Jacuzzi motor bonded or not?

Mike’s video posted in this thread is from the 2011 NEC, this section 680.74 has has several changes since then including one that I had written for the 2014 NEC.

Any thoughts or recommendations on how you’d report this?

Got a link to that?

That depends… are you State regulated, and what do they have to say about it??

I am not state regulated.

So without that restraint…
Your Agreement should already have a disclaimer regarding “Specialty Equipment”. I would add to that disclaimer content that addresses Bonding and Grounding of those systems.
As for your report, I assume you would still be reporting the presence of these ‘Specialty Systems’, thus I would add to that statement that Bonding and Grounding should be verified by a qualified electrician for proper safety factors or some such verbiage. Be sure your wording is informative versus alarmist, unless you are prepared to pay for that service call.

Tip: I have yet to inspect a home that didn’t need some kind of repairs to the electrical system. I almost always add a generic statement that “When the Electrician is making repairs, that he/she should always verify the homes Grounding and Bonding systems” for proper function!

1 Like

I posted the proposal below:

17-148 Log #2736 NEC-P17 Final Action: Accept
(680.74)


Submitter: Robert Meier, NJ
Recommendation: Revise text to read as follows:
680.74 Bonding
Both metal piping system and all grounded metal parts in contact with the
circulating water shall be bonded together using a solid copper bonding jumper,
insulated, covered, or bare, not small than 8 AWG. The bonding jumper shall
be connected to the terminal on the circulating pump motor that is intended for
this purpose. The bonding jumper shall not be required to be connected to a
double insulated circulating pump motor. The 8 AWG or larger solid copper
bonding jumper shall be required for equipotential bonding in the area of the
hydromassage bathtub and shall not be required to be extended or attached to
the remote panelboard, service equipment, or any electrode. The 8 AWG or larger solid copper bonding jumper shall be long enough to terminate on a
replacement non-double-insulated pump motor and shall be terminated to the
equipment grounding conductor of the branch circuit of the motor when a
double-insulated circulating pump motor is used.

Substantiation: There seems to be much confusion with the present wording
of this requirement. Inspectors and installers seem to believe that the two parts
of the first sentence, All metal piping systems and all grounded metal parts in
contact with the circulating water are two separate requirements. Because of
this they take the first part All metal piping systems out of context and require
the pump to be bonded to the hot and cold metallic water piping that feeds the
hydromassage tub faucet. If the intention of this section were to take the first
two parts of the sentence as two separate requirements then there would need
to be some additional wording that would say exactly where the All metal
piping systems that are required to be bonded are located within the structure.
When taken as two separate parts, it would mean that every metal piping
system within the structure would be required to be bonded to the pump motor.
This would include the hot and cold metallic water lines, metallic gas piping
systems and any other metallic piping system within the structure. Changing the
first sentence will clarify that the requirement is solely for metal piping
systems and grounded metal parts that contact the circulating water and not the
piping used to fill the tub or any other metallic piping systems that may or may
not be in the vicinity of the hydromassage tub.
Panel Meeting Action: Accept
Panel Statement: The panel clarifies that the word “Both” replaces the
existing word “all” at the beginning of the first sentence. Otherwise, only the
changes shown in legislative text are intended.
Number Eligible to Vote: 10
Ballot Results: Affirmative: 10

3 Likes

Sorry, I misread your first comment. I am in KY, there for I am state regulated but we do not have our own SOP if tht what you mean. They adopt ASHI or InterNACHI SOP.

Can you please stop adding stuff to NEC, we’re all confused as is! Thank you in advance! :smiley:

1 Like

Suppose the tub has one motor and is plumbed with plastic pipe. Where would the bonding need to be?

This is all fascinating and informative, but as a Home Inspector very unlikely to be useful. On any number of occasions I have inspected these tubs that did not even have access to the pump (which I did report - no service access) much less being able to check the bonding. Fill the tub above the inlet…run the pump…report the result.

1 Like

Exactly! But what do you do when the cover is off of the unit when you arrive and there is a factory installed bonding connection looking right at you?

Fixed!

I would guess it connects to the GE or GEC but I really don’t know. Haha

I’m trying to think of a way to never inspect another one again.

I’m sure you also verify that it is GFCI protected??

The curious thing about most of the Hydro massage pumps is that there are no metal parts contacting the water. Pumps are some kind of plastic with rubber impellers. Same thing is true of washing machine motors. The motor itself is either double insulated or equipped with a grounding plug into a GFCI.

Call it out.

In my opinion – Motor should be grounded and Have it,s own GFCI outlet or breaker. NEVER take a chance around water fixtures that has a electrical system attached to it.

I agree with all of that. BUT the OP’s question is about Bonding the motor/electrical components, Not if the motor is grounded or not. In the photo above what would you Bond the motor to?

All the pipes are plastic

LOL, I only changed one word to clarify what was one of the most misinterpreted code sections in the previous versions of the NEC. I guess that someone didn’t like this change because the entire section was re-written in the 2017 to include the bonding of metal parts within 5’ of the tub like a pool.

680.74 Bonding.
(A) General. The following parts shall be bonded together:
(1) All metal fittings within or attached to the tub structure that are in contact with the circulating water
(2) Metal parts of electrical equipment associated with the tub water circulating system, including pump and blower motors
(3) Metal-sheathed cables and raceways and metal piping that are within 1.5 m (5 ft) of the inside walls of the tub and not separated from the tub by a permanent barrier
(4) All exposed metal surfaces that are within 1.5 m (5 ft) of the inside walls of the tub and not separated from the tub area by a permanent barrier
(5) Electrical devices and controls that are not associated with the hydromassage tubs and that are located within 1.5 m (5 ft) from such units
Exception No. 1: Small conductive surfaces not likely to become energized, such as air and water jets, supply valve assemblies, and drain fittings not connected to metallic piping, and towel bars, mirror frames, and similar nonelectrical equipment not connected to metal framing shall not be required to be bonded.
Exception No. 2: Double-insulated motors and blowers shall not be bonded.