Help grounding a pool fence

[imtaylor]

Hello and thank you in advance!

I'm looking for information regarding the grounding of pool fence. I have a situation where there is about 1500 L.F. of ornamental aluminum pool fence enclosing a large area with three pools and two spas that I need to ground. I've found some information regarding the grounding of fence at the NESCC, but those details I've seen are for Electric Supply and Comm. Facilities. Other information I've found suggest a ground rod every 100 L.F. and even every 500 L.F.
I should note that this is NOT electrically charged fence, just ornamental aluminum fence. Fence posts are dirt set in concrete.
Are there any specifications available for this type of situation? What would be the best recommendation here? Any help would be greatly appreciated, we want to be safe.

Thanks,

Taylor

 

[jghrist]

As far as I know, there is no code requirement to ground a fence that isn't used as a raceway or lighting support. If lights are mounted on the fence posts, then they would have to be bonded to the equipment grounding conductor, but would not have to have ground rods.

If a contract document that requires you to ground the fence does not specify how, or how often, to ground the fence, then install one ground rod for each electrically isolated section. If the whole fence is metallically connected, then drive one ground rod.

 

[imtaylor]

Make sense to me, but we wanted to error on the safe side. Plus our client has an engineer on-site and your recommendation matches other input we received since I posted here. We are also planning on grounding the gates too.

Thank you for your advise, we will be grounding each isolated fence section/area.

 

[resqcapt19]

How far from the water is the fence? In the area of pools bonding is far more important than is grounding.

 

[imtaylor]

resqcapt19,

The closest the fence line comes to the pool is about 10 L.F.

What is "bonding" and would we, as the fence supplier/installer, need to be aware/involved?

 

[resqcapt19]

Bonding is the connection of all metal and conductive parts in the area of the pool together. This is required to prevent any potential voltage between conductive objects in the area of the pool. Grounding individual metal parts will not eliminate possible potential voltages. You need to look at Article 680 in the National Electrical Code and specifically at 680.26. If your fence is more than 5' away from the nearest edge of the pool, the code will not require that it be bonded to the pool bonding system. In short the code rule requires that all metal parts, the deck within 3' of the water and the water itself be bonded. The bonding conductor is required to be a solid copper conductor not smaller than #8.
With your fence being outside of the 5' rule, there is no code required bonding, and except in rare cases, I don't see any benefit in grounding it.