Electrical Safety Authority Pool Bonding January 12 2016

Electrical Safety Authority Pool Bonding January 12, 2016

Electrical Safety Authority Pool Bonding

Inspection Requirements 2 -004 Inspection (1) A contractor shall file with the inspection department a completed application for inspection of any work on an electrical installation: (a) Before or within 48 hours after commencement of the work whether or not electrical power or energy has been previously supplied to the land, building, or premises on which the work was performed; and (b) Shall pay the fees prescribed by the inspection department. ESA allows pool installers to obtain a notification and do the pool bonding Pool Bonding

Common Terms Common terms: Voltage • Force that causes flow of electricity • Measured in Volts (V) • Can be compared to water pressure Current • A flow of electric charge measured in Amperes (A) • Can be compared to the rate of flow of water in a pipe. Resistance • Ability of an object to conduct electricity, measured in Ohms (Ω). • High resistance object is an insulator, low resistance object is a conductor. Pool Bonding

Ground Gradient • Similar to dropping a pebble in calm water and observing the ripples moving away from the center. Voltage would be the ripples. • As the voltage disperses from the center, the voltage drops. • Two forms of ground gradient hazard: Step Potential and Touch Potential. Pool Bonding

Step Potential Step potential • Voltage difference between two points (difference in potential) of a person (or animal) standing near an energized object • A person could be at risk of injury during a fault simply by standing near the grounding point. Pool Bonding

Touch Potential Touch potential • Voltage between energized object and feet of a person in contact with the object • Equal to the difference in voltage between the object and a point some distance away Pool Bonding

Bonding and Bonding Conductor Bonding • a low impedance path obtained by permanently joining all non-current-carrying metal parts to ensure electrical continuity and having the capacity to conduct safely any current likely to be imposed on it. Bonding Conductor • a conductor that connects the non-current-carrying parts of electrical equipment, raceways, or enclosures to the service equipment or system grounding conductor. Pool Bonding

68 -058 Rule 68 -058 (4) requires a minimum size of bonding conductors for permanently installed pools and all in-ground pools to be no smaller than No. 6 AWG copper. Pool Bonding

Bonding a Metal Pool Shell Rule 68 -058(8) requires a galvanized steel pool shell made up of individual panels securely bolted together, to be bonded in at least one location to equipment specified in Subrule (1) and as shown in Diagram B 1. Pool Bonding

Bonding a Metal Pool Shell Pool Bonding

Bonding a Metal Pool Shell Question If a metal pool shell has fibreglass stairs installed that break the continuous shell of the pool as shown on the Photo B 1, is it only required to be bonded at one point as per Rule 68 -058(8)? Answer Yes, provided a bonding jumper (of the same size as the bonding conductor) is provided across the bonding path break, as per Diagram B 1. Rationale A metal pool shell is only required to be bonded once, if it is continuous. If there is a break in the outer shell by a non-conductive material (ie. fibreglass stairs), then a jumper is required across the break (or bond each section individually). Pool Bonding

Bonding a Metal Pool Shell Pool Bonding

Bonding a pool with structural reinforcing steel Rule 68 -058(2) requires the pool reinforcing steel to be bonded together with a minimum of four connections, equally spaced around the perimeter and to equipment specified in Subrule (1), as shown in Diagram B 2. Pool Bonding

Bonding a pool with structural reinforcing steel Pool Bonding

Bonding a pool with encapsulated reinforcing steel When pool reinforcing steel is encapsulated with a nonconductive compound, a bonding grid around the pool cannot be formed. Rule 68 -058(3) and Appendix B note requires a bonding loop (no smaller than No. 6 AWG copper) around the pool if the steel is encapsulated, as per Diagram B 3. Equipment specified in Subrule (1) is required to be bonded to that loop Pool Bonding

Bonding a pool with encapsulated reinforcing steel Pool Bonding

Pools of non conductive materials The OESC does not have bonding requirements for pools with nonconductive materials such are fibreglass composite or resin. If other conductive non-electrical equipment associated with the pool such as ladders or fences are installed, they would be required to be bonded to the pool electrical equipment. Pool Bonding

Frequently Asked Questions Question Can the split bolts or ground lugs used for pool bonding be aluminum? Answer No. Any split bolts or ground lugs located underground shall be approved for earth burial. Components located outdoors shall be approved as suitable for wet locations. Rule 2 -034 requires approved electrical equipment of a kind or type and rating approved for the specific purpose for which it is to be employed. Pool Bonding

Frequently Asked Questions Question Does the deck-reinforcing steel need to be bonded? Answer Yes, Rule 68 -058(1) requires deck-reinforcing steel to be bonded together and to other metal parts of the pool. See Diagram B 1 and B 2. Additional bonding connections for the deck of the metal pool shell are not required when: ● the pool reinforcing bracing is part of the metal pool shell as shown in photo B 1; ● the pool reinforcing steel is pressure fit to the continuous metal pool shell as shown in Photo B 3 and B 4; or ● A conductive mesh (laid down over the gravel below the deck), is tie-wired and in solid contact with the continuous metal pool shell as shown in Photo B 4. Pool Bonding

Frequently Asked Questions Pool Bonding

Frequently Asked Questions Question Is a pool bonding conductor specified by Rule 68 -058(1) required to be connected to a grounding electrode? Answer No. A pool bonding conductor specified by Rule 68 -058(1) is not required to be connected to a grounding electrode. The bonding required by Rule 68 -058(1) is installed to eliminate voltage gradients in the pool area and to ensure that all metallic parts described in the rule are at the same electrical potential. Pool Bonding

Common Defects OESC 2012 Rule 02 -004 - Any person responsible for any installed, alteration, repair, or extension of any electrical equipment, shall obtain an application for inspection from the Electrical Safety Authority. OESC 2012 Rule 02 -004(6) - Please note: the wiring is not to be covered or concealed until it has been inspected by an electrical inspector and found to conform to the Electrical Safety Code. Pool Bonding

Common Defects OESC 2012 Rule 68 -058 - All metal parts of the pool and non-electrical equipment associated to the pool shall be bonded together and to non-current-carrying metal parts of electrical equipment by a copper conductor not smaller than #6 awg. OESC 2012 Rule 68 -058(3) - Where reinforcing steel is encapsulated with a non-conductive compound such as epoxy, provisions shall be made for an alternative means to eliminate voltage gradients such as a loop of minimum #6 AWG copper conductor installed around the pool below the normal water line. Pool Bonding

Contact Information • Call Centre: 1. 877. ESA. SAFE 1. 877. 372. 7233 • Website: www. esasafe. com Pool Bonding

Electrical Safety Authority Thank you Pool Bonding