Bonding Question..

[rcy]

My pool heater, pump (which sit on a concrete pad) and the control box for my Duoclear (which is mounted nearby on a wooden fence) are all connected with a bare copper wire. Is this bonded? The wire doesn't touch the ground just connects all three pieces of equipment.

Also, on the other side of the pool from where the equipment pad is, there is about a foot of bare copper wire coming out of the concrete deck that is just sitting on top of the soil. Is this bonding the pool or something? Should I bury it, or stick it to a metal stake and insert the stake into the ground?
Should mention that this wire comes out of the concrete right where the metal receiver thingys (anchors??) are that the ladder gets inserted to...maybe something to do with that? The ladder anchors are set in the concrete.

Thanks. So far (in four years - fifth season just starting) no one has been electrocuted.

 

[dmanb2b]

The metal wire sticking out of the ground should most likely be attached to the wire connecting the pump, SWG and heater. No need to attach it to a grounding rod.

 

[rcy]

OK..but the wire coming out of the cement is about 18 feet away from the equipment pad. I just edited post above regarding the wire coming out of the cement near the metal ladder anchors. So, considering I can't connect this wire to the equipment, would you still consider the equipment bonded if they are all three connected with one wire that doesnt' touch anything else?

Maybe a pic would help...when I get home..

 

[JasonLion]

No that isn't really bonding, it is someone doing something that looks reminiscent of bonding because it wasn't much work.

To be bonded, everything that touches the water, or is within 3 feet of the water, that contains any significant amount of metal needs to be connected together with a #8 bare copper wire. The chances are excellent that the pool shell and ladder anchors are all properly bonded together, but that isn't enough unless they are also connected to the equipment on the equipment pad that touches the water (pump, heater, etc).

 

[rcy]

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm going to post a few pics when I get home.

I'm a little confused now after reading your answer, Jason. The pump, heater and filter are on a concrete pad and the Duoclear control box is about 2 feet away from the pad on a wooden fence. These are currently connected to each other with a bare copper wire that only runs between the three pieces of equipment. This seems to be correct, no? (based on everything metal within three feet of water needing to be connected to each other)

Now far away (~18 feet) from the equipment pad on the complete opposite side of the pool are the metal ladder anchors in the concrete, and a copper wire exiting the concrete near the ladder anchors.

Could this be the equipment on the pad, and the ladder/pool being bonded separately? Or are you saying that for proper bonding ALL of these items must be connected?

 

[JasonLion]

Every single thing needs to all be connected together for the bonding to protect you properly.

 

[dmanb2b]

Ditto...the pump, Heater and SWG are all coming into contact with the water that is going back to your pool. Everything metal in that pool or near it has to be bonded with bare copper wire back to the three pieces of equipment you have listed.

 

[rcy]

Interesting..... Originally, the electrician didn't even have the pump, heater and Duoclear connected. Only after I read the owner's manuals did I call him back and ask if these things had to be bonded, and that's when he connected the three pieces with the copper wire.

Thanks.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Bonding is tricky for most people and even most seasoned electricians. The bond wire should be a continious loop. Every piece of metal that contacts the pool water, or is within 3' of a pool wall has to be connected to the same bonding loop. A single loop of 8 awg bare copper wire.