Hello to all! Installed 2 bronze ground clamps on an old 1-1/4 inch black pipe water line, Ground clamps are rated 1-1/4 through 2 inch. I couldn,t quite get it tight just by a hair. I put a piece of #4 solid in the cradle of clamp which worked to make it tight, but 1/2 of the clamp is not completely seated against clamp because of the #4. Though it is tight, I,m uncomfortable with the other 1/2 not being solidly seated against black pipe. Is there a special clamp for the old black iron water lines? or it may be 1-1/8 pipe. But the ground clamps were sized 1/2 inch to 1 inch or 1-1/4- through 2 inch. any advice greatly appreciated
1-1/4-2 inch ground clamp loose on 1-1/4 inch black pipe
- Thread starter tld38
- Start date
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1793
Senior Member
- Location
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Occupation
- Inspector
My first thought as well.
Loose ground clamp on 1-1/4 Black pipe
Loose ground clamp on 1-1/4 Black pipe
Thanks much! when saying to flip the bottom of the clamp over, you mean i may not have put it on the way I bought the clamp? Also there is a couple of 90 Deg. Ells but it looked tacky and did not sit right. I am assuming everyone is agreeing with me that I need to make that short piece of #4 disappear. And that every bit of that clamp should be solidly bonded to that pipe. That,s the obvious purpose. I may have inverted one of the clamps halves. but I,m sure i tried it both ways after it was loose the first time, the logical thing for me was to flip it around to see what worked. In the end ,the #4 worked but I just don,t sit well with it. Thanks again to everyone!
Loose ground clamp on 1-1/4 Black pipe
Thanks much! when saying to flip the bottom of the clamp over, you mean i may not have put it on the way I bought the clamp? Also there is a couple of 90 Deg. Ells but it looked tacky and did not sit right. I am assuming everyone is agreeing with me that I need to make that short piece of #4 disappear. And that every bit of that clamp should be solidly bonded to that pipe. That,s the obvious purpose. I may have inverted one of the clamps halves. but I,m sure i tried it both ways after it was loose the first time, the logical thing for me was to flip it around to see what worked. In the end ,the #4 worked but I just don,t sit well with it. Thanks again to everyone!
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
When you say 1-1/4 pipe are you talking nominal trade size or physical outside diameter?
1-1/8 is approximate OD of most 3/4 nominal trade sized piping.
An 1-1/4 pipe will measure about 1-5/8 OD.
The Black pipe water line is 1-1/4" for sure. It is an old building. 200 amp service. helping a friend who knows the owner of building. I actually tried the 1" clamp naturally trying to troubleshoot. Anyway I jumped the meter with#4 solid. The Service disconnect is directly inside of building about 10 feet off the ground! Fused disconnect. The meter bank is 30 feet away from that on the other side of a brick wall with no common door between the two. Water meter is below service switch. Water line goes through wall where meter bank is, there is also a 3/4 copper water line where the made a tap off the 1-1/4 to feed hot water tanks. The main bus at the meter bank is an old cabinet with exposed bus ,fused neutrals, wireways and disconnects fed with old romex. nothing is bonded the way it should be. just a disaster waiting to happen. I told my friend to have nothing to do with this. All the meters are 2-wire with ceramaic bases with cloth wire feeding meter. I boded #4 from main neutral to cabinet to to 1-1/4 to 3/4 copper right in that location. There is no ground rods. My friend came in from CEI utility and I told him to have this place red tagged. He,s talking to inspector. Whole new service is what is needed. I only go on with this story because there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum that I respect. And it is nice to be able to tell a story to those who understand. i will not be going back there other than what i posted regarding redoing those two ground clamps at water meter. I hear the guy doesn,t want to spend the money. Let the city shut him down. That,s the safest thing for everyone! Thanks for all your advice!
I have a feeling the supplied bolts will not allow the reversed jaw to open wide enough for a pipe which is barely undersized for the normal clamp range. Don't have one handy to test my suspicion.
Sure they will and they are made too. When you get one in your hand take note of the nurling on the bottom (outside) of the strap, it is designed to be inverted and installed on smaller pipes. I have never had a supplied bolt be to short however, a word of caution, in the inverted position it is easy to break the strap.
Roger
- Location
- Massachusetts
I am under the impression clamps like this are made to be reversible.
I hope you are talking to members in general. Otherwise, quit talking down to me.
I did not say they the bottom could not be flipped. I've actually used them in this manner (but not for service grounding).
Which leads me to the next question, is installing in this manner compliant with the UL listing. I've never seen any instructions which actually say you can flip it around and use on smaller size pipe. If that were the case, one would think the pipe range given as the part identifier would include the entire range of usage... not just the clam-shell range???
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I have wondered about that before. Typical size clamp often has 1/2 - 1 stamped right into it. It will fit 1/2 thinwall tubing without inverting it.
If it were intended for anything smaller why is it marked 1/2 - 1?
If an 1-1/4 - 2 clamp is intended for anything smaller why is it marked 1-1/4 - 2?
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
They have an item number for selected pipe size configurations... I couldn't find a spec sheet on reversing the clamp around.
http://www.erico.com/products/CWP.asp
http://www.erico.com/products/CWP.asp
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Well, I was talking to you but, I didn't actually mean it to be talking down to you, I was simply responding to you and your doubting of the application which is why I quoted you in my post. With that said, see the range of the Erico clamp in Stickboys post. At one time I had instructions from Burndy (although I may be wrong, it might have been another manufacturer) that showed flipping the bottom strap. If I can find it I will post it.
Roger
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
I believe you are correct in your assumption, because 1/2 inch pipe does not fit inside the CWP1J without inverting the clamp, and the label clearly says 1/2" pipe.
That's where the problem arose. I don't doubt the application, i.e. flipping the bottom, nor did I indicate in any manner that I did. You should be more concise in your interpretations of my writings. What I was doubting was whether the bolt length would permit clamping the size at issue this thread... that is all. I have seen some that appear to have deeper jaws and yet still have the typical size pipe range.
What does seeing these prove? I see three typical sizes along with the typical range. I see nothing which says the bottom can be flipped and used on pipe smaller than the range specified...???
I believe all posting here would like to see that. However, if you do find and post it, it is only good for the model which it came with, or any others specified therein...
stickboy1375
Senior Member
- Location
- Litchfield, CT
Well, if you didn't invert the clamp, the pipe clamp wouldn't hold onto a 1/2" dia. pipe for one.
Perhaps the 1/2 - 1" model. Rather obvious with the larger sizes, but they are not made to fit 1/2" pipe, are they? Looks to me like the larger two models are not designed to have the bottom flipped...???Well, if you didn't invert the clamp, the pipe clamp wouldn't hold onto a 1/2" dia. pipe for one.
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