Easy Touch Bonding Lugs Corroding

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If it is not low voltage lighting and the conduit is nonmetallic, you need to install a "Bonding Jumper", which sounds like is it part of the bonding grid, but its purpose is to provide a supplemental ground to the ground in a 120 volt light cord.

Bonding has always required solid wire.

The bonding jumper (supplemental ground) can be solid or stranded and it should be green since it is an equipment grounding conductor.

(2) Wiring Extending Directly to the Forming Shell.

Conduit shall be installed from the forming shell to a junction box or other enclosure conforming to the requirements in 680.24.

Conduit shall be rigid metal, intermediate metal, liquidtight flexible nonmetallic, or rigid nonmetallic.

(a) Metal Conduit. Metal conduit shall be approved and shall be of brass or other approved corrosion-resistant metal.

(b) Nonmetallic Conduit. Where a nonmetallic conduit is used, an 8 AWG insulated solid or stranded copper bonding jumper shall be installed in this conduit unless a listed low-voltage lighting system not requiring grounding is used. The bonding jumper shall be terminated in the forming shell, junction box or transformer enclosure, or ground fault circuit-interrupter enclosure. The termination of the 8 AWG bonding jumper in the forming shell shall be covered with, or encapsulated in, a listed potting compound to protect the connection from the possible deteriorating effect of pool water.


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locameo said:
thank you for your help. really appreciate it. I know those wires go to pool and spa lights. but clearly don't know anything beyond that. If the green wires are indeed bonding wires to the pool lights, where should those bonding wires connect to? also, any idea why it would keep producing tiny moisture on the connection? just educating myself before I get the pool guy out. you've been so helpful
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If they are the light bond (which they shouldn't be), or ground, they enter the light junction box and attach internally. It would be unusual, but I've seen it done. Open one up and see if the other end is there.
 
Also the light wire conduit should not have more then 360 degree of bends, four 90 degree bends max, to allow the pool light and wire to be pulled out and replaced.

If you cannot follow the pool wire and it is buried behind the plywood I do not know how it can be replaced. You should understand that now while your pool builder is on the hook versus a few years from now when he may be long gone.
 
JamesW said:
If it is not low voltage lighting and the conduit is nonmetallic, you need to install a "Bonding Jumper", which sounds like is it part of the bonding grid, but its purpose is to provide a supplemental ground to the ground in a 120 volt light cord.

Bonding has always required solid wire.

The bonding jumper (supplemental ground) can be solid or stranded and it should be green since it is an equipment grounding conductor.

(2) Wiring Extending Directly to the Forming Shell.

Conduit shall be installed from the forming shell to a junction box or other enclosure conforming to the requirements in 680.24.

Conduit shall be rigid metal, intermediate metal, liquidtight flexible nonmetallic, or rigid nonmetallic.

(a) Metal Conduit. Metal conduit shall be approved and shall be of brass or other approved corrosion-resistant metal.

(b) Nonmetallic Conduit. Where a nonmetallic conduit is used, an 8 AWG insulated solid or stranded copper bonding jumper shall be installed in this conduit unless a listed low-voltage lighting system not requiring grounding is used. The bonding jumper shall be terminated in the forming shell, junction box or transformer enclosure, or ground fault circuit-interrupter enclosure. The termination of the 8 AWG bonding jumper in the forming shell shall be covered with, or encapsulated in, a listed potting compound to protect the connection from the possible deteriorating effect of pool water.


View attachment 454234
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this was very helpful and it looks you are correct. The green wires are from the light niche shell that houses the light. They are bonding wires from that shell and run thru the conduit (non metal) to the easy touch. So everything looks right except for the corrosion which I suspect is because the stranded wire is copper and the clamp is aluminum. Can I just change the clamp to copper so that the bonding connection is copper/copper? let me know what you think. thank you!
 
1poolman1 said:
If they are the light bond (which they shouldn't be), or ground, they enter the light junction box and attach internally. It would be unusual, but I've seen it done. Open one up and see if the other end is there.
Click to expand...
this was very helpful, thank you. The green wires are from the light niche shell that houses the light. They are bonding wires from that shell and run thru the conduit (non metal) to the easy touch panel. So everything looks right except for the corrosion which I suspect is because the stranded wire is copper and the clamp is aluminum. Can I just change the clamp to copper so that the bonding connection is copper/copper? let me know what you think. thank you!
 
proavia said:
It's possible that the dissimilar metals are the issue. When mixing copper and aluminum wiring, the use of an anti-oxidant is required.

