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Listen up, pool owners—down here in Fort Myers, where the afternoon thunderstorms roll in faster than you can say “manatee crossing,” and every lanai’s got a spa bubbling away like it’s happy hour, there’s one electrical detail that separates a safe splash from a shocking surprise: bonding and grounding. We’ve been Coharbor Electric for a solid quarter-century, wiring and rewiring everything from kidney-shaped ingrounds in Gateway to hot tubs perched on high-rises overlooking the Caloosahatchee. And let us tell you, we’ve yanked more than a few folks out of the water with that wide-eyed “what just zapped me?” look because somebody skimped on the bonds. Salt air from the Gulf, chlorine fumes, lightning that lights up the sky like the Fourth—our corner of Southwest Florida doesn’t mess around with electricity near water. Get the bonding and grounding wrong, and you’re playing Russian roulette in your own backyard. But nail it? You’ve got peace of mind that lets the grandkids cannonball without a second thought. Today, we’re diving deep—pun intended—into how it all works, why Fort Myers makes it trickier, and the step-by-step to keep your wet zone safe. Grab a cold one, settle in; this one’s gonna save you headaches, and maybe more.
You know the drill: Water conducts electricity like nobody’s business, especially when it’s got a dash of pool salt or that brackish canal feed some of you pull from. A stray voltage gradient—just a couple volts difference between the ladder and the water—can lock up your muscles mid-stroke. We’ve measured it on jobs: 1.5 volts over three feet, enough to paralyze a kid before they surface. That’s where bonding and grounding come in, tag-teaming to eliminate those gradients and give faults a safe path home. Florida Building Code Chapter 27 (sync’d with NEC Article 680) spells it out crystal clear for pools, spas, and hot tubs: Everything metal within arm’s reach of the water gets bonded into one big equipotential happy family, then grounded solid to earth. Lee County inspectors live for this stuff—fail a bonding inspection, and your permit’s toast, along with any chance of insurance covering the “oops” moment. Post-Hurricane Ian, we’ve rebuilt dozens of systems where floodwaters washed away ground rods or snapped bonds, turning safe pools into hazard zones overnight. But here’s the kicker: Do it once, do it right, and you’re set for years of worry-free dips, even when FPL surges during a squall.
Folks mix these up all the time, so let’s set it straight before we get our hands dirty.
Bonding’s the equalizer—think of it as linking all the metal bits so they’re at the exact same voltage potential. No differences, no shocks. NEC 680.26(B) lists what needs tying in: Pool shells (rebar grid if concrete), ladders, diving boards, handrails, light niches, pumps, heaters, even the metal fence posts if they’re within 5 feet of the water’s edge. For spas? Same deal—shell, jets, blower motors, the works. We use #8 solid bare copper wire, clamped with listed bronze or stainless fittings that laugh at corrosion. In gunite pools, it’s that perimeter loop around the coping, plus cross-ties to the rebar every 20 feet or so. We’ve bonded vinyl-liner pools with a copper ring buried just outside the wall—tricky in our sandy soil, but it holds. The goal? If lightning hits or a wire faults, current spreads even, no hot spots to bite you.
Grounding’s the safety valve—connects that bonded system (and all equipment cases) back to the electrical service ground, usually via the main panel’s grounding electrode system. That could be your ufer ground in the slab, driven rods, or the water pipe if it’s qualifying. For pools, the pump motor gets a green equipment grounding conductor (EGC) in the conduit, sized per Table 250.122—#12 for a 20-amp circuit, beefier as amps climb. Spas with factory cords? They plug into GFCI receptacles, but hardwired ones need the full bond-plus-ground treatment. We’ve seen old above-grounds with just a stake in the dirt—code now demands integration with the house system. Key difference: Bonding prevents shocks between metals; grounding shunts faults to trip breakers before they energize the water.
Our slice of paradise ain’t kind to metal. Salt spray off Estero Bay, high water table that keeps soil soggy, lightning capital vibes—it’s a perfect storm for corrosion and stray current. We’ve pulled bonding wires that looked like green spaghetti after five years in canal-front yards. Sandy soil shifts, snapping clamps; post-Ian surges fried grounds that weren’t surge-protected. And those saltwater pools? Chlorine generators create DC currents that eat anodes if not isolated—galvanic corrosion on steroids. Florida’s 2023 code updates tightened things: All storable pools over 42 inches deep now need bonding if they’ve got circulation pumps, and spas require low-voltage lighting separation. Lee County adds wetland setbacks for ground rods if you’re near mangroves. We’ve navigated it all, from Iona ranches to downtown condos with rooftop tubs—permits in hand, every time.
Alright, boots on—here’s how we roll it out on a typical Fort Myers job, whether new build or retrofit.
Load calc first: Size the subpanel (usually 100-200 amps for full pool setups). Map every bond point—measure twice, clamp once. Pull Lee County permits; they’ve got a pool packet that spells bonding details.
For ingrounds: Tie into rebar during gunite spray—#8 copper grid, exothermic welds or listed clamps every intersection. Perimeter loop 18-24 inches from edge, 4-6 inches deep. Vinyl or fiberglass? Bury a #8 loop outside the shell, stake it down. Spas: Factory bond lugs on the shell—extend with #8 to the grid.
Ladders get split-bolt clamps; pumps and heaters land on factory lugs. Lights? Bond the niche forming shell. Run continuous #8— no splices unless in a listed box. We’ve looped entire lanais, tying in screen enclosures if metal posts hit the 5-foot zone.
From the grid, homerun #8 (or larger if combined with EGC) to the subpanel bus, then to the main service ground. Add supplemental rods if resistance tests over 25 ohms—our soil often needs ’em. Surge protection at the panel; we’ve saved compressors that way.
Continuity: Under 1 ohm between any two points. Impedance tester for the grid—should read near zero difference. Ground resistance: Aim under 5 ohms. GFCI trips at 5 mA. We log it all for the inspector.
Painted-over clamps? Corrosion city—strip and redo. Missing the deck steel? Gradient shocks. We’ve retrofitted pre-2000 pools lacking full grids—drill and epoxy clamps into coping. Above-grounds with flex hose? Bond the metal wall panels. Hot tubs on balconies? Tie into building steel, but isolate from rebar to avoid loops. And never—ever—use aluminum wire; our humidity turns it to dust.
Annual tug tests: Bonds should hold firm. Clean corrosion with a wire brush, re-grease. Post-storm? Recheck everything—Ian taught us that. Test GFCIs monthly. We’ve got maintenance plans that catch the creep before it bites.
We’ve bonded systems from splash pads in kids’ backyards to infinity edges overlooking the river, and nothing beats that first dive knowing it’s solid. Bonding and grounding aren’t sexy, but they’re the invisible shield making Fort Myers pools the best part of home.
Zap-proof your paradise today—contact Coharbor Electric for a free bonding & grounding inspection and quote. We’re Fort Myers’ pool safety experts, licensed, local, and ready to connect it right. Call now or visit coharborelectric.com—dive in worry-free!
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