Necessary to bond residential water pipe

Status
Not open for further replies.

csoc64

Senior Member
Location
northeast
Working at a residence with well water which feeds into the house via plastic pipe. Since this cannot be used as GEC, I will be driving two ground rods with #4 (200A service). My question is, do I still need to pick up the copper water piping in the rest of the house? My thought is no, since it could change over to plastic/pex at any point in the house. I have heard that some AHJ's require it for equipotential bonding, but I cannot find a specific reference in the code book (2014 code applies). Doesn't seem logical to me.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
If the water piping system within the house is metallic then it needs to be bonded. Take look at 250.104(A).
 

RICK NAPIER

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
The grounding electrode conductor does not have to be bigger than #6 Cu.

250.66 Size of Alternating-Current Grounding Electrode Conductor.
(A) Connections to a Rod, Pipe, or Plate Electrode(s). Where the grounding electrode conductor is connected to a single or multiple rod, pipe, or plate electrode(s), or any combination thereof, as permitted in 250.52(A)(5) or (A)(7), that portion of the conductor that is the sole connection to the grounding electrode(s) shall not be required to be larger than 6 AWG copper wire or 4 AWG aluminum wire.

The water pipe would need to be bonded under 250.104.

250.104 Bonding of Piping Systems and Exposed Structural Metal.
(A) Metal Water Piping. The metal water piping system shall be bonded as required in (A)(1), (A)(2), or (A)(3) of this section. The bonding jumper(s) shall be installed in accordance with 250.64(A), (B), and (E). The points of attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.
(1) General. Metal water piping system(s) installed in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor where of sufficient size, or to the one or more grounding electrodes used. The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.66 except as permitted in 250.104(A)(2) and (A)(3).
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Thank you. Not sure why I had #4 stuck in my heads for a 200A service.

If it was running to the underground water line you would need #4.

But, with ground rods the NEC never requires more than a #6 copper even for a 4000 amp service.

Check out the code sections provided by Rick and Rob.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top