the outlet, the pool water, and the earth around it but the posts themselves have no metal to speak of. However the liner bead, post top mounts and wall bottom rails are steel. With plastic posts how do I bond the top and bottom pool steel together?? Has anyone else encountered a pool install like this??
Click to expand...

I haven't encountered an above ground pool like this but have a similar experience with in ground concrete pools. On the top of the concrete wall is where the liner hanger was mounted. It consisted of several metal sections that went around the top of the wall. Coping stone was to be put on top of these metal hangers. The inspectors had me put a lug in each section (16 I think) and run a #8 around the top, through each of the lugs.

Since I also had the perimeter bond loop at the bottom, I had to run a jumper from the top loop to the bottom using split bolts.
You may have to do something similar with the AG pool. If there is a way to hide the loop at the top, you could run it, then another at the bottom and jump them together. Of course if the metal you speak of is not continuous, you would have to add lugs to each section and do as I did on the IG pool.
 
S

Skedberg

Member
Location
Warren, MI, USA
Little Bill said:
I haven't encountered an above ground pool like this but have a similar experience with in ground concrete pools. On the top of the concrete wall is where the liner hanger was mounted. It consisted of several metal sections that went around the top of the wall. Coping stone was to be put on top of these metal hangers. The inspectors had me put a lug in each section (16 I think) and run a #8 around the top, through each of the lugs.

Since I also had the perimeter bond loop at the bottom, I had to run a jumper from the top loop to the bottom using split bolts.
You may have to do something similar with the AG pool. If there is a way to hide the loop at the top, you could run it, then another at the bottom and jump them together. Of course if the metal you speak of is not continuous, you would have to add lugs to each section and do as I did on the IG pool.
Click to expand...
I can probably conceal the bonding wires from the top cap to the bottom post mount inside the posts themselves. I think I will have to actually remove one post at a time from the pool wall in order to access the bottom mounting plate and add a lay in lug for the wire. and run it inside each post to the top cap, but I do believe it can be done. Thank you for very much for your advice. Have a blessed evening.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
readydave8

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
Everything seems to be plastic except this metal skin (not the vertical dark colored parts he seems to be pointing at)

How do y'all usually attach to it?
 

Attachments

  • 20015.jpg
    20015.jpg
    10.5 KB · Views: 17
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
readydave8 said:
Everything seems to be plastic except this metal skin (not the vertical dark colored parts he seems to be pointing at)

How do y'all usually attach to it?
Click to expand...

Some pool companies make a fitting that attaches to the metal support however you could drill it and install a lug or your wire.
 
Mystic Pools

Mystic Pools

Senior Member
Location
Park Ridge, NJ
Occupation
Swimming Pool Contractor
We don't deal with any above ground pools-wish I could help you out.

I would call the pool kit manufacturer and ask them. They must have insights on how their dealers bond their structures. I'll bet it's a common question for them.

What I do know, is that the metal wall is joined together at some point with numerous screws/bolts. I would think at this point a bond lug would be attached. If the top cap is metal, it's probably in sections which means the bond wire will have to jump to each section much like metal fence posts that have removable sections between them.
 
Little Bill

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I have never dealt with a pool exactly like the OP. But I have dealt with metal sided pools that are classified as either underground or partially underground. What they have is metal sections that bolt together. I removed one of the bolts and placed a lay-in lug over the hole, then put the bolt back through (if it was long enough) along with the nut. Since these sections are made "mechanically continuous" I just hit the four points, equally spaced, around the pool.
If the pool in the OP is not continuous then each section would have to be made continuous by either a continuous loop through each lug or bonding jumpers between them.
 
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
Mystic Pools said:
Couple of palm trees, lounge chair, and a drink with a tiny umbrella and your set. You'll be the envy of your neighbors:D
Just no tacky Hawaiian shirts
Click to expand...

this was after today. my friend danny who is helping with this, did this by
himself, in 6 hours. 12 tons in 6 hours, wheeled 100', and spread with a rake.

it was raining when we started at 6:30am, and hot and humid after that.
danny? oh, his birthday was last month. he turned 64. i had to go do some
work, and left him unsupervised.

sand.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top