Our local inspectors insist the nond wire goes from the outside of light niche to the junction box bond lug. Wont pass without it no matter how far because pool water is in the conduit and its within 5 ft of the box and that makes perfect sense if you think about it, it's a wet niche. Also must have potting compound on the inside lug to cover the insulated #8
Bonding of light niche
- Thread starter orangepower10
- Start date
Metal parts greater than 5 ft horizontally from the inside walls of the pool are not required to be bonded. The standard is from the "pool wall", not the water.
So, the inspector is incorrect in their interpretation of the rule.
Also, the internal, insulated #8 green grounding "bonding jumper" bonds the niche to the junction box. So an external bond wire is redundant.
So, the inspector is incorrect in their interpretation of the rule.
Also, the internal, insulated #8 green grounding "bonding jumper" bonds the niche to the junction box. So an external bond wire is redundant.
I agree with you James its redundant but I actually had a long chat last year with the inspector about it. He explained the wet conduit theory closing the 5ft distance and also added that with time they feel the internal connection of the stranded insulated wire could be compromised due to chemical breakdown from chlorine and the secondary external solid #8 was cheap insurance. I see it from both sides of the plate. I was always taught in my learning years that code is considered "a minimum standard" and better contractors go above and beyond this requirement. My guys refer to this as installing something with the belt and suspenders motto and we try to do this whenever we can
The 5 foot rule is from the pool wall, not the water.
The purpose is so that someone in the pool can't reach something metal that's not bonded.
Going by the water theory, you would have to bond everything within 5 feet of the conduit, plumbing, all water containing equipment etc.
The code clearly does not say any of that.
You can do as much extra as you like, but it's wrong for an inspector to require someone to do more than code when they are misinterpreting the code.
Also, some junction boxes don't have an external bond lug. The Pentair junction box does not have an external lug. How do you attach the bond wire?
The purpose is so that someone in the pool can't reach something metal that's not bonded.
Going by the water theory, you would have to bond everything within 5 feet of the conduit, plumbing, all water containing equipment etc.
The code clearly does not say any of that.
You can do as much extra as you like, but it's wrong for an inspector to require someone to do more than code when they are misinterpreting the code.
Also, some junction boxes don't have an external bond lug. The Pentair junction box does not have an external lug. How do you attach the bond wire?
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Here they require you to add a bond lug off of the ground bar like other boxes have them. It was explained to me that their position is that a wet niche carries current thru the wet conduit and that's why they require it. I agree with you on the code we use Mike holt's pdf as the bible on pool wiring
Couldnt the 120 volt light have been replace with a low voltage light? Cut the line wires and wire up the low voltage light, removing need for the grounding wire from niche to junction.
I know this situation is over but I’m curious.
I know this situation is over but I’m curious.
Yes he could have installed a low voltage light and then wired it without worrying about the ground. However, he asked about how to wire the light he had. The correct way was to run an insulated ground wire in the conduit to the inside of the wet niche ground lug, and encapsulated by potting compound. Then run a separate bare copper bond jumper from the outside lug to his bond grid and to the external bond lug on the deck box.
if he had used low voltage it still would have had to tie into the bonding grid somewhere
edit: where this throws some people is that the bond lug and the ground lug are connected at the light niche and the deck box, so it is completely redundant (further confusing some as to the difference of bonding and grounding- since the deck box is beyond 5ft from the pool it technically doesn’t need to be bonded as James said, but I’m in the Jimmy camp). For my pool, I went beyond and potted the external niche bond lug and the bond connection point back to the steel wall. I figure as much bond/ground redundancy as possible is a good thing.
if he had used low voltage it still would have had to tie into the bonding grid somewhere
edit: where this throws some people is that the bond lug and the ground lug are connected at the light niche and the deck box, so it is completely redundant (further confusing some as to the difference of bonding and grounding- since the deck box is beyond 5ft from the pool it technically doesn’t need to be bonded as James said, but I’m in the Jimmy camp). For my pool, I went beyond and potted the external niche bond lug and the bond connection point back to the steel wall. I figure as much bond/ground redundancy as possible is a good thing.
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Yup the light is the confusing part as it's the only spot ground and bond touch. Every inspector I've encountered uses mike Holts guide as their bible amd they reference it.
My inspector never even looked at my light niche. But I ran a resistance test back to the panel and like I said potted 3 separate connections. Since I did my own electric I was paranoid about the light. Electricity and water still makes me nervous.
I am fishing my wires right now and want to double check:
a low voltage intellibrite only requires the lamp cord it comes with to run to the junction box, and no extra ground wire, right?
a low voltage intellibrite only requires the lamp cord it comes with to run to the junction box, and no extra ground wire, right?
Depends on inspector. If ita a nicheless then just the cord. If it's a wet niche many inspectors will want the normal 120v setup on case the light fails amd someone sticks a 120v in there not realizing its setup for low voltage
That makes sense. I could get the extra 8 AWG wire through the conduit which is only 3/4 in. Learning experience to go with 1”.