Bonding, drains, O2...so many questions for new AGP

[Bigfellor]

We have ordered and are waiting on a Backyard Leisure Spirit pool to be installed and have a couple questions. This will be sunk 2ft in the ground.

Backyard Leisure Spirit Resin 54” — Bonnie & Clyde

Click link to see package and cost Oval Sizes (comes with the Light brown wall pattern) 15'x30' w/Liberty Liner 15'x30' w/Lacoste Liner 18'x33' w/Liberty Liner 18x33 w/Lacoste Liner Round Sizes (comes with the dark brown wall pattern) 18' w/Liberty Liner 18' w/Lacoste...

www.bncpools.com

I see references to the pool needing to be bonded but I don't really understand what this is. Can someone explain bonding like I'm an idiot? What's needed? How? Is this something the installer does or do I need to get an electrician?

I'm wanting to put the pump and filter around the corner of the house about 20ft from the pool. One for aesthetics but two my GFCI outlet is there on the back of the house. The yard slopes down in that area and while I haven't measured yet I'm fairly sure it will be lower than the water level. Is this doable?

What about drains? I see references to main drains. Is this something that's doable with this pool? Does it depend on the installer?

Does anyone have experience with an O2 system? It sounds good but I don't know much about it. Peos/cons? Would you stick with it or go back to salt water or regular chlorine?

Thanks all

 

[kellyfair]

Bonding - ok, so the way I understand it, you want everything around the pool to be at the same conductive potential. So, you bury a loop of copper wire around the pool, a few inches down and about 18-24” from the wall, then run a connecting wire to the wall, the water (by way of a metal plate inside the skimmer), and anything else metal that is close to the pool. Hang on and I’ll find you a helpful thread to look through. You can do yourself - I did mine, or you can get installer to do it, if they will. But make sure they know what they are doing.

You should be fine with where you describe putting the pump. Are you handy with PVC?

You don’t need a main drain. I don’t have one and I’m not sure if any AGP owners here do have them. I usually either backwash my sand filter if I need to get rid of some water, or I have a small sump pump.

I don’t know anything about O2 but here at TFP, we recommend liquid chlorine or a SWG. I my SWG, can go out of town (well, pre-COVID) and not have to worry about the pool while I am gone.

 

[kellyfair]

Here’s a good post that really helped me when I bonded mine, gave me exactly what I needed to buy.

Now, everything on my pool is resin, including the wall, so I only had to bond the wall connector bar and the water. I did a buried loop around my pool. Ran a wire from the skimmer to the buried loop, and a wire from the wall connector bar to the loop. Right now I’m still using my old Intex pump, so that isn’t bonded, but when I replace it with a better one, I will run a wire from the new pump to the buried loop as well.

Since you have more metal on your pool, let me call a couple of folks to advise you. @ajw22 @JamesW @Jimrahbe

 

[ajw22]

Read...

Taking the Mystery Out of Equipotential Bonding Requirements for Swimming Pools is a good primer to understand equipotential bonding in pools.

A good reference is from Mike Holt Enterprises on Article 680—Swimming Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs, Fountains, and Similar Installations.

Electrical Bonding - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[hwy17]

What about drains? I see references to main drains. Is this something that's doable with this pool?

Main drains on AGPs are possible but almost no pros will recommend them because they add so much potential for problems. With the skimmer and return any problems can be solved by draining a foot of water, and you can get to both sides. With a main drain of course you have to drain the hole pool, but then you also need to replace the liner just to get to the underside to troubleshoot. On top of all that, you also have the risk that any plumbing leak in the equipment can drain the entire pool by gravity. When it's just the skimmer and return there's only ever 1ft of water at risk of gravity draining.

Bonding can be understood as connecting everything to the same ground wire: the pool, the water, the pump, and anything else that's metal like a heater or any metal parts around the pool like a railing. If your pool will be inspected for a permit you need to get specific instructions from your building dept about which connectors are ok with them. Some are ok with splices, some require it to all be one single wire.

 

[Newdude]

The yard slopes down in that area and while I haven't measured yet I'm fairly sure it will be lower than the water level. Is this doable?

It should be fine. Above ground pool equipment is designed to be force fed by gravity. The pump should have no problems overcoming a 20 ft slight rise back to the pool.

What about drains? I see references to main drains. Is this something that's doable with this pool

I am one of the few fans of main drains here, but not on an Above Ground pool. They won’t do much for you besides stub toes.

Does anyone have experience with an O2 system?

It’s all magic and manufacturers lies. You will need to fully chlorinate your pool with or without it. So what’s the point ? If I invented a new system but was honest and stated that you would have to care for the pool just the same, you’d laugh at my invention. Laugh at the O2 and skip it.

 

[Donldson]

Does anyone have experience with an O2 system? It sounds good but I don't know much about it.

Snake oil. Another "Chlorine bad, new thing good" product that can't sell itself on its own merits (as it is horribly inferior to chlorine in sanitation and oxidation(!) properties) so has to make up negative stories regarding the alternatives. Stick with chlorine. Whether to manually chlorinate or go with salt is personal preference, but once dialed in salt can be very hands-off other than routine testing to assure nothing has gone wrong.