Installment 4

[Norm]

Let's talk about "bonding". What is bonding? What is it's purpose? How is it accomplished? Which components associated with a swimming pool have to be bonded? Is the bond in photo #1 necessary?

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Download Attachment: BONDING 2.jpg

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Download Attachment: BONDING 5.jpg

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My comments Thursday 5-27-04

NORM SAGE

[Danny Pritchard]

"Is the bond in photo #1 necessary?"

No,unless that is a metal housing and it is within 5' of the pool.

I'm not sure what I'm looking at in picture #5.It could be a heater but I do not see a bond wire.

[Norm]

Danny,

While it's hard to see, the bottom right corner of the 11KW Spa heater has rusted away at the point of the previous connection for the bond wire. You are correct re: bonding of the metal filter case. The NEC requires bonding of all electrical equipment associated with circulation of the pool water. The filter is not electrical equipment. Very good.

NORM SAGE

[Norm]

Here's the bonding requirement chart from the NEC. The purpose of bonding is to create and maintain an equal potential electrical plane. So long as the components you simultaneously touch are of the same electrical potential you likely won't be in danger.

NORM SAGE

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[Martin Lehman]

The bonding wire in pic 4 doesn't look like a No.8 wire - looks too small.

What's up with that?

[Norm]

Martin,

The conductor in photo #4 which attaches to a vertical metal support column is a solid #8. I verified it myself at the time I took the photo.

NORM SAGE

[Brian G]

Norm! You're alive! Long time no see.

Brian G.

Norm & Sasquatch...Mere Myths?

[DonTx]

Norm returns!

Welcome back Norm, to a place everyone knows your name...[:-spin]

[Norm]

I must admit I've been lurking. I'm flattered to have been missed.

NORM SAGE

[paul burrell]

Let me guess. The PVC piping is not an electrical conductor and therefore will not take a short to ground.

Please don't criticize me if I am wrong cause I am sensitive.[:-paperba

Paul Burrell

From the land of cotton, well used to be.

[Norm]

Paul,

What you're referring to as "plastic piping" is Dek-0-Drain. It's a hollow plastic channel about 1 1/2" wide and 4" deep placed in a concrete pool deck so as to provide surface water drainage to a remote area. In this case the bond wire which was attached to the wire mesh just happened to come up through the concrete next to the Dek-O-Drain after which it was run along the surface to the metal support column. Most of the time the conductor is bugged onto the column below the concrete surface and you have to run a continuity test to verify its presence.

NORM SAGE

[Martin Lehman]

Norm,

would you actually run a continuity test on a patio cover where the bond to it is under the concrete deck?

If so how do you go about doing it?

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Martin Lehman

Norm,

would you actually run a continuity test on a patio cover where the bond to it is under the concrete deck?

If so how do you go about doing it?

Martin, I'm afraid that Norm can't answer your question on this forum. He passed away last June.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Scottpat]

Kind of nice to see Norm's thread popping up at this time of year..

[hausdok]

Hi,

I thought it would be appropriate to leave Norm as one of our forum moderators for this category, so he'll always be with us in spirit.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[allspec33351]

Originally posted by Martin Lehman

Norm,

would you actually run a continuity test on a patio cover where the bond to it is under the concrete deck?

If so how do you go about doing it?

Martin

You would take one end of the lead and place it on the patio cover.The other end of the lead you would place on the bonding wire. Now when I say bonding wire we are usually talking about somewhere in the vicinity of the pump.

I made a device based on Norm and a gentleman by the name of Burt Silver. It was a fishing rod but the line in the fishing rod was wire. On the base of the fishing rod was an electric meter. At the end of the line (wire) was an alligator clip. I use this for couple years however it was a pain neck.

If I remember correctly I was able to check the bonding of the pool by putting the line in the water and the other alligator clip on a known bonding surface.

Mitchell

miss you Norm

[Martin Lehman]

Thanks allspec.

I have been looking through all the posts on pools and spas as I am starting to get into pool inspections - I am tired of loosing business because of it.

What a great forum this is, and what an excellent teacher Norm was, sorry to hear he passed away.

RIP