1. Electrical Safety Authority
Pool Bonding
January 12, 2016

2. Electrical Safety Authority
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3. Inspection Requirements
A contractor shall file with the inspection department a completed application for inspection of any work on an electrical installation:
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
Shall pay the fees prescribed by the inspection department.
ESA allows pool installers to obtain a notification and do the pool bonding
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4. Common Terms 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.
Common terms
Voltage: The force that causes the flow of electricity and it’s measured in volts. This can be compared to water pressure
Current: A flow of electric charge measured in amperes (amps). This can be compared to the rate of flow of water in a pipe.
Resistance: Is the ability of an object to conduct electricity measured in ohms. A high resistance object is an insulator; where as a low resistance object is a conductor.
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5. 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.
Ground gradient can be described as dropping a pebble in calm water and observing the ripples moving away from the center. The voltage would be the ripples. As the voltage disperses from the center, the voltage drops. There are 2 forms in which the ground gradient can create a hazard. The forms are Step Potential and Touch Potential.
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6. 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.
Step potential" is the voltage between the feet of a person standing near an energized grounded object. It is equal to the difference in voltage, between two points at different distances from the "electrode". A person could be at risk of injury during a fault simply by standing near the grounding point.
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7. 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
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8. Bonding and Bonding Conductor
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.
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9. 68-058
Rule (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.
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10. Bonding a Metal Pool Shell
Rule (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 B1.
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11. Bonding a Metal Pool Shell
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12. 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 B1, is it only required to be bonded at one point as per Rule (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 B1. 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).
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13. Bonding a Metal Pool Shell
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14. Bonding a pool with structural reinforcing steel
Rule (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 B2.
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15. Bonding a pool with structural reinforcing steel
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16. Bonding a pool with encapsulated reinforcing steel
When pool reinforcing steel is encapsulated with a non- conductive compound, a bonding grid around the pool cannot not be formed. Rule (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 B3. Equipment specified in Subrule (1) is required to be bonded to that loop
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17. Bonding a pool with encapsulated reinforcing steel
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18. 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.
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19. 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 requires approved electrical equipment of a kind or type and rating approved for the specific purpose for which it is to be employed.
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20. Frequently Asked Questions
Question Does the deck-reinforcing steel need to be bonded? Answer Yes, Rule (1) requires deck-reinforcing steel to be bonded together and to other metal parts of the pool. See Diagram B1 and B2. 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 B1; ● the pool reinforcing steel is pressure fit to the continuous metal pool shell as shown in Photo B3 and B4; 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 B4.
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21. Frequently Asked Questions
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22. Frequently Asked Questions
Question Is a pool bonding conductor specified by Rule (1) required to be connected to a grounding electrode? Answer No. A pool bonding conductor specified by Rule (1) is not required to be connected to a grounding electrode. The bonding required by Rule (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.
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23. Common Defects
OESC 2012 Rule 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 (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.
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24. Common Defects
OESC 2012 Rule 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 (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.
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25. Website: www.esasafe.com
Contact Information
Call Centre: ESA.SAFE
Website:
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26. Electrical Safety Authority
Thank you
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