Bonding wire broken at equip pad, urgency?

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threecheese

threecheese

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Jun 14, 2014
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Long Island, NY
During the winter my bonding wire broke off flush with the concrete equipment pad. I am planning on opening the pool early this season so I can do some work on the plumbing/install new equipment before the summer starts. Is it urgent that I fix the bonding wire before the pool is opened? Nobody will swim until it is fixed, so can it wait until the work is done?

Maybe someone also has a tip on how I can locate this wire, it is lead (I think, which should make finding it with a magnet impossible) and with all the colored aggregate in the concrete I am having trouble finding it!

Thank you.
 
Joining new bonding wire to one that has broken (in concrete)?

Hi,

My IG pool's bonding wire runs through the concrete equipment pad to where it connects to my pump, and it has broken off flush with the pad - I need to join a new wire with the piece still inside the concrete. I will be using an angle grinder and cold chisels to remove the concrete surrounding the wire.

My question is, what is the best way to join the old and new wires? Is there a fitting I should use that I can re-bury inside concrete that won't decay? Should I just twist them together and be done with it? Am I crazy to think I will be able to expose the wire inside the concrete? :)

Thank you!
 
I merged your 2 threads. Please do not start duplicate threads. Thanks, jblizzle

Did you decide not to dig for some reason as discussed in the previous thread?

You need to use a split bolt connector rated for direct burial to attach the bonding wires.
 
jblizzle said:
I merged your 2 threads. Please do not start duplicate threads. Thanks, jblizzle

Did you decide not to dig for some reason as discussed in the previous thread?

You need to use a split bolt connector rated for direct burial to attach the bonding wires.
Click to expand...

Apologies for the dupe, you have an excellent memory :)

I am hoping to not have to dig, as there is a stone walkway that would have to come up along with surrounding grass and crushed rock base, it would be a rather large job. I have no idea where the wire would be, so i may need to dig quite a bit. The pad is hidden behind a fence, so I don't mind defacing it. I appreciate the advice about the connector, that is exactly what I need.
 
@jblizzle I have decided that your advice is sound, and I am going to dig! In order to get the new bonding wire to the pump though, I think I would like to cut a groove/channel through the surface of the pad to hold the new wire down so that it's not free floating. I need to hide it somehow, kids etc.. Bad idea?
 

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I'm not JB, but to address a couple of things.

Cutting a channel an inch or so deep in the pad is a good idea and you can fill it with either hydraulic cement or epoxy glue. You can use silicone caulking, but it's not very permanent and it's slightly corrosive while curing.

As for making the connection, you need to use a split bolt connector to join the two conductors.
 
threecheese said:
@jblizzle I have decided that your advice is sound, and I am going to dig! In order to get the new bonding wire to the pump though, I think I would like to cut a groove/channel through the surface of the pad to hold the new wire down so that it's not free floating. I need to hide it somehow, kids etc.. Bad idea?
Click to expand...

As long as you replace the wire with #6 solid copper wire, then no additional protection is required by the NEC. I'd run it in non metallic flexible conduit attached to the slab with the appropriate clips and Tapcon screws before I would go to the effort to saw the slab. On my pool equipment slab, the bond wire just comes up out of the ground between the equipment pad and the house foundation so it is out of the way. If I was in your situation, I'd try chipping the concrete out around the existing wire and soldering new wire to the existing wire; use electrical solder if you do this, not acidic flux and solder for plumbing..
 
Thank you. My slab abuts a walkway, which is between the slab and the pool concrete deck. The point at which the plumbing would enter the slab is smack in the middle of it, if I had conduit coming up there it would be capital-u Ugly. I think you have a great idea though, I could run my new wire underground, all the way around to the other (hidden) side of the slab, where I could put conduit and not hate it. Thank you!
 
threecheese said:
Not to keep bothering you, but is it acceptable to cut a channel through the pad, embed the bonding wire inside it, and seal it in that channel with cement or some other medium? Thank you for your guidance.
Click to expand...

I did just that to bond my metal ladder recently.

chipped a channel with a sharp chisel then poured some concrete over to blend it into the existing concrete decking.

I had no other option to bond my ladder which was not bonded when it was built in the 70's.
I feel safer about it now for sure (#8 copper bare used with proper bonding lugs) but best
to get more opinions.
 

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