Does top rail need to be bonded too?

[Tere]

OK so we had 3 electricians bid on bringing electric out to the pool and to do bonding. 2 have experience with Jacuzzis and not pools but understand the concept of bonding. The one with 4 above ground pools and 5 in ground pools said he would drive 8 ft rods into the ground and that the copper halo is not needed--- so he is out of the running even though he did pools in Utah and Nevada. 1 is an electrical engineer as well as an electrician. Bonding is cheaper than being electrocuted so we are not going the cheap route

My questions

#1 does only the vertical support in 4 places around the pool need to attach to the copper halo ( 18 ' x 48" metal sided pool, top rail metal, vertical support metal )? One electrician thought the top rail should be bonded to the metal coping that sits over the plastic coping and all tied into the copper halo in the ground. His rational is if the metal coping can be touched it needs to be linked into the bonding. It's easy to touch inside the pool.

here is a photo of the top plate with plastic cover removed
IMG_1944_zps9pzhweiz.jpg Photo by Teresa_Lundquist | Photobucket

at the top of the photo is the metal coping. It could be galvanized if that matters. Though it is over the vinyl liner it is a bit wavy and makes contact with the underside of the toprail. I can fit a finger between the top rail and this metal coping so there is room for some gizmo to connect.

#2 can one vertical support be removed to drill a hole for the direct burial lug to be bolted on? I read some people fish a bolt down from the top-that's got to be hard to tighten. Then we would remove the others 3 one at a time and connect the direct burial lug.

photo of the pool- ta dah, I just shoveled all the gravel back around the pool dang IMG_1941_zpsoffyyhnn.jpg Photo by Teresa_Lundquist | Photobucket

We hope to build a small deck 8 x 10 ' where the plastic ladder/steps are. I decided against metal balusters and go wood.

Thanks

 

[woodyp]

Yo still have metal to metal contact where the rails are bolted onto the uprights. ALL uprights should have a bonding lug attached. Then you run that wire to a 3/8 round rod driven in the ground a couple or so feet long away from the pool, then run that wire to the grounding lug on your pump. Your local code may ALWAYS vary.

 

[Tere]

one electrician is saying we have to bond each vertical unless all the verticals were bonded to the shell. But because the connections are all sheet metal that's not proper. I can't remember if the interlocking seam ( where the metal walls are bolted vertically ) has stainless steel bolts or just zinc. I think the other electrician was planning on bonding each vertical also.

I made a suggestion to one electrician that is there a way to remove a sheet metal screw and a place like the bottom rail and or top rail with a stainless steel bolt and nut there by bonding at each vertical?

photo of top rail IMG_1944_zps9pzhweiz.jpg Photo by Teresa_Lundquist | Photobucket -- could stainless bolt and nut be put in for one of these sheet metal screws? There are also sheet metal screws underneath attaching horizontally. We could replace a sheet metal scree for a stainless bolt and nut.

I don't think I could get a nut and bolt on the lower plate and vertical

Photo of lower plate
IMG_1944_zps9pzhweiz.jpg Photo by Teresa_Lundquist | Photobucket

any thoughts?

I will do what the code dictates no matter the cost.