Locating possible bonding system

[trmiv]

We moved into a house a couple of years ago that was built in the 70's, with a pool that was built around that time as well. It's a vinyl liner pool, so the liner has obviously been replaced many times, and plumbing updated at some point. Anyway I couldn't really find any info on a bonding system. I did find a thick copper rod in the ground near the pump, but it wasn't connected to anything, so I'm assuming that was someone's attempt to "ground" the pump at some point. The mother of the original owner lives nearby, she says the pool was "built to code" and there should be a bonding system, but I'm honestly not sure if she knows what I'm asking about. So I got a bug up my butt to find this bonding system and tried digging up near the pump pad, and located a thick piece of copper that runs next to the pad and then under the concrete pool deck, and off to who knows where after that. I was able to locate the end of the copper, and it turns out it's actually a tube not solid copper. I have no other explanation why this thing would be buried here. The end isn't hooked up to anything, it just sort of stops. Any chance this is part of this old bonding system and for some reason they used tubing? Any way to test and figure this out?

I've included a few pics of what I found if this helps any.

 

[Bama Rambler]

That looks like a gas line or maybe a water line to a auto fill.

If that pool was built in the early 70's, it's most likely not bonded.

 

[trmiv]

So I got out my continuity tester and stuck one end on my pool ladder and the other a distance away on the coping and got continuity beep. Would this indicate these are bonded together? Obviously they are both connected to the same concrete deck. I have no way of knowing if there is rebar in the deck unfortunately.

 

[trmiv]

So looking at the code for my county I saw this:

http://www.wakegov.com/inspect/permits/pages/poolelecreq.aspx


Bonding grid used to bond metal parts together: (680-22(b))

• #8 or larger solid copper conductor, insulated, covered or bare
• Structural reinforcing steel of a concrete pool where the reinforcing rods are bonded together by the usual steel tie wires
• The wall of a bolted or welded metal pool
• Rigid metal conduit or intermediate metal conduit of brass or other identified corrosion-resistant metal conduit

I notice it actually specified that metal conduit can be used. So maybe they did actually use a piece of pipe? I guess can run a wire to from my tester to the pool coping or ladder to this piece of conduit and see if they are connected?

 

[trmiv]

So quick update. I got some long wire and connected one end of my continuity tester to the pool coping and the other end to that conduit by the pad and got continuity. So it is connected. Also the coping is connected to my ladder which entends into the pool. So I guess all I need to do is attach a lug to this conduit and attach it to my pump and that is bonded as well?

 

[PoolguyinCT]

So I got out my continuity tester and stuck one end on my pool ladder and the other a distance away on the coping and got continuity beep. Would this indicate these are bonded together? Obviously they are both connected to the same concrete deck. I have no way of knowing if there is rebar in the deck unfortunately.

It’s likely a steel wall pool from the 70s & your just ringing continuity.

 

[trmiv]

Why would this copper pipe that’s a good 20 feet from the pool, on the other side of fence have continuity with the coping and the ladder though? It runs under the concrete deck towards the direction of th pool so I don’t know what else it would have been used for. Also this pool had the liner replaced about 3 and half years ago so they probably replaced the walls at that time