To explain the difference in grounding and bonding to me, a sage mogul as soon as used the analogy of a marriage. He defined that "grounding and bonding are like a wedding… Then after a little while, the husband will get grounded! " While this tale (if not entirely true) was entertaining, it did nothing to take the thriller out of grounding and bonding for me. Perhaps nowhere in the Code is this thriller more prevalent than at 680.26 coping with equipotential bonding for swimming swimming pools and related installations. I'd nominate this NEC section as one of the crucial misunderstood and misinterpreted sections in your complete Code. Historically, this section is certainly one of those who go through some of the most dramatic revisions from Code cycle to Code cycle. In this text, we will try and take the "mystery" out of this one area for equipotential bonding for swimming swimming pools and comparable installations.  
Bonding necessities are an necessary and distinctive protecting technique employed to extend the security of the users of bodies of water corresponding to pools, spas, and hot tubs. Bonding connects the conductive components of the pool structure, close by metallic objects, and electrical equipment enclosures collectively. Bonding is required to get rid of voltage gradients (rises in voltage potential) in the pool area. When metallic parts are bonded collectively, they effectively eradicate variations of voltage potential that may exist between the person conductive components and thus cut back the shock hazard. If these metallic conductive parts are usually not bonded collectively, this leaves these conductive elements having the potential of being at different voltage potentials. In a case like this, the human physique can serve as a "conductor" between two conductive parts at different voltage potentials if contact is made with these conductive components. If a conductive path is offered between two conductive components at completely different voltage potentials, this current goes to naturally equal itself out between these conductive elements.  
An electrical shock occurs when the human body is used because the "conductor" between these conductive parts. If these conductive components are mechanically, electrically, and intentionally bonded (married) together, there is typically no shock hazard present as these conductive components are all the time at the identical voltage potential. Once called the "common" bonding grid, it was changed to "equipotential" bonding in the course of the 2005 NEC to help make clear and describe the perform and goal of this section. Now is a good time to discover the completely different functions served by bonding and grounding and to develop a transparent understanding of the 2 phrases. Bonding is used to equalize voltage potential differences to cut back shock hazards between totally different components of the Affordable fiberglass pool shells for sale by connecting potentially conductive elements collectively. Grounding includes providing a low-impedance, floor-fault return path from the gear required to be grounded again to the source of the electrical system, sometimes via the equipment grounding conductor routed with the department-circuit conductors. This path facilitates the operation of the fuse or circuit breaker to allow it to remove the faulted condition.  
In brief, bonding means "connected collectively," whereas grounding means "connected to earth." Grounding and bonding collectively present the security from shock hazards that is so important, particularly in an aquatic surroundings corresponding to a swimming pool. Since a number of forms of electrical gear commonly used with swimming swimming pools, hot tubs or spas which might be bonded collectively should also be grounded, an interconnection between the grounded (impartial) conductor and bonding grid exists. Swimming pools, spas, and sizzling tubs present particular shock hazards to people. The water is blended with chemicals, which frequently enhance conductivity. People are in direct contact with the water and encounter grounded objects such as steel ladders. Electrical equipment is used to circulate and heat the water and for other related features resembling illumination. The Code necessities, if rigorously followed, will scale back the electric shock hazards to a suitable level. One of these measures is the bonding collectively of conductive parts of the pool and steel components of electrical equipment related to the pool.  
The goal is to supply a means of equalizing the voltage potential of all tools and components. If performed properly, there can be no present move between these parts that could be harmful to personnel. The required bonding is completed by connecting all the elements together by an adequately sized and properly linked sequence of copper bonding conductor(s) or other recognized bonding strategies. The Code describes the basic bonding necessities and offers a listing of gadgets required to be bonded together. 1. All steel elements of the pool construction, including the reinforcing steel of the pool shell, coping stones and deck. The standard steel tie wires are considered appropriate for bonding the reinforcing steel together, and welding, brazing or particular clamping shouldn't be required. These tie wires have to be made tight. Reinforcing steel effectively insulated by an encapsulating, nonconductive compound at the time of manufacture is just not required to be bonded.