250.104 Bonding copper water pipes in house with non metallic supply.

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Greg1707

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Alexandria, VA
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Business owner Electrical contractor
The plastic water piping system in a house has been completely replaced with copper. The supply to the house is non metallic. 250.104 specifies the location of the point of attached for the bonding jumper on the service/GES end but not on the water pipe. Does this mean I can attached the jumper at any convenient point in the water piping system? I see no requirement for the "first five feet."
 
Replacing plastic with copper? That's a rare bird. Although not required, I run a bonding jumper across both hot and cold water sides, I do not like relying on the idea of the water heater or the tub mixing valve body to do that for me.
 
Copper supply line without bonding

Copper supply line without bonding

I am the original poster and actually went to this job the other day. The entire 1980s town house, built using plastic water piping, had been re piped with copper. I was surprised to find a copper supply line entering from the basement floor and no GEC back to the panel on the other side of the basement. There were, however, two ground rods. There was the original county inspection sticker on the panel.

Was there ever a time when this would have been accepted? Copper water supply, plastic piping. ground rods and no water bond?
 
The water pipe connection, where there is 10' or more of metallic piping in the earth, has been around as long as I can remember
 
Greg1707 said:
I am the original poster and actually went to this job the other day. The entire 1980s town house, built using plastic water piping, had been re piped with copper. I was surprised to find a copper supply line entering from the basement floor and no GEC back to the panel on the other side of the basement. There were, however, two ground rods. There was the original county inspection sticker on the panel.

Was there ever a time when this would have been accepted? Copper water supply, plastic piping. ground rods and no water bond?
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Back then there was no rule to bond it within 5 feet of entry - that came in about 1993 or 1996 NEC IIRC.

So if it was originally bonded - it probably hit the most convenient place on the piping. When it was changed to non metallic piping that connection was likely removed. Now if there were major work going on when that change was made including electrical work - maybe a chance it would have had GEC run to (or near) the point where it was still metal piping that emerged into the building.
 
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