EP Pool Bonding

[Little Bill]

I know that any metal attached to a pool is supposed to be bonded. I ran into a situation that I was unaware of. I ran a #8 solid copper around the pool as required and jumpers to ladders, rails, diving board, etc. When the inspector went to inspect he called and asked me why I didn't bond a thin little metal strip that was on top of the pool walls.
I told him I didn't notice any strip and said I would check with the pool company.
Turns out they put these metal strips on top, around the pool to hang the liner on. These are not a solid strip but many strips are used around the pool with no mechanical connection between them.

Now these strips are only about 2" wide and about 1/16" thick. There were 14 sections around this pool. The inspector required they be bonded and I complied. It wasn't easy but I did it.

I know the inspector was probably right since they are metal but here's my question.
Since these strips will be covered with stone for coping around the top, what are the chances that these strips would ever see any voltage? The little (1" or less) part that goes over the edge inside the walls is where the liner attaches. I think that will be covered with a non conductive material. So all that metal will be covered.
I'm not arguing the inspector did his job just trying to see how these metal strips could get energized let alone being touched.

Here's some pics of before and after I bonded the strips.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Is there steel in the concrete and did you do perimeter bonding? If so then that would settle the issue of needing to bond it , IMO. Personally if I had to bond that I would probably see it there was a plastic version of that. I have never heard of having to bond it.

 

[Little Bill]

Is there steel in the concrete and did you do perimeter bonding? If so then that would settle the issue of needing to bond it , IMO. Personally if I had to bond that I would probably see it there was a plastic version of that. I have never heard of having to bond it.

No steel in the concrete, they used fiberglass rebar.
Yes I put a perimeter bond.

The pool company did say they were going to look into a non metallic version to hang the liner on.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

No steel in the concrete, they used fiberglass rebar.
Yes I put a perimeter bond.

The pool company did say they were going to look into a non metallic version to hang the liner on.

The bonding of the metal makes no sense to me. If the concrete is set in the earth and connected to the bonding of equipment in the pool and it is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction without the metal top then why is he requiring the metal to be bonded? It is connected to the concrete and that is compliant

 

[david]

The bonding of the metal makes no sense to me. If the concrete is set in the earth and connected to the bonding of equipment in the pool and it is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction without the metal top then why is he requiring the metal to be bonded? It is connected to the concrete and that is compliant

I do not see how the inspector would not be correct. The liner hanger also creates the medal edge that the concrete slab is finished into and that metal edge is exposed and is what the pool user holds onto when at the edge of the pool.

I cannot see how it would not have to be bonded to the equal potential bonding

 

[Little Bill]

I do not see how the inspector would not be correct. The liner hanger also creates the medal edge that the concrete slab is finished into and that metal edge is exposed and is what the pool user holds onto when at the edge of the pool.

I cannot see how it would not have to be bonded to the equal potential bonding

The metal that folds over the edge will be covered on top with stone coping. It would be hard to get your fingers on it. Plus I think it will be covered with a non metallic piece after the liner is hung.

I said I didn't question whether the inspector was right, my question was how would this piece ever see any voltage? The water is bonded, the ladder, rails, and diving board is bonded, seems to me that metal piece would be by default.

 

[GoldDigger]

Bonding never happens "by default".
While I agree that the strip is not likely to be touched and is more similar to rebar than a ladder, the code does not distinguish metal which is " likely to become energized" when it is part of the pool structure.

 

[Little Bill]

It is by default when everything that something is touching is already bonded.

You don't have to put in a separate water bond if an object (metal) is in contact with the water and that object is bonded.
The water is, by default, bonded.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

It is by default when everything that something is touching is already bonded.

You don't have to put in a separate water bond if an object (metal) is in contact with the water and that object is bonded.
The water is, by default, bonded.

Exactly... I see the same scenario with the concrete and the metal strip[

 

[david]

Exactly... I see the same scenario with the concrete and the metal strip[

I don’t know where we are going with this, un- encapsulated re bar that is part of the forming shell for poured concrete in-ground pools is allowed to interconnect the metal objects required to be bonded at the pool. The concrete itself is not allowed to be the bonding to these metal objects.

True we must insure that there is bonded metal in contact with the water. I would guess if water was not a liquid we would have to bond directly to the water.

 

[david]

im not sure about a stone finish but the ones i see with concrete slabs look a lot like this