I would suggest that the bolts in your ladder were not Stainless Steel. One way to test this is to use a small magnet,
if it sticks to the bolt it is NOT stainless.
Also, motors for pool pumps have all stainless or ceramic parts in the seal.
I have had Salt pools for over 10 years now and have observed no corrosion in any
stainless parts. The bolts on the motors that attach the rear cover are NOT
stainless and will rust.
The pool grounding system is not directly connected to the AC ground to prevent
ground loops. It might be noted that the neutral should never be connected to
any external grounds. The neutral is grounded in the service entrance for a reason to have
only one true earth ground source. You will note that the large copper ground (#8)wires are
connected to the pump motor cases and all metal parts of your equipment and also to the rebar
that is in the concrete of your pool. The pool ladder should be also connected to this ground system.
These large copper wires are not connected to your AC ground. Actually there is a separate wire
that is connected to ground and it is usually a green color.
The most corrosive part of the pool water is the chlorine and not the salt. The salt makes the water
conductive so the bonding and proper grounding must be properly followed to eliminate ground currents.
It is not uncommon to see small voltages on your meter, just touch one of the leads and you will see some voltage.
The low voltage lights are connected to a transformer which should isolate them from the AC system. On the
low voltage side of the transformer neither wire should connected to ground.
Cliff s