Bonding a Riser Pipe

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notoriousdln

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Myrtle Beach, SC
My company has recentley been called in by a management company to remove all bonds connected to the sprinkler riser systems. weve called in the electrical inspector and cited NEC 250.104(a+b), as we feel that it is required per NEC to be bonded. The local fire marshall disagreed and sent the question to state headquarters who came back with the same answer, remove the bonds. please understand these are not "grounding electrodes" they are building bonds. is this safe? to me its not
 
notoriousdln said:
My company has recentley been called in by a management company to remove all bonds connected to the sprinkler riser systems. weve called in the electrical inspector and cited NEC 250.104(a+b), as we feel that it is required per NEC to be bonded. The local fire marshall disagreed and sent the question to state headquarters who came back with the same answer, remove the bonds. please understand these are not "grounding electrodes" they are building bonds. is this safe? to me its not
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The only thing I could find from NFPA 13-1999:

5-14.4.3.5
In no case shall the pipe be used for grounding of electrical services.

But bonding is not grounding. If the pipe system became energized there could be a lot of unhappiness going around.
 
notoriousdln said:
My company has recentley been called in by a management company to remove all bonds connected to the sprinkler riser systems. weve called in the electrical inspector and cited NEC 250.104(a+b), as we feel that it is required per NEC to be bonded. The local fire marshall disagreed and sent the question to state headquarters who came back with the same answer, remove the bonds. please understand these are not "grounding electrodes" they are building bonds. is this safe? to me its not
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It is required by the NEC to bond it but the fire code doesn't allow it. Same is true for gas piping . Eventually there will be a bond on the sprinkler pipe thru the egc of some pump. I would let the fire marshall and the electrical inspector work it out.
 
I used to require them to be used as electrodes. I'm sure there is some valid reason behind the NFPA 13 requirement, but it seems a shame to ignore that 8-12" ductile iron pipe 75 ft in the earth as an electrode, and use that 3/4" copper line.
 
The piping is already connected through the EGC of the firepump or 100 places where it's touching building steel or some other grounded surface. The whole idea of trying to isolate it is rather silly.
 
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