Bonding for Pool Equipment

Elecman

I am replacing and installing all new pool electric equipment (pump, filter, booster pump) to a new location. How do I bond all the electric equipment? What about bonding of all my copper water pipes which will also need to be rerouted?

Stubbie

That sorta depends on how the pool is classified. Is it an above ground pool holding more than 42 inches of water ? What is the wall height? Does it have any structures built around it...like a deck?

Is it an inground pool?

Stubbie

Elecman

The Pool is inground about 15,000 gallons. There is cement decking around the pool. All pool equipment will be at least 20 feet away from the edge of the pool. Obviously there are water pipes and an electrical light pipe running between the pool and the equipment.

Stubbie

Ok thats what we needed to know.

The equipment and metal piping is bonded to the bonding grid around the pool. This grid should be under the the walkway around the pool. the original equipment may have had the #8 awg copper bonding wires attached to the bonding lugs of each pump etc...

You need to access the equipotential grid around the pool and then run #8 solid copper wires from each piece of equipment to that grid. Then fasten them to the grid with listed pool bonding fasteners.

Some inspectors will allow you to drive a ground rod next to the pool pump and bond all the equipment to that ground rod then run one #8 from the ground rod to the grid.

The bonding of equipment and metal parts around the pool is not intended to be a fault current path though incindental contact with the egc of the pump circuit is made at the pumps bonding lug. The bonding of metal is to prevent voltage gradients from creating voltage potential differences between the metal parts causing a shock hazard.

Please read this form Mike Holt there is alot to what your doing and you need to be on the right page with all that is required.

http://www.mikeholt.com/files/PDF/Pooldownload.pdf

Be sure to bond all metal wet niche lights to the grid and the swimming pool junction box. Inspect the potting compund in the metal forming shell if required and replace if found to be deteriorated.

Stubbie

Elecman

Thanks Stubbie. One of the problems is that the pool piping and equipment is very old, probably 20-25 years! So I do not see any bonding lugs in the current equipment nor any bonding copper wires to the pool grid. In fact, I do not even see any pool grid? Do you mean the rebar in the pool deck which is all cement?

Stubbie

What you describe is all to common. Was there any bonding of metal with the old equipment? If not then a faulty installation occurred many years ago.
If your pool pumps are double insulated then bonding isnt required. There will be no bonding lug on the pump, however you will need to run a #8 copper solid to the pump anyway and leave it with enough slack to connect to a new pump that isnt double insulated in the event one is installed down the road in the years ahead.

Any metal around the pool needs to be bonded, including metal ladders, fences, etc...

Yes the metal rebar needs to be bonded and that in fact is the grid. All metal and servicing equipment is bonded to that structural rebar or wire mesh.


What is the construction of the pool..... gunnite, metal walled or concrete with rebar?

Do you have any metal forming shells for underwater lights?

Stubbie

Elecman

The old equipment was not bonded to the re-bar grid. The pool was originally plaster, so my guess is that it had metal re-bar in the wall. I now have fibreglass base that went on top of the old plaster wall.

There is a pool light about 2 feet into the side wall of the pool but I am going to disconnect it because I see moisture in it...so do not want any electric shocks in case water comes in contact with the light wire. My guess is that the light is also embedded ou surrounded by re-bar.

Stubbie

About all you can do is try to get access to a point on the rebar (if there is rebar or wire mesh) and get a #8 copper solid fastened to it with a listed connector or exothermic weld. There will be no way without the proper equipment to tell if the rebar is wire-tied together forming a bonded grid. Anyway bond everything that is metal around that pool and all pool equipment.
I'm glad you chose to be rid of the underwater light. They make some nifty alternative lighting that is rechargeable and floats on the water surface.
Make sure you kill the power to those wires servicing the light, dont just cap them off.
Make sure all the wiring is up to code and gfci protection where needed. Read the Mike Holt article thoroughly.
You might even consider checking with the local inspector about a look see at the pool and see what he might suggest to get the thing bonded correctly and code compliant.

Stubbie

Elecman

Thanks a lot..really appreciate your input. It will help me in getting it done the right way for safety reasons.

michael02

We have an above ground pool, its a lap pool about 8ft x 40 ft, the inspector asked us to get an equipment bond. I don't really understand what exactly this is and if I have to hire someone to do it, can anyone help?

Thanks