Hi, I just had an inspector out to sign off on my pool permit and he said I still need to have water bonding in order to sign it off. I have the Intex 2800Gph pump/filter and was wondering what anyone else used to bond it to water. It looks like there are 2 different solutions online, one is the bonding wire that replaces the drain plug and another is a piece of one and a half inch pipe that goes into the pump inlet. I'm just not sure if these commercial products will fit so I wanted to reach out and see if anyone else knows for certain that one of these options will work? I called Intex and they didn't have any recommendations. Thank you.
Water bonding
- Thread starter UncleChimney
- Start date
What does your skimmer look like? Or do you have one? There is a kit from Burndy that has a plate that goes in the skimmer below the water line to bond the water. You drill a hole through skimmer and attach a lug then run your bonding wire. Your pump should be bonded too - does it have a bonding screw built in? Sorry I'm not too familiar with Intex.
No, there is no bonding lug on the pump and the skimmer is just one of the attachments that hang off of the side of the pool. I ordered this one earlier in case, hoping that it fits if I can't find anything at the pool store later.
Is the inspector considering this a permanent above ground pool? I thought they should be classified as a seasonal pool. Did you have to get a pool permit because of local regulations?
I'm not sure what thread the drain plug is on the intex pumps but the one you posted might be able to be used if not THIS ONE might be able to be placed inside the strainer chamber of the pump.
I'm not sure what thread the drain plug is on the intex pumps but the one you posted might be able to be used if not THIS ONE might be able to be placed inside the strainer chamber of the pump.
Typically the Intex type pools are considered temporary/ seasonal by most jurisdictions. The AHJ has final say, but you could politely remind them that this is a seasonal pool and have him point you to the code section with the requirement (so you get it right).
there is no metal wall and the pump has no bonding lug. The Intex type pools have proprietary hose & connection sizes. They are not 1-1/2”.
there is no metal wall and the pump has no bonding lug. The Intex type pools have proprietary hose & connection sizes. They are not 1-1/2”.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,833
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Bonding your pool is a good idea, whether it's code in your area or not. You have two requirements to satisfy: (1) the best way to bond your pool water and its systems, and (2) what the inspector wants to see to sign you off. They may or may not be the same thing.
For #1: Since Intex was no help, perhaps someone here can make suggestions. Or you can hire an electrician who specializes in pool electrical (that's important) and have him do the bonding, or work with you to do it (he does the consulting and final hookup, you dig (or whatever)).
For #2: Did you ask the inspector what he wants to see? If not, can you? That's how I handle inspections. Typically, I try to coerce the inspector to do a "pre-inspection" (which they do where I live) to go over the project and to learn exactly what he is going to be looking for. That saves he and I from going round-n-round, and keeps me from having to do things multiple times. Since you're past that point with your guy, call him to discuss exactly what would satisfy him. Just be prepared, these guys don't always know how to do everything they inspect, they rely on engineers and contractors to know how to do things, then they just spot check the work. He might cover the tracks of his lack of know-how with something like "Hey, it's not my job to consult. You do it right, to code, then I'll take a look." It's not a perfect system... but if you get a decent guy and be polite, he might want to help you out.
For #1: Since Intex was no help, perhaps someone here can make suggestions. Or you can hire an electrician who specializes in pool electrical (that's important) and have him do the bonding, or work with you to do it (he does the consulting and final hookup, you dig (or whatever)).
For #2: Did you ask the inspector what he wants to see? If not, can you? That's how I handle inspections. Typically, I try to coerce the inspector to do a "pre-inspection" (which they do where I live) to go over the project and to learn exactly what he is going to be looking for. That saves he and I from going round-n-round, and keeps me from having to do things multiple times. Since you're past that point with your guy, call him to discuss exactly what would satisfy him. Just be prepared, these guys don't always know how to do everything they inspect, they rely on engineers and contractors to know how to do things, then they just spot check the work. He might cover the tracks of his lack of know-how with something like "Hey, it's not my job to consult. You do it right, to code, then I'll take a look." It's not a perfect system... but if you get a decent guy and be polite, he might want to help you out.
Yes unfortunately I had to get a permit for the pool and since I just moved into this neighborhood in March and don't know the neighbors overly well yet I figured I'd go the right way about doing things
I asked the inspector about bonding the water as the rest of the pool is already bonded and and he mentioned a couple times that they called them lollipops so I ended up ordering the one I linked earlier. Then I went to the pool store locally to see if they had anything and they had one that went into the strainer that looked just like a lollipop so I bought that. Get home and the drain plug that it uses is to small so I ended up just drilling a hole in my drain plug on the bottom of the strainer and putting the "lollipop" through there! It had a small o-ring on it that I was able to use and I also put putty around the wire on the outside to make sure it doesn't leak at all! I imagine this should be all that he needs! I'll find out when he comes back. Thank you for all of the help and suggestions!
