Is it required to ground the water of a whole house done in pex?

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Location
Athol, MA
Does the NEC require plastic water piping, the water system to be grounded or a main bonding jumper to bond the household water? I know this was the case when everything was copper.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Bonding the water in a structure is not required. We bond metal piping systems to keep the pipe from becoming energized not the water.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
At a guess the question is about bonding the water inside the line. Outside a pool or hot tub it's hard to imagine the water becoming energized, but the question was about code not safety.
Whether inside the pool, tub or pipe the water is just as energized - but we generally do not immerse ourselves in the water pipes.

Anything connected to the water pipe that may have much chance of energizing the water (where there is non conductive pipes) also generally has grounded metal housing and this still lowers most of any risk there may be. Voltage gradients in the water from a failure in an appliance that connects to the water piping usually are limited to the vicinity of the appliance.
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
And to answer your question, read 250.104 (A) Metal Water Piping. The metal water piping system shall be bonded...
Now lets break it out
Is it metal? No
Is it a piping system? Yes

The answer is no, the reason why its not likely to become energized.
 
Location
Athol, MA
Just what do you think would be accomplished by bonding a plastic water line?

Not to bond the plastic but to bond the water that is in the plastic. I have a local inspector that is telling me I need a cold water bond for the water. I can see where he is coming from just like what we have to do with pools to bond the water. I just wanted to make sure there is nothing in the code that states the water system.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Not to bond the plastic but to bond the water that is in the plastic. I have a local inspector that is telling me I need a cold water bond for the water. I can see where he is coming from just like what we have to do with pools to bond the water. I just wanted to make sure there is nothing in the code that states the water system.

Ask your inspector for a code reference that requires bonding water that is not in art 680 (swimming pools, spa's, etc.).

Only thing you will find in art 250 requires bonding metal water piping - not the water within.
 

NorthwestPV

Member
Location
Oregon, US
I have had inspectors tell me that if there is 6' or more of copper, say at the water heater, that it needs to be bonded. but if it is all pex there is no bond required.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I have had inspectors tell me that if there is 6' or more of copper, say at the water heater, that it needs to be bonded. but if it is all pex there is no bond required.

Have you ever asked them what is likely to energize it? 6 feet is generally a small percentage of the entire piping system, and NEC basically requires bonding metal water piping systems, not just small segments of the system or other piping if likely to become energized.
 
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