Thread: Pool bonding

Had an electrician tell me, my agent and client today that this was fine and there was no need to bond the pool to the pool equipotential bonding grid (after I explained what that was) because the pool is plumbed with plastic pipes.

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I have known and heard of a LOT of "real" electricians that have very little clue about pool wiring.
The amount of ground rods I see and hear of installed for pool bonding is appalling.

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

I have known and heard of a LOT of "real" electricians that have very little clue about pool wiring.
The amount of ground rods I see and hear of installed for pool bonding is appalling.

Okay it gets better. I called two of my friends who are electricians after to tell them what the electrician said...and they sided with him.

Originally Posted by Marc M

Okay it gets better. I called two of my friends who are electricians after to tell them what the electrician said...and they sided with him.

Sounds like some people need to take a "bonding" class to learn the difference between "bonding" and "grounding".

Well I have a similar question guys.. my pool pump is installed in a small room where a filter is installed but how to get connection? Should I use the bonding connect on ground or underground?

It would help to know the type of pool and the distance from the pool to the equipment.

Originally Posted by Tyler R. Hess

Well I have a similar question guys.. my pool pump is installed in a small room where a filter is installed but how to get connection? Should I use the bonding connect on ground or underground?

Presuming the pool is a permanently installed pool, and that you are referring to the pool pump and the bonding terminal on it, regardless how far (or how close) the pump is from (or to) the pool, the pool pump is part of the water circulation system and needs to be bonded to the pool steel (and other items).

Not sure what you mean by "connect on ground or underground", but ... DO NOT connect to a ground rod or other grounding electrode and DO NOT connect to ground or equipment ground.

Bonding is easy if you understand what you are doing. If you have to ask, you don't know what you are doing (sorry) and someone can die. Learn all you can here and then hire a licensed, competent electrician and make sure the permit is pulled.

So. How many of you know where those bonding wires actually go once they are headed into the soil? Can you tell your clients that they actually go to pool steel?

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

So. How many of you know where those bonding wires actually go once they are headed into the soil? Can you tell your clients that they actually go to pool steel?

Can you tell your client where the wires go into the wall from a receptacle?

So. How many of you know where those bonding wires actually go once they are headed into the soil? Can you tell your clients that they actually go to pool steel?

Bonding is just like anything else we inspect, we inspect what we can see and look for clues of failure.
If everything I see about a pool bonding installation appears correct I can only assume the parts that are buried are correct, BUT... most of the time I find at least one, if not multiple issues, with bonding that warrants a visit by the electrician. I try to make a comprehensive list of all of the issues, but once I find one problem, then I report it as a deficiency and call for an electrician.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Can you tell your client where the wires go into the wall from a receptacle?

Pretty silly question. If there is power to them I am certainly that somehow no matter how indirectly they go back to the panel to get that power. As long as I see a ground conductor leaving the panel and one connected to a bar coming up from slab steel or a ground rod or at a water line I am assuming that they made it all the way to those grounds.

Nothing at all like a ground/bonding wire going into the ground from pool equipment. It could go back to the panel, or back to the pool steel but was cut in half years ago or may even have gone directly t a ground rod that the end is buried now and I cannnot see it.

Bonding to the pool still? High assumable!

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Pretty silly question. If there is power to them I am certainly that somehow no matter how indirectly they go back to the panel to get that power. As long as I see a ground conductor leaving the panel and one connected to a bar coming up from slab steel or a ground rod or at a water line I am assuming that they made it all the way to those grounds.

Nothing at all like a ground/bonding wire going into the ground from pool equipment. It could go back to the panel, or back to the pool steel but was cut in half years ago or may even have gone directly t a ground rod that the end is buried now and I cannnot see it.

Bonding to the pool still? High assumable!

Sooo ... When a wire goes into the wall you know:
- that there is a junction box at each junction point
- that there are no junctions in the wall stud cavities (as shown in a recent photo)
- that the wires do not cross over to reverse polarity and then cross back to correct polarity
- that ... the list is only getting started

And you thought that was a silly question?

Ted, you need to think about things which have actually been done and have been discussed here - and backed up with photos (most of the time) showing those things.