I asked the inspector about bonding the water as the rest of the pool is already bonded and and he mentioned a couple times that they called them lollipops so I ended up ordering the one I linked earlier. Then I went to the pool store locally to see if they had anything and they had one that went into the strainer that looked just like a lollipop so I bought that. Get home and the drain plug that it uses is to small so I ended up just drilling a hole in my drain plug on the bottom of the strainer and putting the "lollipop" through there! It had a small o-ring on it that I was able to use and I also put putty around the wire on the outside to make sure it doesn't leak at all! I imagine this should be all that he needs! I'll find out when he comes back. Thank you for all of the help and suggestions!
Glad you were able to modify the pump drain to work for what you bought, hope the inspector approves and lets you get to using your pool.
It is? Did you have to put a bonding wire to each of the ~46 metal support posts and horizontal supports? If so....ouch.
I was worried that due to my pool size (I have the 26' x 52" Intex) the inspector may consider it not a storable pool, as storable pools are exempt from bonding in the NEC, but the line between storable and permaint is foggy if you read the NEC once the pool height gets above 40 some inches of water. I had some nightmares about adding roughly 50 ground lugs and a bunch of wires to all the unconnected metal posts. But I emailed early (like in February), specifically to talk about bonding, and the inspector here said if the OEM pump supplied with the pool says it's for storable pools only, then the pool is storable and bonding isn't required. He just signed off on it on Friday with no bonding.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,833
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
That doesn't sound like you j. Not making your pool as safe as it could be just because you don't technically have to... Sure, I get why you wouldn't want to do all that... just sayin'... If you're not actually disassembling your pool for storage, does it really matter what the label on the pump "allows," or doesn't?
I really don't know enough about bonding to know how an unbonded storable pool compares safety wise to a bonded storable pool. All I know is:
- It's allowed by the NEC (I know, I read the entire section on pools in the NEC myself).
- Storable pool pumps and other equipment are double insulated, unlike permanent pool pumps which are NOT double insulated. They are also required to have integrated GFCI protection in the power cords.
- If I use a permanent pool pump, or a SWCG/light that is not rated for a storable pool, then the pool is no longer classified as a storable pool and must be bonded/wired as a permanent pool.
- I had an electrician install a proper outlet so I didn't have to use an extension cord to power the pool.
- I filed the appropriate permits and got sign-off from the AHJ.
No, I just bonded 4 posts of the pool equally around. The inspector called me this morning and he's hoping that he'll get a chance to stop in today to check it out and he can close my permit.....
Weird. It sounds like your inspector isn't really thinking about this and is just "checking the boxes" so to speak. Cause a normal metal wall pool the uprights are screwed to a metal wall so everything metal is connected to itself. But an Intex all the metal is seperated by plastic connectors so there's no metal to metal connections.No, I just bonded 4 posts of the pool equally around. The inspector called me this morning and he's hoping that he'll get a chance to stop in today to check it out and he can close my permit.....
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,833
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Just want to point out (in my over-zealous-safety-minded-way)... A large number of building codes and ordinances and "safety guidelines" come into existence in response to injury and death, instead of in advance of it. Anti-entrapment drain covers, then two main drains, pool bonding methods and codes, etc. didn't exist not all that long ago. Remember diving boards? Folks assumed pools were safe, because they were up to code and passed inspections. Then people died. Then "they" got together and said "Gee, maybe we should do something about that." and the codes were born. Assuming everything is as safe as it should be because you did it "by the book" or it "passed inspection" or an "electrician did the work" is naive. It's supposed to work like that, but that is just not always the case in reality.
We each decide, based on the info we can gather, what is and is not safe for our pool and its occupants. Sounds like you've done that. But I appreciate this forum and the way it has opened my eyes to subjects and facts and guidelines and, yes, even anecdotal evidence, that I would never have been exposed to otherwise...
We each decide, based on the info we can gather, what is and is not safe for our pool and its occupants. Sounds like you've done that. But I appreciate this forum and the way it has opened my eyes to subjects and facts and guidelines and, yes, even anecdotal evidence, that I would never have been exposed to otherwise...
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It certainly seems that way. I guess if that's how the local ordinances are then they have to follow them
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