Swimming Pool Grounding

[Will Wire]

I am trying to understand the grounding requirements in NEC section 680. I am not so much asking what is required as why. I am learning what is required from the NEC as well as from my mistakes, and my discussions with my inspectors. Why is it so important that the grounds in pool wiring be insulated while the wire used for bonding the pool is allowed to be bare? Also why does all pool wiring have to be in conduit including that which is on or in a house? I have come across a lot of underground rigid conduit used for pool wiring that is so rotten that the conductors are surrounded by dirt. I posted a topic yesterday with some other questions. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[iwire]

Re: Swimming Pool Grounding

Originally posted by t-bird:
Why is it so important that the grounds in pool wiring be insulated while the wire used for bonding the pool is allowed to be bare?

I will take a shot but remember this is just an opinion not a fact.

The bonding conductor is not run in a raceway with live conductors.

The equipment grounding conductor is run in a raceway with live conductors.

In my opinion the requirement that this EGC is insulated is another layer of protection from a fault in the raceway energizing the EGC.

Even if the EGC remains intact while a hot conductor faults to it, the voltage on the EGC would be elevated until the breaker trips.

This would mean whatever is grounded by this conductor would be a shock hazard even if only for the time is takes to trip the circuit.

I think this is along the same lines as not allowing GFCI protected circuits in the same raceway as non-GFCI protected circuits.

But all that is just a guess, anyone else?