AG Pool wiring and other headaches

[JohnT]

I really just need to bond the uprights/foot plates with the proper wire and have it long enough to reach my pump in case it was replaced with one not double insulated. Is that correct in a nutshell? No attaching it to a ground rod. No attaching it to the pump ckt ground. Just make use all the pool parts and anything metal around the pool is electrically connected.

Yes, that is correct.

[haze_1956]

I thought I was following this but those last few posts got me reconfused.

Is this right ?

Bonding - Connecting a number of metal objects so they will have a common electrical potential, but not to be grounded.

If this is correct, wouldn't the metal housing of a double insulated pump still have to be bonded, if within a set distance from pool?

[JohnT]

I thought I was following this but those last few posts got me reconfused.

Is this right ?

Bonding - Connecting a number of metal objects so they will have a common electrical potential, but not to be grounded.

If this is correct, wouldn't the metal housing of a double insulated pump still have to be bonded, if within a set distance from pool?

Double insulated pump motors are specifically exempted from bonding in the NEC. In order for a pump to be labelled "double-insulated", it must be tested and evaluated for this when it is tested by UL or other certifying organization. Small items are generally considered exempt from bonding requirements if it is unlikely they could become energized.

[denanbob]

My DH just got done sledgehammering 10ft copper rods into the ground at six different points around our pool. I don't even know HOW we would begin to get those out. We searching for how to ground a pool and this is what we found. Now I'm finding out this may not be the case. He also put little copper connectors at the base of each of our posts/pillars that hold the pool up. He then is threading #6 copper wire through each connector and ground all the way around the pool. So it will go connector/ground rod/connector/ground rod, etc................Please tell me we don't have to rip this all out. If anything, is it just overkill?

[denanbob]

Any comments on our grounding scenario? Good OR bad? Or do I not even want to know? LOL!

[prh129]

I am not an electrician but from the information in JohnT's posts, the purpose of bonding is to tie all of the metal parts around the pool together but NOT connect them to ground so you can leave the 10 ft copper rods in the ground but don't connect the bonding wire to them. Only connect the bonding wire to the pool and the pump motor housing.

Peter

[denanbob]

Thanks Peter. I wonder why we shouldn't connect the bonding wire to the ground rods. Anyone know? We know 2 electricians and neither one of them knows anything about pool wiring. Maybe because not many people have pools in Ohio since it's always raining and cold in the summer and you can't swim anyway? Or is that only because we put a pool in that the weather is like that? LOL!