Tag: Copper Crimp

Dear Mr. Electrician:  How do I fix my in-ground swimming pool bonding? Answer:  Although swimming pool bonding is not very difficult to fix if you know the National Electrical Code requirements, it is best left to professionals due to the high risk of injury or death if done improperly. NOTE: Some text links below go to applicable products on Amazon.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Article 680.26 Equipotential Bonding is what is used to determine the necessary swimming pool bonding methods needed for each pool. Bonding of swimming pools, hot tubs, and other immersion pools is extremely important to reduce electrical shock hazards and the possibility of electrocution. Water and electricity are not a very safe combination so it is imperative that the electrical installation be done according to the National Electrical Code and local code requirements. Below are photos of a commercial pool that failed inspection due to shortcomings with the bonding. In my state commercial swimming pools are required to be inspected by a licensed electrical contractor every few years.  The required inspection is a good thing, because every time I have done a pool inspection I have found problems.  Most problems were not from the original swimming pool construction, but as a result of repairs, changes, and a lack of good preventative maintenance. Unfortunately the state has no such inspection requirements for homeowner managed swimming pools.  Consequently problems on residential homeowner pools are not caught unless someone working on the pool notices that something is wrong. BONDING WIRE REPAIR This is a close up shot of the pool pump from the top of this page.  Although it does have a bonding wire connected, the lug is not approved for two wires, only one.  The photo below depicts my correction with a new lay-in lug and crimped wires. A new tin plated copper lay-in lug was installed and the broken bonding wire was spliced together using a copper C tap and a crimping tool.  I also used a copper split bolt connector to take the strain off of the crimps. The swimming pool pump motor above has its own built-in lay-in lug and set screw. Lay-in lugs are favorable for use on pool equipment because it makes it easy to replace the equipment without having to take apart all of the bonding connections.  The bonding wire should never be cut. A pool heater with a lay-in lug and number 8 solid copper wire.  All equipment associated with a pool must be bonded. The above swimming pool lighting transformers were all required to be bonded.  One of the bonding lugs had two wires in it.  That would have been okay if the lug was approved for two wires, but it wasn't. Two wires in a pool equipment bonding lug that was not approved for two wires.  My fix is below. I pulled the extra wire out of the lug and made a splice using a copper crimp and a copper split bolt connector. I used a copper C tap crimp and also a copper split bolt connector to join the wires together...