Bonding gas pipe at the water heater

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Anthony Jattett

Member
Location
Menifee, CA, USA
I did a main panel upgrade in Temecula Ca. I upgraded a 200 amp center fed panel to a 200 amp solar ready panel. There was a existing bare #4 ground wire to the uffer and a #6 bare wire to the water pipe. I jumped a bond wire at the water heater from the cold to hot water pipe then to the gas pipe. The inspector wanted to fail me because she said that the gas couldn't bonded this way. She said I had to run a separate ground wire from the gas pipe to the main panel. I have asked other inspectors in other cities about this and they have said it is ok. This is the way I usually do it. I couldn't find a code reference. Am I doing this wrong?
 
I believe that is okay since the bonding goes back to the panel, however a $6 to the water pipe is not compliant for 200 amps. Look at table 250.66 or 250.102(C)(1)?
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I believe that is okay since the bonding goes back to the panel, however a $6 to the water pipe is not compliant for 200 amps. Look at table 250.66 or 250.102(C)(1)?
Click to expand...

The bonding would go back through the water pipe and then the grounding electrode conductor that attaches the water pipe to the main panel. 250.66(A) says Where the the GEC is connected to a rod or pipe that it doesn't have to be bigger than #6
 
Anthony Jattett said:
The bonding would go back through the water pipe and then the grounding electrode conductor that attaches the water pipe to the main panel. 250.66(A) says Where the the GEC is connected to a rod or pipe that it doesn't have to be bigger than #6
Click to expand...


That's for a rod or pipe electrode. The gas pipe isn't an electrode.
 
Anthony Jattett said:
The bonding would go back through the water pipe and then the grounding electrode conductor that attaches the water pipe to the main panel. 250.66(A) says Where the the GEC is connected to a rod or pipe that it doesn't have to be bigger than #6
Click to expand...
Your water pipe is an electrode if more than 10' is metallic and underground. If the metallic pipe has plastic coming in it would still need bonding. For 200 amps these will need a #4.

The #6 exception is to a rod or a galvanized pipe that is used as an electrode instead of a ground rod. Either way you need a #4 to the water pipe
 
Anthony Jattett said:
The bonding would go back through the water pipe and then the grounding electrode conductor that attaches the water pipe to the main panel. 250.66(A) says Where the the GEC is connected to a rod or pipe that it doesn't have to be bigger than #6
Click to expand...


Your supplementary grounding electrode doesn’t have to be any larger than #6 but your service ground for 200A has be sized accordingly which is, I want to say a #4, to your water main and gas.
 
lordofthisworld said:
Your supplementary grounding electrode doesn’t have to be any larger than #6 but your service ground for 200A has be sized accordingly which is, I want to say a #4, to your water main and gas.
Click to expand...

True that for rod electrodes a #6 GEC is all that would be required, if the "supplementary" grounding electrode were a CEE then you would need a #4 GEC.
 
richwaskowitz said:
Black gas pipe (as opposed to CSST I presume) is not required to be bonded? I did not know that. Please provide the Code reference for my continued edification.
Click to expand...

As Jumper stated that type of pipe is bonded by the EGC in the appliance that it's connected to like a gas dryer or range. No additional bonding jumpers are needed for black gas pipe. CSST may have different requirements.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top