Bonding/Grounding questions as they pertain to my AGP setup

[GCS]

Ok so I have spent the last few hours reading up on bonding here and need to inquire what I should do as far as my setup goes.

We just had a 27' Round AGP put in and it is now full and I will finish the electrical tonight and hopefully fire up the pump and filter (all plumbing is done).

The setup is as follows:

27' x 52" Round Steel Wall AGP in the middle of the yard (top pieces are metal as well not resin)
50 feet of suction and supply lines run from pool to shed for equipment
100 feet of 12-2 Inground Outdoor wire run for electricity for pump from house to shed. Wires is in electrical conduit buried at least 6" (most of it 10-12") deep. This is tied into our secondary breaker panel inside the house and GFCI outlet with cover will be installed in a PVC outlet box in the shed (to be mounted a 2x4 or 2x6 or something as well)
Pump and filter are inside a 12'x12' Metal Shed - pump is a new Hayward Matrix 2 speed 1HP pump
Grounding rod for the house panel is about 15-20 feet from the pool

Now as I read things here I should run a #8 bare copper wire from the wall of the pool to the bonding connection on the housing of the pump. I should also include the metal shed that is the equipment is sitting in as well. This should be attached by brass "lugs" to each item in question.

Questions:

1 - Do I need to do this at all? (probably a dumb question but I'll ask anyway)

2 - When attaching to the pool wall do I need to attach it to the top pieces as well or just any spot on the pool? Could I take top piece off and attach it to the "top" frame underneath of it?

3 - The metal shed has 2 doors, 4 walls, roof, and a metal framework floor with OSB attached to it. A 24x24 section cut out to the ground with concrete pad in place for the pump and filter. Do I need to attach the wire to all parts of the shed or just the wall or just the floor etc?

4 - Wire attachment -- does this need to be 1 long wire that is looped around each lug and then keep going or do I do it in "sections" i.e. one wire lug to lug then grab another section of wire to the next lug etc.

5 - Does this need to be a "loop" i.e. -- pool wall to shed, pump, back to pool wall?

6 - Can I bury this bare copper wire in the same hole with my plumbing lines (would be the easiest thing for me) or the electrical trench I have or do I need to bury this in it's own trench (hope not as that means more digging, UGGH!!)?

7 - Should we not use the pool until I get this done?

8 - Lastly should I ground the pool to the grounding rod for the house as well or put it on its own grounding rod or is this not needed?


Sorry for the all questions on this but I am tad confused and want to be sure our pool is safe to use for my kids.

Thanks

Greg

 

[JohnT]

Attaching to the pool is a judgement call. I'd try to get it attached at about 3 places distributed around the pool. It needs to be in electrical contact with all steel parts of the pool. Preferably a single wire. You can bury it in your plumbing trench. The shed doesn't need bonding unless it is within 5ft of the pool. Forget the ground rod unless you are in Canada.

A simple way to evaluate it is that anything electrical that can come in contact with the water, or anything conductive that a swimmer could conceivably touch while in the pool needs to be bonded. Even existing items like metal fences etc. may need to be bonded if they are within 5ft of the pool wall.

It's important. It can prevent current flow through the water and through you if the water were to become energized.

 

[GCS]

Here is a pic of the pool in place for overall impression.

On the left you can see the electrical trench (most of covered from bobcat usage to put the pool in). That has the wire inside PVC conduit in it and comes within 5 feet of the pool (maybe).

The house would be a good 10-12 feet to the left of the pool as well.

Our 2 heat pumps are nowhere near it (20-30+ feet away)

Upper right corner is my main regular wooden shed. Behind that which you cannot see is the metal one with the equipment.

So I should take this #8 bare copper wire and attach it in say 3 spots on the pool wall -- under the top caps ok or do I need to get one on the wall, one on the top frame and one on the bottom?? Bottom would be impossible to get though since the pool is now full.

Then from that last attachment to the pool take all the way to the bonding lug on the pump and attach it then loop back to the pool ... correct?

Should I put this bare wire in conduit as well before I place it in the plumbing trench or is it ok by itself - trench is 18" deep for the most part.


Thanks

Greg

 

[JohnT]

Your electrical trench isn't code, but I don't think I'd worry about it. The bond wire doesn't have to be in conduit, but if it is in metal conduit, that has to be bonded too. Like a said, you just have to use judgement on how to do the pool walls. If they are well connected, you can rely on the mechanical connections.

Be careful that you don't get any plumbing or other pool stuff in contact with the shed. It will make some noise.

 

[GCS]

No contact with the shed. I dug the trench up into the shed so that the pipes could run under the floor and come up inside.

Electrical not to code?

I was told 12" deep burial for bare wire. 6" deep if in conduit. 95% of the trench is 12" deep some spots not so I went ahead with the safe bet and put it into electrical conduit.

Greg

 

[JohnT]

Typically underground wiring is not permitted within 5ft of the pool.

 

[GCS]

ok well that may be an issue for me then.

I'll have to measure when I get home. If I messed up then I will need to move it since I do have a permit but have not gotten the inspections done yet (they only needed to do one at the end for everything).

Crossing my fingers it is more then 5 feet

Greg