Noalox Anti-Oxidant Compound 0.5 oz.

www.homedepot.com

You still need to know where those green wires go.
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this was very helpful, thank you. turns out the green wires are from the light niche shell that houses the light. They are bonding wires from that shell and run thru the conduit (non metal) to the easy touch panel. So everything looks right except for the corrosion which I suspect is because the stranded wire is copper and the clamp is aluminum. Can I just change the clamp to copper so that the bonding connection is copper/copper? let me know what you think. thank you!
 
ajw22 said:
You need to call your Pool Installer back and have him explain to you what those green wires connect to. He buried your wiring behind the plywood such that it can't be followed.

The green wires could be light grounding wires which would be a wrong connection.

Or it could be bonding wires to some pool equipment and you should know what they connect to.

He should also clean up that connection when he comes out and explains stuff to you.
Click to expand...
this was very helpful, thank you. turns out the green wires are from the light niche shell that houses the light. They are bonding wires from that shell and run thru the conduit (non metal) to the easy touch panel. So everything looks right except for the corrosion which I suspect is because the stranded wire is copper and the clamp is aluminum. Can I just change the clamp to copper so that the bonding connection is copper/copper? let me know what you think. thank you!
 
Where does the conduit end?

Where is the light cord?

The green bonding jumper (supplemental ground) should go from the inside of the light niche to wherever the light cord goes and it should terminate inside the box where the light cord goes.

The wire should be on the inside of the box connected to the ground bar.

I don't understand why it's on the outside of the box?

I don't understand why the connection is getting wet?

Is the equipment below the pool?
 

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JamesW said:
Where does the conduit end?

Where is the light cord?

The green bonding jumper (supplemental ground) should go from the inside of the light niche to wherever the light cord goes and it should terminate inside the box where the light cord goes.

The wire should be on the inside of the box connected to the ground bar.

I don't understand why it's on the outside of the box?

I don't understand why the connection is getting wet?

Is the equipment below the pool?
Click to expand...
1. the conduit ends a few feet from the Easy Touch panel. This conduit contains a large black cord (from light) and also a green AWG8 stranded green wire. all the wires within the black one are connected appropriately into the panel (including the ground wire). The remaining AWG8 stranded wire (niche bonding) is connected to a 'bonding lug' on the bottom of the Easy Touch Panel

2. The connection is not getting wet. Everything in the panel is dry and there is no water getting into the Easy Touch. However, the copper/aluminum connection for the AWG* stranded wire (connected to the bottom of the easy touch panel bonding lug) is creating tiny bits of moisture and slowly corroding. I just assumed that is because I have a copper/aluminum connection in a slightly humid room (that I have since ventilated better)

3. EQ is not below the pool

thanks so much for your help!
 
I would swap out the aluminum lug for a copper lug.
Be sure to thoroughly clean the matting surface and screw threads on the ET panel enclosure.

Does the non-metallic conduit run to an approved pool light junction box or directly to the pool light housing below the waterline?
Many times, the PB will use a brass conduit to the pool light junction box and then non-metallic conduit from the pool light junction box to the equipment pad.
blog.intheswim.com

Inground Pool Electrical Safety

Inground pool electrical safety tips to keep yourself and your family safe from pool lights and pool pump power issues.
blog.intheswim.com blog.intheswim.com
 
locameo said:
the conduit ends a few feet from the Easy Touch panel.
Click to expand...
Can you show this?

Why does it stop short?

I would extend the conduit to the panel and wire it correctly.

The conduit should terminate at the panel and the wires should enter the panel in the conduit.

The green grounding bonding jumper should be connected inside the panel at the grounding bus bar.
 
proavia said:
I would swap out the aluminum lug for a copper lug.
Be sure to thoroughly clean the matting surface and screw threads on the ET panel enclosure.

Does the non-metallic conduit run to an approved pool light junction box or directly to the pool light housing below the waterline?
Many times, the PB will use a brass conduit to the pool light junction box and then non-metallic conduit from the pool light junction box to the equipment pad.
blog.intheswim.com

Inground Pool Electrical Safety

Inground pool electrical safety tips to keep yourself and your family safe from pool lights and pool pump power issues.
blog.intheswim.com blog.intheswim.com
Click to expand...
non metallic conduit runs directly to the pool light housing below the waterline
 
locameo said:
non metallic conduit runs directly to the pool light housing below the waterline
Click to expand...

So most probably not up to code as there isn't an air gap that is usually provided by the pool light junction box.
The light cord exiting the conduit without a proper termination of the conduit at the ET enclosure is the second clue.

The non-metallic conduit running to the light niche isn't an issue, as long as there is a #8 bonding wire run in the non-metallic conduit that is properly installed - see post #22 that @JamesW posted.
 
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