Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

[bennie]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

The oldest reference I can find is the 1935 NEC, approved gas piping for a ground electrode, when water pipe was not available. Section 2582.
Gas piping was in a lot of homes before running water.

The 1990 NEC was the first edition that firmly forbid using the gas pipe.

By default, the gas pipe can only be considered as an electrode when there is no dielectric fitting. The gas companies always install the fitting at the meter.

Another item that has taken on a new meaning since 1935 is...Bonding jumpers to be between ground electrodes. This was to prevent individually connecting the electrodes from the neutral/ground bus, and creating multi-point grounds.

 

[charlie]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

Ok now shoot me.

Sorry, you make too good of an argument. I think you are a good match for Bennie. I don't always agree with him either but he is sharp and has some very interesting ideas.

I wanted to add that Indiana will be changing the Indiana Electrical Code to require the gas piping system to be bonded to the service grounded conductor, assuming it passes the State Building Commission and goes through the rest of the process. This is being pushed by Vectron (gas company) here in Indianapolis. :roll:

 

[bennie]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

Wmcolt: In the 1940 edition, section 2582. If water piping system is not available, a continuous metallic underground gas piping system shall be used for a ground electrode. The only thing that would exclude the gas pipe is the dielectric fitting, which came later on.

 

[1000wattwarlock]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

Gas and electricity don't mix. Bad Idea. Ever see a water ground clamp red-hot because the neutral was lost? I have

 

[bennie]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

There must have been a lot of load on one bus? How much current was there? This is very unusual.

 

[1000wattwarlock]

Re: Bonding gas pipe to new residential service

It wasn't the amount of current necessarily, the clamp was loose and since the neutral was lost the service's full load was trying to use the #6 water ground as its neutral (there weren't any ground rod as is the case with most older houses)