Connect Bonding wire to Intermatic Timer/Housing??

[MikeD842]

Hi All,

I am adding a SWG and need to connect it to the existing bonding wires. Since I am touching anyway, I am going to replace the existing bonding wire that connects my Pump, Heater, and SPA aerator. (Wire then runs underground so I am hopefully assuming it connects to decking rebar and pool lights but who knows). I have new copper lugs, new 8 awg bare wire and new screws. I’m ready to roll!

I noticed that the Intermatic timer and its housing are not connected to the bonding wire. Should they be connected since it is metal and near the other mechanicals? (Yes, they are grounded, I am fairly confident that I understand the difference between grounding and bonding, based on all of the other helpful TFP posts!!).

Also, is there any way to check that the existing bonding connects to the pool lights or decking rebar??

36k gallon, plaster pool.

Mike

 

[ajw22]

Timer does not get connected to the bonding wire and SWG does not get connected to the bonding wire.

What model SWG are we discussing?

Electrical Bonding - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[MikeD842]

Timer does not get connected to the bonding wire and SWG does not get connected to the bonding wire.

What model SWG are we discussing?

Electrical Bonding - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Was looking at the circupool RJ 60+. Pretty sure that controller has to get attached to the bonding wire, doesn’t it?

 

[ajw22]

Was looking at the circupool RJ 60+. Pretty sure that controller has to get attached to the bonding wire, doesn’t it?

Yup, the control box has a bonding lug.

 

[MikeD842]

Thanks! And thanks for confirm that the timer box doesn’t need to be connected to the bonding wire. Any idea how I can confirm that my concrete pool deck and underwater pool lights are bonded? Pool was built in 2001 by previous owner and local pool builder.

 

[ajw22]

Use a mutilmeter and check for continuity between the various surfaces that should be bonded and the bond wire.

 

[nuttyp]

The most systematic and thorough description I've seen on testing of ALL pool-related surfaces and devices is documented in a link provided in that "Electrical Bonding - Further Reading" (Electrical Bonding - Further Reading) post. The tests document link is : https://www.mikeholt.com/files/PDF/Swimming_Pool_Safety_by_Mike_Holt_rev.pdf. It's a lot to fish through, but Mike Holt also has a video accompanying the document and it makes the doc-walkthrough-exercise a bit more real and entertaining - here:

, as Mike and his team walk through all the tests. The video is almost two hours long but well worth the time investment, IMHO. I think an attempt was made to include a link to that video in the main test document but it appears broken or private.

I surely agree with conclusions noted in this thread about the metal timer enclosures, wherein none (or perhaps almost none) such enclosures have a bonding lug or the bonding requirement - per the instructions. But it remains a head-scratcher to me that, as noted, many SWG controllers have the lug and requirement, including my Hayward Aquarite W3AQR15. One might have to fish through NEC 680 to figure out why, or speculate that it may have something to do with the closeness of the relationship between the controller and it's accompanying device that touches water. For now, dunno.