Bonding copper water pipe.

[nizak]

I have the following scenario.

Incoming City water is plastic pipe. After the meter it’s a combination of PEX and copper throughout the unfinished basement space.

Is it permissible to bond the copper to the equipment ground bar that’s in a sub panel in that area.

Grounding electrodes are located at the service disconnect which is about 125’ from this sub panel.

The use of the equipment ground would be 10’ from the piping.

Thanks

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If the water line is a mix of copper and plastic then you don't need to bond it. I don't think it would hurt to bond it to a sub panel but if an inspector wants it bonded then you need to go to the service panel or some place before the main disconnect .

 

[Dennis Alwon]

What are you going to do? jump to each piece of copper pipe? That would be nutso...lol

 

[nizak]

What are you going to do? jump to each piece of copper pipe? That would be nutso...lol

There would be 2 bond points. The bulk of it is in one area.

 

[augie47]

'I've always relied on the 250.104 wording "metal piping system". IMO, what you have does not meet that criteria.

 

[CoolWill]

I was always under the impression that metal water pipes, even those not used as grounding electrodes, needed to be bonded. I never bothered to look it up in the code because it just makes sense. I guess I'm saying that I would bond it anyway. Probably to the service neutral but a subpanel ground would be good enough for my tastes.

 

[petersonra]

What's the point? If you have pex feeding your sinks are you going to bond the faucets?

 

[CoolWill]

What's the point? If you have pex feeding your sinks are you going to bond the faucets?

Yes, I'm going to bond the faucets You can't think of any scenario where a metal pipe might become energized to the detriment of the end-user?

 

[Buck Parrish]

I was always under the impression that metal water pipes, even those not used as grounding electrodes, needed to be bonded. I never bothered to look it up in the code because it just makes sense. I guess I'm saying that I would bond it anyway. Probably to the service neutral but a subpanel ground would be good enough for my tastes.

The equipment ground on the appliance they serve would normally bond the metal water pipe. But in your case since they are pieces, I wouldn't bond them. The code references 'if they're likely to become energized. I would think a piece of metal here or their may not be likely to become energized.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Yes, I'm going to bond the faucets You can't think of any scenario where a metal pipe might become energized to the detriment of the end-user?

It was years ago Jeff Rodriguez told us about a maintnace guy that got electrocuted under a house. Ten years later it happened again. Turned out it was a staple near the crawl space entrance that had became energized and they two guys touched it with their heads.
My point is , if their are no wires near by. Then it is not likely to become energized.

 

[jaggedben]

'I've always relied on the 250.104 wording "metal piping system". IMO, what you have does not meet that criteria.

This is the crux. 250.104 requires metal piping system to be bonded, period, not merely if it's likely to be energized. But if you have a scattering of random pieces, that's arguably not a system. Personally I'm not judging it site unseen. For me it would depend on how much copper is connected in one 'system.' Like, if copper distributes everywhere in the basement and pex continues the lines to the floor above, I'm bonding the system in the basement. But if it's some random copper jumpers between the pex here and there, I'm not.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Nc used to use 51% of the plumbing is copper then it has to be bonded but if it is broken up into pieces then it doesn't make sense.

The code is not clear on when the bonding is necessary other than to say if you have a metal piping system... If it is easy to bond two sections of copper pipe then go for it.

 

[LarryFine]

There would be 2 bond points. The bulk of it is in one area.

That I would probably do.

 

[LarryFine]

It was years ago Jeff Rodriguez told us about a maintnace guy that got electrocuted under a house. Ten years later it happened again.

I have never heard of anyone getting electrocuted twice.