What Does It Mean To Bond An Above Ground Pool
Bonding is the process by which the electrical and metallic components of the pool are joined together with a wire to form a non-resistive path between the components. The goal of bonding is to connect, contain and prevent the transmission of any harmful electrical voltage to pool equipment, people and pets.
Do You Have To Bond Pool Water
The safety of all pool swimmers is the number one concern of any professional installer. The National Electrical Code has mandated since 2008 that pool water must not contain lead, arsenic, mercury, or any other hazardous substances. Lead is a toxic metal that can cause serious health problems in children and adults.
It is also a known neurotoxin and has been linked to a number of health issues, including learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , and lower IQs. In addition, lead can damage the brain and nervous system, which can lead to learning and memory problems, as well as behavioral problems such as aggression, aggression toward others, and poor impulse control.
Lead can also cause behavioral changes in adults, especially those who have been exposed to high levels of lead for a long period of time. Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because their brains are still developing and they are more likely to absorb lead from the environment.
As a result, children are at greater risk of developing lead-based neurotoxicosis, a condition in which lead accumulates in the body and damages brain cells, leading to brain damage and cognitive impairment.
What Is Pool Bonding
Bonding is defined as: . . .the practice of intentionally electrically connecting all exposed metallic items not designed to carry electricity in a room or building as protection from electric shock. Another way of putting it is that the primary purpose of bonding is to keep people and electricity separated. Stray currents can occur in a swimming pool. Every metal component, the pool water and your body are all conductive and will carry electricity in the right situation.
In an improperly bonded pool stray currents are out of control and will seek the easiest path for conductivity. A bonded pool balances the electrical pressure and keeps all currents flowing outward into a bonding wire or grid where they are safely dispersed.
Pool electrical safety is the most important thing!
Complete the form below to for more info on water bonding devices from CMP.
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Grounding A Swimming Pool
Grounding and bonding are two different things that sometimes get confused as one. Grounding refers to protecting people in the pool from a potential fault in the electrical system . A fault in the electrical system refers to a higher than normal flow of electrical current.
When a fault occurs, it needs to be stopped by attaching a piece of equipment to the earths ground so that high electric current can flow towards the ground and not through the people in the pool. When the pools equipment is properly grounded to the earth with a GFCI receptacle or breaker, it will protect the people in the pool from potential electrical shock. This is because the GFCI receptacle or breaker will turn off the equipment once the GFCI detects the fault. Please refer to our blog for more information on GFCI receptacles.
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What Is A Pool Pump Used For
A pool pump is the heart of a swimming pool. The pumps main task is to circulate water, ensuring treatment chemicals are dispersed and the water does not stagnate. It does this by pulling water in through an inlet, funnelling water through a filter and then pumping the water back out into the pool.
Bonding A Swimming Pool
Bonding refers to protecting people in and around a swimming pool from shock by connecting all of the pools metal components together with a copper wire to make all of the metal components of equal potential .
When you have differing electrical voltage, an electric current is able to flow, and thus will shock or electrocute a person when touching one of the metallic components of the pool. This process of tying all of the metal components together to equalize the amount of voltage is also referred to as equipotential bonding.
When you have everything tied together to equalize the voltage with a copper wire, you now have whats called a bonding grid. Here are a list of common items that should be bonded together in the bonding grid to equalize voltage:
- Structure of the Pool
- Ladder
- Pool Lights
Both grounding and bonding together prevent shock-related injuries and electrocution. Grounding prevents shock through faults in an electrical system, while bonding prevents shock through differential currents running through the pools metallic components. Both are needed to provide safety for anyone entering your pool.
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What Happens When U Put Dry Ice In A Pool
Dry ice, of course, is frozen carbon dioxide about 107 below zero. If you put, say, 60 pounds of dry ice in an average size pool heres what would happen: It also would create a potentially toxic layer of carbon dioxide at the surface level, and will throw your pools acidity readings way out of whack.
Is Bonding Pool Water Important Yes
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Many pool owners do not understand the difference between grounding equipment versus bonding pool water.
Grounding Equipment: Electrical wiring system which is a conductor that provides a low impedance path to the earth to prevent hazardous voltages from appearing on equipment. All your pool equipment should be grounded for safety.
Bonding Pool Water: Bonding ensures the safety of all pool swimmers by making sure there is no build up of electricity in the swimming pool water. No current flow can take place between two bonded bodies because they have the same potential. Bonding keeps people and electricity separated.
