Bonding Issue

[Victorwp]

Hello TFP, I'm a pool builder and I'm trying to troubleshoot a bonding issue and while researching the problem I found your forum. The pool I installed is fiberglass and has about 17,000 gallons of water, but my customer setup all the electrical because he is an electrician. Once the pool was up and running we noticed we were getting a slight shock when entering the water, so we checked and we have a stray current in the pool. We have had 3 electricians look the bonding and everything checks out but the water is showing a 0.2 volts. I currently have 3 bonding units on the pool right now, one in front of the pump, one in side the pump and a Anode with bond after the filter and I still have the problem. The only way I can get a zero reading on the meter is by running a wire from the fence bonding wire and wiring a metal plate onto the end of the wire and drop it in the water, the second way is to disconnect the saltwater generator (I've already replaced the generator once, thinking it was the problem). 4 months later we still have this voltage problem and no answers. I've contacted the equipment manufacture, bonding manufacture and no one can help. I'm hoping some with in TFP might be able to shed some light on the problem.

Thank you

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Tell us what specific equipment the pool has.

the second way is to disconnect the saltwater generator (I've already replaced the generator once, thinking it was the problem).

What model SWG does it have?

Can you post pics of the equipment pad and pool showing the bonding points you describe?

The only way I can get a zero reading on the meter is by running a wire from the fence bonding wire and wiring a metal plate onto the end of the wire and drop it in the water,

This would lead me to believe you don't have a good water bond. What was used for the water bond and where was it placed?

How was the deck around the pool bonded?

 

[cowboycasey]

Sounds like a bad water bond...

 

[Victorwp]

Thank you for getting back to me regarding my bonding issue. The equipment I used; Jandy - 1.5HP ProFlow Pump, CS200 Cartridge Filter, JX1200 NK Gas Heater, TRUCLEAR 11K Salt Generator, and Jandy's LED Lights. We then added a Jandy APRUREM for some automation. Since the voltage went away when we disconnected the salt generator, we replaced the TRUCLEAR with a Jandy PLC 1400 and that did not resolve our problem. As for the bonding, my customer (electrician) handled that himself. I believe he used a 6 gauge copper wire from the equipment pad out and around the pool and tied it into the mesh around the pool, he also pulled off 2 pigtails to bond the fencing. The equipment is located 45 feet from the pool. I put a Perma-Cast inline bonding fitting just before the pump, when that did not work I added another Perma-Cast fitting on the skimmer line 3" below water line, when that did not work I added a CMP Anode/Bonding unit after the filter as per instructions and that did not work. When my customer noticed the stray voltage he called back the electrical inspection and had the bonding setup re-tested and the inspector said it was all fine. I had my electrician out to check the hook up and we could not find anything. I even call Perma-Cast to see if they could shed some light on the issue but they could not offer any suggestions. So we are back to square one, we have .2 volts in the water and when we disconnect the salt generator it goes away or when we drop a metal place that is linked to the fence bonding wire the voltage goes away. Any additional thoughts will help, Thank you for the in put.

 

[cowboycasey]

It sounds like the SWG is messed up... can you return it and get a circupool instead? There are thousands of Circupool SWG on here and none of them have had bonding problems

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[ajw22]

Since the voltage went away when we disconnected the salt generator, we replaced the TRUCLEAR with a Jandy PLC 1400 and that did not resolve our problem.

When you say the SWG was disconnected, exactly how as it disconnected?

Was the SWG cell removed?

Was the breaker feeding power to the SWG turned off?

Were the electrical wires disconnected from the power supply?

Was the bond wire disconnected from the cabinet?

Was the electrical ground wire disconnected?

Did you measure voltage at the SWG bonding wire or ground wire?

As for the bonding, my customer (electrician) handled that himself. I believe he used a 6 gauge copper wire from the equipment pad out and around the pool and tied it into the mesh around the pool, he also pulled off 2 pigtails to bond the fencing. The equipment is located 45 feet from the pool. I put a Perma-Cast inline bonding fitting just before the pump, when that did not work I added another Perma-Cast fitting on the skimmer line 3" below water line, when that did not work I added a CMP Anode/Bonding unit after the filter as per instructions and that did not work. When my customer noticed the stray voltage he called back the electrical inspection and had the bonding setup re-tested and the inspector said it was all fine. I had my electrician out to check the hook up and we could not find anything. I even call Perma-Cast to see if they could shed some light on the issue but they could not offer any suggestions.

If you run a bare #8 wire from the fence to each of the water bonds you installed do you get the 2V?

What is the electrical path from the fence to each of the water bonds you installed?

Show us pictures.

So we are back to square one, we have .2 volts in the water and when we disconnect the salt generator it goes away or when we drop a metal place that is linked to the fence bonding wire the voltage goes away. Any additional thoughts will help, Thank you for the in put.

Finding the problem will take very methodical testing and measurements to isolate the problem. You have to be checking both voltage and resistance at the bonding grid at various points.

 

[Victorwp]

Response to your questions
cowboycasey,
That was my first thought but we replaced the TRUCLEAR with a PLC 1400 both by Jandy products. I have the TRUCLEAR on a number of other pool and I have no bonding issues with them. So now I'm thinking it's a problem with my customers bonding of the pool.


ajw22,
When you say the SWG was disconnected, exactly how as it disconnected? we disconnected the power source from the APRUREM (Automation Panel) to the saltwater generator.

Was the SWG cell removed? No

Was the breaker feeding power to the SWG turned off? No because the pump and SWG are wired together as per manufacture.

Were the electrical wires disconnected from the power supply? Yes

Was the bond wire disconnected from the cabinet? no but the only thing I did not like is he attached the bonding wire to the grounding bus bar in the Circuit Panel. I pulled it out but that did not eliminate the problem.

Was the electrical ground wire disconnected? no

Did you measure voltage at the SWG bonding wire or ground wire? no, I'm not sure how to test just that bonding with water, they are to far apart.

NOTE: we also tried running a bonding wire from the equipment pad out to the pool and connected to the fence bonding wire and that did nothing. We also tried disconnecting each bond wire to the pump, then the APRUREM, then the Heater, and the SWG one at a time to see if that would work and we still had the stray voltage.

Thank you for your help.

 

[ajw22]

If you run a bare #8 wire from the fence to each of the water bonds you installed do you get the 2V?

What is the electrical path from the fence to each of the water bonds you installed?

Show us pictures.