Electrical Bonding

[cbridges]

Matt, thanks for the excellent work. If I could buy you that beer, I would (Paypal?). It all makes sense. The part about the pool water being bonded -- can't find anything like that in the code! But it will be anyhow, as I am bonding my metal ladder, which always sits in the pool.

I also did some research with my electrian last night....we studied the three pages of section 68 of the CEC which deals with pools. Regarding taking the bond back to the panel, here is what it says: 68-058 (6): "The bonding conductor from the junction box referred to in 68-060 shall be run to the main panel, and if smaller than No. 6 AWG, shall be installed and mechanically protected in the same manner as the circuit conductors." Any interpretation of that?

Also, here's a curious one, regarding a GFCI circuit for the pump. 68-068 (7) "Except as permitted by Rule 68-070, the following equipment shall be protected by GFCI: (c) electrical equipment located within the confines of the pool walls or within 3 meters of the inside of the pool walls and not suitably seperated from the pool by a fence, wall or other permanent barrier." Well, guess what: my pump is located in my garage, about 4 meters from the pool, clearly behind a wall. So....no GFCI needed, according to CEC...which, in my opinion and my electrician's, doesn't make a lot of sense.

Go figger.

[matt4x4]

Here's what i get from that, first the smaller than #6 thing....
The junction box needs to be bonded, tehy would like to see a #6, however, if a #6 is not doable, then you need your Minimum to be equal and no less than the wire size of the wires feeding the junction box (circuit conductors) from the panel, which would make it the bare ground in your 2 wire #12 feed wire.

With regards to the GFCI - it's the hairdryer in the bathtub scenario here.
Since your pump can't possibly fall in the pool from inside the garage, and most likely can't get a continuous wet and conductive path to the pool, it no longer needs to be on a GFCI.
The part that doesn't make sense to me is the behind the fence thing, it's still outside if behind a fence and threfore should have a GFCI protecting it since if it shorts during a rainstorm and you're barefoot, standing on the wet ground beside it, you've just become part of the circuit.

Either way, go with a GFCI, obviously another one of those MINIMUM requirements that's just better to go the above and beyond route.

As for the water bonding, I don't know about what the CEC says, but I tripped across it somewhere on the NEC yesterday and it ended up in my pile of printouts I took home to review with my electrician buddies.

If you're bonding your ladder, it's more than enough since it drops deeper than the low point on the skimmer at which point without the ladder your pool water would be "disconnected" from the equipment.

Another way to do this is to bond one of the lower screws on the skimmer. Even though the wall and skimmer screws sort of meet and touch, this connection can fail and is likely not considered to be enough, that's why the NEC want a sepaprate bonding to the water, doing so on the skimmer screw/nut would provide a good solid bond.

As for the beer, I'll take you up on it (and a swim in your lightning safe pool) should I venture to BC one day!