Bonding protects people and equipment by reducing current flow between pieces of equipment at different potentials. The main reason for bonding swimming pool water is personnel safety. Bonding prevents someone touching two pieces of equipment at the same time from receiving a shock by becoming the path of equalization if they happen to be at different potentials
2008 the National Electrical Code has mandated that pool water shall be electrically bonded, not just metals in the structure of the pool itself. NEC bonding requirements apply to in ground and above ground pools, and includes all metal components, equipment and the water itself. Correct pool bonding protects people, pets and pool equipment by reducing current flow between items of different potential.
Here is a great article on swimming pool water bonding:
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Understanding Bonding And Grounding For Swimming Pool Equipment
If you’re a pool owner, it’s essential to make sure your pool equipment is properly grounded and bonded to keep your pool safe. However, for many people, this is one of the most puzzling aspects of pool construction.
Here, we’ll cover the basics of bonding and grounding pool equipment and why it’s so important that it is done correctly.
Why Does A Pool Need To Be Bonded
The goal of bonding is to connect, contain and prevent the transmission of any harmful electrical voltage to pool equipment, people and pets. The pools electrical and non-electricalmetal components are connected into a single electrical circuit. Bonding is the process of connecting the electrical components of a pool to a common electricalground. This ground is made up of two components: a conductor and an insulator.
A conductor is a solid or liquid material that is connected to the ground through an electrical connection. For example, a piece of metal that has been welded together to form a joint. The metal is electricallyconnected through the welding process. When the weld is removed, the metal separates into two separate pieces. These two pieces are then bonded together by a bonding agent. Bonding agents are substances that are used to bondmetals to each other.
Some bonding agents include, but are not limited to, sodium hydroxide , sodium carbonate and sodium borohydride . The bond between a metal and a bond agent is called an electrostatic bond. Electrostatic bonds are the most common type of bond used in pool and spa equipment because they are easy to install and maintain.
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How Much Does It Cost To Bond A Swimming Pool
How much does it cost to bond a swimming pool? Assuming your breaker panel has adequate capacity for this service and an available breaker slot, should run maybe $150-250 to get the power out of the house, say about $20-25/LF to install direct burial rated cable in conduit so say maybe $400-1000 for that, about $200-300 for
What happens if a pool is not bonded? If you do not bond your pool equipment there is the risk that the equipment itself will become the anode in a galvanic couple with other metal components in or around your pool. If this happens, the anode metals will deteriorate at an advanced rate, a phenomenon called galvanic corrosion.
Does an inground pool need to be bonded? If youre about to install an inground or above-ground pool on your property, then grounding and bonding must be done properly. You may already have a swimming pool, but you still need to check, because theres still the potential for shocks and electrocution if anythings been done improperly.
How long does it take to bond a pool? Having the field or bonding wire keeps everything neutral. Time needed: 1 hour.
What Is Bonding And Grounding
Like the other parts of your home, swimming pools require electricity to function. Pumps, lights, automatic pool covers, some cleaning equipment plus more will require power. But, as you can imagine, electrical safety is very important whenever water is involved.
Bonding and grounding are two of the most essential electrical safety tasks pool owners must perform. Without proper bonding and grounding, you and other pool users run the risk of electric shock when using your pool or equipment.
The terms bonding and grounding are often used together, and in many cases, they’re used interchangeably. But bonding and grounding are actually two totally different processes.
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Is Swimming In A Pool Safe During Pregnancy
Even if youve never exercised before, swimming is safe to take up during pregnancy. Swimming in a chlorinated pool is not harmful to you or your baby. Its usually safe for you to swim throughout your pregnancy, right up until your babys birth, although you shouldnt swim after your waters have broken.
Get Help With Bonding And Grounding Requirements And More
At Royal Swimming Pools, our expert installers work with local licensed electricians. We suggest you do the same for safety purposes to ensure you’re code compliant. For this reason, we can provide conceptual ideas but not technical support on this topic. If you want to learn more about how to keep your pool up to code and safe to use, you’ll want to research your specific area’s code requirements.
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What Is Bonding And Why Do We Do It
Bonding of metal is typically done by a 8 gauge copper wire. The connections of metal by the copper wire allow for electric flow to pass through metal.
In all metal, there are little electric currents. Electric currents that cannot escape to ground, or go back to their source, and ultimately, concentrate to one area are highly dangerous.
Without Bonding Examples
For example, if someone is swimming in a pool and the pool cage becomes concentrated with electric flow, the electricity may easily flow through the water shocking the human.
