Damaged pool light conduit; broken bond wire

[calitriv]

While doing some backhoe work around the pool we hit the PVC conduit for one of the Pool lights. I believe it is a Hayward Pool light. Can the wire be replaced or is it sealed into the light? Since there is water in the conduit, I'm thinking it's not a good idea to try and repair the wire. Replacing the broken piece of conduit should be easy.

Second, we cut the bonding wire as well. This bonding wire seems to go into the concrete patio. I'm assuming the wire was put in and then the concrete patio was poured over it. It broke where it comes out of the concrete. Any ideas on how to repair this wire? I was thinking I would need to chip away at the concrete until I can get enough wire to wirenut the wire back on? Real problem is as I break the concrete, the copper wire is breaking off too. Any suggestions?

[PoolDoc]

1. Bad news -- the cable from the light to the junction box is continuous SJ type insulated cable, suitable for underwater exposure. When the pool is full, the conduit is full. You'll probably have to replace the entire light fixture.

2. If you get enough wire exposed, you'll need to splice in a new section using copper split bolt connectors, like this:

Gardner Bender GSBC-4 Electrical Split Bolt Connector

(Probably too big, but you can see what you're looking for!) Do NOT use wire nuts; they usually have steel springs that will rust.

If *I* were repairing it, I'd use some 4% Stay Bright silver bearing low temp high strength solder to make the splices . . . but that's coming from a repair plumber turned controls tech turned pool guy, and requires skills and equipment most folks don't have. If you're interested, here's a link:

SBSK Silver Solder 3/64" 1/2 oz

[calitriv]

I like both ideas. I'm thinking if I can expose enogh wire, I'' try both (a small copper or brass connector and I'll soder the ends).

This wire looks like the bare ground from a 12ga romex wire. Is this correct?

also, is it normal for it to be in the concrete slab?

[PoolDoc]

1. Do not use standard solder -- it won't stand up well in that location

2. It's probably #8 or #10 bare ground wire -- though any stripped #8 or #10 SOLID copper wire should be OK.

[calitriv]

Ben,
Sounds good. Thank you for your help!

Vin

[BigDave]

Number 8 copper wire is required by code in my town (adopted from 2005 National Electric Code) for all pool bonding. Connection by exothermic welding or listed pressure connectors or clamps labeled as suitable for the purpose.
I agree, clamp it together, clean it, and cover the whole thing with silver solder.

It should be in the slab to connect to the rebar.

[PoolDoc]

I just thought of something else:

When you fix it -- if you do it right -- you should take, and keep, digital photos before and after. Bonding prevents electrocution of swimmers. Consider this sequence of events:

1. You repair and cover your work area.
2. Three years from now, the house and pool now belong to someone else.
3. The homeowner has a friend and his children over to swim.
4. One of the friend's children is shocked, and ends up alive, but brain damaged, with annual care costs of $400,000.
5. The friendship dissolves and the a suit for $10,000,000 is filed against the pool builder, the current owner, AND everyone else who has worked on the pool including you.
6. An electrical expert testifies that the shock would have been prevented if the bonding was correctly installed.
7. The blame is apportioned in million dollar segments.

and now, it can go two ways:

8a. You ask to be excused, since you put things back the way they were.
9a. Your request is denied because you did NOT have a licensed electrician make the repairs and
10a. You can't prove that they were put back right.
11a. You are assigned a $1,000,000 portion of the settlement.
12a. Your insurance bails, because you were doing unlicensed work.
13a. You either pay $1,000,000 OR your go bankrupt AND lose your house.

OR

8b. You ask to be dismissed, because you put things back -- NOT the way they were, but the way the SHOULD be, in the entire work area you exposed.
9b. You PROVE that you did so, with your digital photos. (Put copies on a chip or flash drive, put in in an envelope, give it to a friend or family member for storage, and both of you sign and date the envelope.
10b. You pay your own electrical electrical expert to argue that YOUR repairs IMPROVED the bonding system rather than weakening it, and therefore you are not at fault.
11b. Your request is granted, based on the evidence.
12b. You lose $10,000 for attorney's and expert fees.
13b. You get cited for doing electrical work without a license and lost $1,000.

Not many people die each year by pool electrocution -- maybe 1 or 2. So, the odds are with you even if you don't do it right. But for whatever reason, pool accidents are haunted by settlement hungry legal parasites . . . and when accidents do occur, the awards tend to be VERY large. Taking the pictures and saving the copies will cost you $50 max.

So, my recommendation is (1) fix it BETTER than it was and (2) record what you did. (Hiring an electrician wouldn't save you, except that he might do better work, and of course, you'd save the citation fees.)