[auto-cover] What's bonding for anyway?

[SimpleSunnyPool]

We are reshaping our pool to install an automatic safety cover--we have kids and there's too little room for a fence. I've been talking to several automatic cover installers, and one strongly recommended clipping the bonding wire after cover install and inspection to prevent corrosion. His claim is bonding is a recent requirement, and that bonding mostly serves to create an electric union between dissimilar metals.

I had never heard this proposed. What does everyone think?

 

[JasonLion]

Bonding is only recent in the sense of the history of the world. It has been around for decades and is an important safety protection. The specific rules change constantly, but the basic idea has been around for a long long time.

Corrosion can be a significant issue for the aluminum frame of an automatic cover, and bonding does make it worse. However, I would not recommend compromising safety by cutting the bonding wire. A better approach is to provide a sacrificial anode, connect it to the bonding system and bury it near the pool.

 

[jblizzle]

Bonding is to prevent someone from being electrocuted by stray currents ... cutting it seems like a really bad idea.

 

[SimpleSunnyPool]

By "recent" he meant recent to pool cover inspections. But, yeah, it seems like a better idea to install a sacrificial anode. We will install a SWG, so will install corrosion-resistant materials (e.g., CoverPools Corr-Resist). Any experience or comments on these?

 

[gwegan]

I find it difficult to believe a poll industry salesperson in California would even think of having anything less than full bonding of all elements of a pool, especially his piece of equipment.

You might suggest he watch these two videos. Warning: the second video is tough to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuLrZsF-JkA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kchuJqSPjTg

Neither the videos discuss it but in addition to the electrical fault that caused the problem neither of these incidents would have occurred with a properly bonded pool.

It takes two problems to cause a shock in a pool, an electrical fault and improper bonding.