Overhauling electrical_bonding wire to ground rod?

[70runner]

New home/pool owner, in the process of converting older mech timer system to Intermatic 653RC. There are 2 pumps (circ and spa), blower, and heater, all 240v. There is a bonding wire among the 2 pumps and the heater attached to a grounding rod next to the pad. There is no bonding wire to either the blower or control box (Intermatic T32404R).


I'm pretty certain the blower and control box should be in the bonding circuit, less certain about using the grounding rod. Advice appreciated.

 

[Divin Dave]

Bonding wire should not be connected to a ground rod.

Any metal component in the equipment pad area should be bonded.

FWIW, that green wire connecting the pumps doesnt comply with the electrical building code. Bonding wire should be bare solid copper #8AWG.

 

[70runner]

Thx for reply. I'll replace the green wire. Just to confirm, the #8 bare solid copper bonding wire should connect the 2 pumps, blower, heater, and control panel? The DE6000 filter doesn't have a bonding lug...does it need to be bonded?

 

[Divin Dave]

Yes, all those items should be connected togeter with a continuous run of bare wire. The filter doesnt need to be boned since it isnt made of metal.

 

[70runner]

The pool has no diving board or metal rails. I don't see any bonding provision around the pool. How would I bond the pad equipment to the pool structure?

 

[gwegan]

When was your pool built?

It may not be bonded and the noncomplying bonding was attached later when the pump was changed by a service tech or homeowner who doesn't understand the code.

If built today the pool structure ( the rebar) the water the lights , all pool components and anything metal must be connected by a #8 bare copper wire. That is a rough summary. Bonding can sometimes be added to older pools.

 

[70runner]

Best I can figure it was built between 1980-84. The pool is surrounded by at least 5-10ft of decking, which extends to an adobe wall, so a retrofit bonding project would be major work.



There are a couple rebar rods which extend through the top of the pad, nothing attached to them. Perhaps these were intended as bonding connections?

 

[gwegan]

There should be some bonding in your pool. Exactly what is there will be difficult to determine and difficult to add more.

#8 Bare copper wire has been required since the 1960s so what you can see was really never acceptable. But I suspect there are things you cant see and the pool is partially bonded -- You may want to have an electrician familiar with pool bonding poke around-- and correct what he can.

 

[jokaankit]

Does the distance of the pad to the pool affect the bonding requirements. I thought I read a requirement of 10' from the pool. I do have a sharp bare cooper wire cemented into the ground next to the pad and electrical board. Never knew that might be the bond wire. Maybe OP can find something similar and connect to that ?

 

[gwegan]

Essentially all equipment associated with the pool must be bonded together -- whether within five feet of the pool or a mile away. All installed metal objects ( whether or not associated with the pool) within five feet of the pool must be bonded.

I would suspect that the sharp bare copper wire emerging in jokaankit's pad area is the bonding wire witch probably should be attached to the bonding lug on his pump (and his heater if he has one)

 

[jokaankit]

Thanks for clarifying. 70Runner do you see anything besides the rebar sticking out of the ground?

 

[70runner]

I have some shrubbery in the way, we're clearing that out so I can look around the pad. As noted, the only candidates I've seen so far are 2 pieces of rebar that extend up through the pad for no obvious reason.

As to candidates, how would one determine that a copper wire/rebar/whathaveyou is the other end of a pool structure bonding system?

 

[gwegan]

Once installed often the only place you see the bonding system is where it emerges from the ground at the pad and connects to the pump. All the other portions of the system are often burred or in or under concrete. Its bare #8 copper wire.