Quote Originally Posted by doriec
Thanks for your information. I have more questions though. We talked to the electrician, and he said that our panel, pool equipment and pump is grounded with a rod to the ground. He suggested that we hook a ground rod and wire to the ladder and run it into the ground. He says this will take care of the ladder since it was installed after the pool was built. Do you agree? Thanks, Dorie
Your electrician is misinformed. He's not alone though, as most electricians don't understand code when it comes to pools. The wire from the ladder needs to go to the bonding circuit for the pool. This is a wire that connects to all of the metal objects that are close to the pool or that contact the water. Things like the pump motor, ladders, hand rails, slide bases, light housings, diving board stands, SWGs, heaters, fences, deck rebar, steel pool walls, metal coping, and I'm sure there are others I've neglected to mention. These things are all to be wired together, but there is no requirement for grounding. Have your electrician refer to the 2005 NEC, Article 680 where it says:
"equipotential stray voltage bonding conductors aren't required to extend to any panelboard, service equipment, or an electrode."
What this means is no ground rod is required. The reason for the bonding wire is to keep everything that could come in cantact with a swimmer at the same voltage. Grounding this bonding wire usually occurs by way of the bonding lug on the pump motor, but is just coincidental. Additional grounding electrodes serve no benefit, and may make your pool subject to stray voltage problems.

Grounding your ladder seperately from the rest of the bonding system isn't the thing to do. You need a wire to the bonding system. Sometimes the wire can be epoxied into a nearby control joint in a concrete deck without looking too bad.