Hi - i need help with an electrical question on an inground pool?
Question:i am installing an inground polymer pool. i have a question about bonding and electricity.. I know you have have to bond anyplace that
has metal - does this include the metal coping along the top edge of the pool - which is attached to polymer sides - not metal - any and all answers are appreciated
Answers:
All metal parts are to be grounded. This includes pumps, handrails, steel in concrete, diving boards, and ANY other metal installed in or around the pool as a permanent fixture. Typically all parts should be grounded continuously on one loop of wire. Usually you should half moon around the steel in the concrete attaching it occasionally and bonding the other items along the way. The min size wire should be a #8 bare copper wire. The guy above me apparently has no clue what he is talking about. I am a licensed electrician, and I have wired more than my share of swimming pools
ANYTHING metal must be bonded, including the metal coping. Not that it always happens, but it is supposed to.
Note that bonding is not just to minimize the chance of a wiring fault from becoming a problem, but also to minimize the possibility of an electric charge from developing between dissimilar metals.
I don't see why any additional grounding besides the pool pump and lighting are necessary at all.
As long as you have a GFCI breaker installed you should be fine. The GFCI is a special breaker that monitors the ground line. As soon as it detects as little as 10 milliamps going to ground it will trip the breaker. That amount of current will not hurt you and in fact you probably won't even notice it.
Just make sure that your pool is on a dedicated circuit with a GFCI breaker and you'll be fine.
Good luck!
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