Bonding for above ground swimming pool install.

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Mystic Pools

Senior Member
Location
Park Ridge, NJ
Occupation
Swimming Pool Contractor
This may seem like splitting hairs but... 680.26(B)(1) says:

"Poured concrete, pneumatically applied or sprayed concrete, and concrete block with painted or plastered coatings shall all be considered conductive materials due to water permeability and porosity. Vinyl liners and fiberglass composite shells shall be considered to be nonconductive materials.

This led me to believe that just the vinyl material was nonconductive, but concrete block still is. Further that the vinyl is not a shell but a covering for the shell. The shell is still conductive. Then we have the coping not covered in vinyl separate from the unpaved deck area that has its own bonding.

I'd appreciate any experienced perspective on it. Don't mean to get to wordy, but I shifted from being an electrical contractor to an inspector a couple of years ago so it is now my job to split hairs! :cool:(y)

I will split that hair even more.

I'm a gunite builder so the concrete is sprayed. We bond the rebar in 4 points in prep for the bond ring beneath the patio surface. A dedicated bond runs back to the equipment and hits all the motors, etc...
I was a vinyl builder some time ago. The walls we used were galvanized steel. Again, 4 points and a dedicated bond. I don't do any fiberglass pools.
Some vinyl lined pools have composite walls. I've never used them so I can't chime in on the proper bonding of the structure itself.

But here's the hair splitter. Some vinyl builders actually pour concrete walls that are reinforced with steel rebar, as they should. So now what? I would treat it like a concrete pool if it was my call.
Some vinyl pools are built with an aluminum coping that attaches to the top of the pool panel. It doubles as a bead receptor for the liner and a concrete patio form. Cinderella manufacturing is a company that makes this in case you want to see it. https://portal.cinderellainc.com/our-products/2021-coping--vinyl-receiver-catalog
So if this coping is used on a composite wall, what's the preferred bonding? On a galvanized wall, it's bonded just from the fact it's attached to the main structure. Some of their coping is plastic so no issues.
There are also aluminum strips that are bead receptors only. They attach to the top of a wall. We have used these when a paver or stone coping is used instead of a concrete pour.

I have to verify this, and perhaps someone can shed light on this. I was told a couple of years ago at a pool show for the trade, that both vinyl pools and fiberglass needed to have a grid in place beneath the actual structure that ran up to the top of the walls. I didn't get a chance to follow up on the details and when it would go into effect. I reached out to the gentleman who ran the seminar some time after for answers, but never heard back.
So I don't know if it was a real thing.

I pictured a copper grid somewhat like what we did years ago when the EBG was first put into code. Now of course, it's a single bare #8.
I have heard though on a few occasions, some towns still want that copper grid around the pool. Concrete pools only needed a 2' wide section but the vinyl pools needed 3'. The 1' reinforced beam in the concrete pool counted towards the 3' area required.

Vinyl lined pools with metal walls can certainly become conductive if a hole develops in the liner. Right?? Just thinking out loud here. So does the water bond take over then?

Ugh!
 

btierman

Electrical Contractor
Location
Muskegon, Michigan
Occupation
Electricican
I have a question about the equipotential bonding of above ground swimming pools. What if the above ground swimming pool has a treated deck that is off the ground 48" ? Does this requirement of installing a #8 around the perimeter of the pool still valid? Do you have to install the #8 to the bottom side of the deck?. I have gotten a lot of different answers concerning this issue.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I have a question about the equipotential bonding of above ground swimming pools. What if the above ground swimming pool has a treated deck that is off the ground 48" ? Does this requirement of installing a #8 around the perimeter of the pool still valid? Do you have to install the #8 to the bottom side of the deck?. I have gotten a lot of different answers concerning this issue.
what does article 680 say about these questions?
 

btierman

Electrical Contractor
Location
Muskegon, Michigan
Occupation
Electricican
what does article 680 say about these questions?
Article 680.26B(2) states unpaved and paved surfaces ( such as lawn surrounding ) as if it is on grade level, and then connected at 4 points around the perimeter shell. As such a #8 shall be installed in the paving materials.
It does not address an elevated treated deck, with no access under the deck.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Article 680.26B(2) states unpaved and paved surfaces ( such as lawn surrounding ) as if it is on grade level, and then connected at 4 points around the perimeter shell. As such a #8 shall be installed in the paving materials.
It does not address an elevated treated deck, with no access under the deck.
that would be my take on it as well. seems like a glaring hole in the whole equipotential surface idea.
 
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