Sparky's Journal

📅 April 19, 2026

Learning to Admit When I’m Wrong

I covered NEC Article 680 recently—specifically pool bonding.

I said:
If you bond the deck and metal parts, you need to bond the water too.

That’s not always true.

Instead of doubling down, I got checked—by Paul Abernathy.

And he didn’t just say I was wrong.
He gave context—the kind you only get from actually knowing the code, not just reading it once and thinking you’ve got it.

Because the truth is:
Pool bonding isn’t black and white.

Water bonding depends on the installation.
The type of pool.
The materials involved.
What’s actually present.

It’s all in the details I glossed over.

I could’ve argued.
Tried to justify it.
Kept digging the hole deeper.

Didn’t.

I grabbed a notebook.
Went back to 680.26.
Figured out where my understanding broke.

That’s the job.

Not being right all the time.
Not sounding smart online.

Getting better.

Because in this trade, being wrong isn’t what hurts you—
staying wrong does.

Field takeaway:
If the pool shell is conductive and bonded (680.26(B)(1)), the water is already bonded.
Water bonding fittings (680.26(C)) are mainly for fiberglass/vinyl pools where no bonded metal contacts the water.