In another example, if the pool pump shorts, it can pass electricity through the internal water . And now, anyone is in the pool can become electrocuted.
The goal of bonding is to allow electric flow back to the source or to the ground.
What Metal Is Bonded
However, if we were to bond all metal together, there is no chance for electric concentrations as the electricity will spread across the metal.
Therefore, pool contractors and electricians will bond your pool pumps, heaters, pool cage, lights, screen enclosure, and ALL metal surrounding your pool .
You can see the pool enclosure is bonded from the featured image of this post.
Here are examples of other metal near a pool bonded!
There are many other items that should be bonded besides the images above. But, as a home owner and real estate agent, you might be able to better understand the importance of bonding when your home inspector calls this out on their report.
There are strict rules and codes to bonding of pool equipment and its surrounding objects . For the sake of simplicity, we will not be covering those rules.
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Additional Items To Be Bonded
- Metal ladder 680.26.
- Concrete pads within 3′ of the pool 680.26.
- Underwater Lighting 680.26.
- Electrically Operated Pool Covers 680.27.
- Deck Area Heating 680.27.
NOTES:Local codes may vary. Make sure to check with your local government, for applicable rules and regulations.
The information provided here applies to the specific pool mentioned in the question. Installations for other types of pools may vary.
Make sure to have this, and all other projects properly permitted and inspected.
All code references from National Electrical Code 2011
- There is no set arrangement to bonding. You just have to make sure everything applicable is connected. The perimeter bond is only required if the pool shell is coated in a non-conductive material . Don’t forget, the receptacle for the pump motor, if within 6-10′ of the pool wall, must be a single twist-lock type.Feb 20, 2014 at 3:11
- 1There are MANY important codes regarding pool wiring. PLEASE do not go only by a few posts on the internet. If you insist on doing this yourself PLEASE get a copy of the NEC or a good overview with all relevant codes. The Mike Holt© guide I linked is very thorough, but it’s based on the 2008 NEC so a few things are left out since most areas are by now under at least the 2011 NEC or equivalent. Speedy PeteyFeb 20, 2014 at 3:12
Swimming Pool Bonding On Vinyl Support Posts
Skedberg said:I have an above ground swimmimg pool that I need to bond but upon starting this job I discovered that the support posts on the pool are not metal at all but actually plastic. I can bond the pump, the outlet, the pool water, and the earth around it but the posts themselves have no metal to speak of. However the liner bead, post top mounts and wall bottom rails are steel. With plastic posts how do I bond the top and bottom pool steel together?? Has anyone else encountered a pool install like this??
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The Essential Guide To Pool Water Bonding Basics
Proper pool bonding is an extremely important topic. The number one concern of any professional installer has to be the safety of all pool swimmers. Most of us are aware that the pool must be bonded, but since 2008 the National Electrical Code has mandated that pool water shall be electrically bonded, not just metals in the structure of the pool itself. NEC bonding requirements apply to in ground and above ground pools, and includes all metal components, equipment and the water itself. Correct pool bonding protects people, pets and pool equipment.
Code enforcement for these requirements is consistently increasing. No matter how the code is enforced in your area, safety MUST be the highest concern. Successful pool professionals should already be meeting these requirements for all pool service and installations. CMP has been at the forefront of this area, developing products that are designed to make proper water bonding an easy and cost-effective addition to the construction of every pool.
How To Bond An Above Ground Swimming Pool
In this article, I will first explain why then how to bond an above ground swimming pool. After answering some frequently asked questions about pool bonding. Then I will break down the steps and help you figure out what supplies you need.
The video below teaches you how to install a skimmer bonding plate and explains a lot of what is also on this page.
Why do you have to bond an above ground swimming pool?
Bonding your pool is a safety measure to prevent accidentally getting electrocuted or seriously injured. You need to create a field around your swimming pool by attaching the bonding wire to the metal deck, pool equipment, metal pool wall, and even the water. By doing this you prevent those about the pool or those in the pool from being able to reach a different potential.Lastly, it is the law! Local state and federal building codes require all permanent above ground pools to get correctly bonded.
What is Pool Bonding
Time needed: 1 hour.
How To Bond An Above Ground Swimming Pool
For round pools, take the diameter of your pool and add two feet, then multiply by 3.14, finally add 25 feet to that. If you have a metal deck consider adding another 20 feet to touch it in two to three spots.The skimmer bonding plate and the pump come with bonding lugs so you may only need four more to connect to the pool frame or wall.
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