Pool water bonding?

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robert pitre

Member
Location
Houma,la
My questions is: (POOL WATER BONDING)? If i installed (low voltage light) and no metal part in or around, such as a fiberglass pool do i need to bond the pool water? and if so,How would i bonded it?

What if i put (LOW voltage lights) in a gunnite pool with rebars in shell and in deck,or a metal inground pool ,how would i bond it correctly by NEC codes?
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
From 680.26, for permanently installed pools, it appears the pool water needs bonding period, regardless of the light, etc.
If you have no metallic parts that qualify, then some type of water bond is required. There have been various methods discussed here from metallic nipples in the water system to specialty devices such as http://www.bondsafe680.com/
 
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Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
A standard pool light that is metallic is bonded and that would in turn bond the water. However if the light is not metallic and there is no other means then you need to bond the water.

As Gus showed there are products out there that will bond the water. One way is to insert a copper section of pipe in the line going to the pool pump near the motor and then bond it with a #8 EPB wire.
 

krisinjersey

Senior Member
Pool Bonding

Pool Bonding

Pool bonding is something I have specialized in for years. First because it's not incredibly complicated once you understand what the aim of the code is and second, many guys don't understand it and are happy to pass the work along. Swimming pools can be somewhat of a niche market.
Bonding a fiberglass pool would require some form of water bonding device like the previous link led you to or a similar type of skimmer bucket plate. There are metallic conduit nipples in the water plumbing system that can be used, solid plates that can be afixed to the pool wall, and a bunch of other products that come and go. The ladder, slide, railing and diving board cups or chassis all need to be effectively grounded as well as all permanently installed metal objects within 5' of the maximum water level of the pool. So measure from the top inside edge of the coping out 5' and if it's metal, bond it. Lights get bonded both at the light niche and in the niche box. For gunnite, you need to clamp to the rebar in at least 2 places prior to the gunnite being shot on. We run the bond loop aroud the pool, hit all the metal that is installed, leave loops where the rest will be, and call for a bonding inspection. I don't use split bolts to extend the bond wire, I use barrel crimps because I've always been taught that modifications and extensions to the bonding system need to be done in a permanent irriversable fashion.
The main thing to understand is you are trying to make all the metal parts have the same ability to conduct. Once everything is on the same plane, no current flow. Read 680 until you really get it or look for someone in your area who really understands it. Because little kids are generally better hydrated and we tend to pay more attention to what they eat, they in turn are better conductors. And there is no single worse thing I can think of is an installation causing an injury to a little kid. Don't wing it with this because you have a real potential for disaster.
 
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