water piping bond

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quinn77

Senior Member
ok...im having a little trouble trying to decipher this one.
200 amp 1 ph service located at detached garaged (attached with breezeway)
200 amp panelboard in garage contains 2-100amp cb's feeding 2-100 MLO sub-panels inside dwelling.
service GE is 3/4" by 10' ground rod.
If i am reading 250.104 correctly, must i run #4 bonding jumper from hot and cold ( no gas ) unspliced to the service panel to the ground rod?
thanx :)
 

infinity

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Location
New Jersey
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Journeyman Electrician
If the metal water pipe qualifies as an electrode you need to include it as part of the Grounding Electrode System (GES). There are many ways to do this. If not is metallic water pipe system is required to be bonded. You can run this bond back to the service, tap it to the GEC or connect it to an electrode.
 
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Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
Not sure what you are asking. IMO, if the detached garage is attached with a roof then it is usually considered attached. If it is attached then you would wire the service as you would any other. Unspliced from service to the water pipe and then a wire either from the panel to the rod-- usual method-- or from the water pipe to the rod.
 

augie47

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Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
I agree with the others. If the breezeway is attached to both the garage and the house, in most cases, it's "one" building and the panel in the garage is the "service panel".
Whether you are bonding a metal water pipe {250.104(A)} that does not meet the qualifications of a grounding electrode, or installing a grounding electrode conductor to a water pipe that does qualify ({250.52(A)}, your conductor will originate at the service. Where you connect to the pipe may differ between the two, but you connection point will be to the services or to another qualified electrode.
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
ok...im having a little trouble trying to decipher this one.
200 amp 1 ph service located at detached garaged (attached with breezeway)
200 amp panelboard in garage contains 2-100amp cb's feeding 2-100 MLO sub-panels inside dwelling.
service GE is 3/4" by 10' ground rod.
If i am reading 250.104 correctly, must i run #4 bonding jumper from hot and cold ( no gas ) unspliced to the service panel to the ground rod?
thanx :)

Run the #4 to the waterline within 5' of it entering the structure. Jump the meter if you have one. Come out of the panel to your ground rod(s). You can jump the cold/hot at the hot water tank.
 

quinn77

Senior Member
we are not allowed to use the piping as an electrode here. so this is just a question of bonding to the service. thanks for the clarification...my plan was to run bare #4 from cold/hot piping in attic to service ground at garage.unspliced. the AHJ there has his own way of things and i needed some clarification before the phone call to him.
thanx again!:)
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
If the water pipe is metallic and underground for 10' then it is an electrode. Do they use a dielectric fitting to isolate the water pipe from the street.
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
we are not allowed to use the piping as an electrode here. so this is just a question of bonding to the service. thanks for the clarification...my plan was to run bare #4 from cold/hot piping in attic to service ground at garage.unspliced. the AHJ there has his own way of things and i needed some clarification before the phone call to him.
thanx again!:)

Since you are not using the waterline as an electrode, you may bond anywhere as long as it has access.

But you say the AHJ does things his way. Better call him. Just say you are having problems unerstanding 250.104 and need his help.

Dennis has a good concern if the pipe (main) is not isolated.
 
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