i got a call to check pool lights for a costumer and noticed there was no #8 ground wire on any of the 2 pumps, lights, heaters, transformers,or sub panel.i didn't see any #8 solid at all in the sub panel.there was a stranded #8 or 10 from main panel.no ground rods at sub. they said the house was 6-8 years old.everything had lugs big enough for #8 including pumps.

my question is- does anyone know the codes for pool bond about 9-12 years ago?
i don't mess with pools much and am a new contractor.
i don't have code books past 2002.
since it's a ingrond concrete pool would the concrete act as a ground for the light, railing, and screen enclosure?
thanx for ur help.............

The #8 solid bonding requirement for pools has been in the code longer than I have been in the trade, and that’s since the early 1980's.
The #8 doesn’t need to go back to the panel, it only bonds the pool associated equipment together to create the equipotential bonding grid.

same grid meaning light, transformer, pool pumps, railing,heater, screen enclosure,etc. right?

You should also be picking up the rebar in the pool shell. If you don't see some #8 solid anywhere I am guessing this was not built with a permit. The bonding should have been inspected at least twice and maybe 3 times

We do three bonding inspections here in North Port. One at the shell, on at the deck, and one at the final.

I agree with Greg. If metal parts of the pool are not included in with the rest of the equipotential grid, such as shell steel, deck steel, metal handrails, niche light forming shell, metal within 5' of the water, ect..., a shock potential will be established between conductive parts.

2002 NEC 680.26
The following needs to be bonded:
1. Metallic structural components
2. Underwater lighting (except listed LV w/ non-metallic forming shells)
3. Metal fittings (except for fittitng <4" in dimension that penetrate <1" into pool structure)
4. Electrical Equipment
5. Metal wiring methods and equipment within 5' horiz or 12' vertically

(c) ...with a solid copper conductor, insulated, covered, or bare, not smaller than 8AWG.

hth. Mike

the same grid means all brought back to same ground bar or can the pumps be taken off pool panel and the rest be bonded to a ground rod???

NOT GROUNDED. Just "bonded".

1 solid #8 from point to point to point unbroken. so essentialy they become 1 piece of metal, all of the same potential.

The pool is already in contact with the Earth. Grounding of the pool and equipment will serve no purpose. The equipment grounding of the equipment will provide the effective fault path back to the source, while the equipotential bonding "shorts" out the battery created by the metal pool parts.

That, and although water and earth are conductors, they're relatively poor conductors and can still set up a situation where a swimmer becomes a current carrier, which is far more dangerous in a pool than anywhere else due to the reduced skin resistance, nature of the circuit (current is very likely to pass through the heart), difficulty of breaking contact, high potential to drown, and difficulty of rescue as anyone trying to conduct a rescue would be at the same risk.

The equipotential bond ensures there will be no equipotential difference within the pool and pool area, so that even if a short were to occur, the entire pool will be at the same potential and no dangerous amounts of current can flow through the water.

1990 NEC-
680.22(a)- the following parts shall be bonded together:
(1) All metallic parts of the poolstrcture, including the reinforcing metal of the poolshell, coping stones, and deck.
(2) All forming shells.
(3) All metal fittings within or attached to the pool structure.
(4) Metal parts of electrical equipment associated with the pool water circulating system, including pump motors.

so, if the pool was built in 1996 at the latest, it should be bonded, because it was required in 1990, and i dont think they would skip a year of boding.

hope i helped

Just for the record, I have a 1975 NEC book and the # 8 bonding wire was required back then under sec. 680-22. When I started doing electrical work way back then, the pipe from the wet niche to the deck box was a solid piece of brass conduit. That would almost act as the bonding connection but that was a long time ago and I don't remember if a second # 8 was required inside of the pipe. ( I don't believe so) However I started doing electrical work when I was 5 years old and that is why I don't remember that far back! LOL

This pool was probably installed without an electrical permit. The people that installed the pool might have done the wiring to cut the Electrician(s) out of the install and make "quick money".