Hello, my pool was built in late 90s. Original pump has no wire on bonding lug. Original heater, since removed, had no wire on bonding lug. I'm soon having a heat pump installed. All electrical items at pool are fed from small sub panel in small unattached structure beside pool away from house. I'm trying to double check but I'm pretty sure there is no elaborate, proper bonding system as currently recommended in place. So now a heat pump will be installed. Researching on this forum I found this suggestion for a situation like mine from 2016: "Connect a #8 bare copper bonding wire to the bonding lug on your pool light junction box. Run the continuous wire to the heater, pumps, chlorine generator control panel." I can do that by going from my pool light junction box to the pump then to new heater. Should I do this? Thanks!
Inground pool without bonding
- Thread starter burgerchef
- Start date
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- Tags
- pool bonding
Adding to question... I read repeatedly that the bonding system is a different system/concept than the equipment ground system of electrical supply. Wouldn't this idea connect the housings of the pump and heater to the equipment ground in the light's junction box and therefore the entire equipment ground network?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,845
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Depends on the type of light.
Incandescent lights in metal housings used to be used for the water bond when a bonding wire connected the light housing to the junction box or metallic conduit was used.
Some modern lights have 9 square inches of metal on their housing to qualify as a water bond.
Incandescent lights in metal housings used to be used for the water bond when a bonding wire connected the light housing to the junction box or metallic conduit was used.
Some modern lights have 9 square inches of metal on their housing to qualify as a water bond.
I have a Hayward Astrolite in a PVC niche with pvc conduit to daylight in my pumphouse (my realistic name for very small poolhouse). Only the fixture's 3 conductor electric supply cable is exiting the conduit - no bare bonding wire. Last year I pulled my light away from the niche to remove algae and can confirm no wire was attached to the niche. Today, looking at my niche install instructions, see that it does have a lug which is connected to the bracket that accepts the metal screw that holds the light in place.
I'm now wondering if the following procedure would work...First I would install a bonding wire from the niche lug to the light's junction box. I'm thinking of replacing the light anyway. I could cut the supply wire and use it as a conduit pull line to pull the fixture's new supply cable AND the bonding wire into the pumphouse then connect bond wire to junction box. I would have access only to the inside of the niche. My install instructions show that bond wire can be attached to lug from inside niche. But I'm not sure about this instruction: "termination must be encapsulated with potting compound". Can this be done from inside niche and with niche filled with water? I keep a sealing compound I call blackburn on hand - is that a potting compound? I use it often to seal from water but haven't ever applied it underwater.
If all that works, I could then continue the bond wire from the light's junction box to the pump then on to the heat pump which will be installed this summer. At least there would be one bond component that involves the pool water. Is this a sound idea that would provide some extent of a bonding array?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,845
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What material is the deck around your pool?
What type of pool are we discussing?
Read Electrical Bonding - Further Reading and the Mike Holt links in the article.
The bonding grid should include the deck for 3 feet from the pool, pool shell, and water to create an equipotential grid where people are touching.
What type of pool are we discussing?
Read Electrical Bonding - Further Reading and the Mike Holt links in the article.
The bonding grid should include the deck for 3 feet from the pool, pool shell, and water to create an equipotential grid where people are touching.
I have a poured concrete deck - about 42". I will check out the bonding info again, I only scanned it.
My pool is 28,000 gal, fresh water, lazy L, inground vinyl, steel walls, concrete/vermiculite ramps and bottoms, one drain, no diving board, one ladder, plastic steps, rails (not in water) at steps.
My pool is 28,000 gal, fresh water, lazy L, inground vinyl, steel walls, concrete/vermiculite ramps and bottoms, one drain, no diving board, one ladder, plastic steps, rails (not in water) at steps.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,845
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I don't think so, but can find out. The steel walls have a horizontal component every so often that are designed to support the poured concrete.
