bonding water pipes

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larry wood

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I am wireing two condo developements in the same town with two different inspectors. Each building has four units attached with a four bank meter can on the end unit. We run individual conduits under the slab to feed each units panel with the mains on the meter. At one development the inspector says to hit the main water pipe at the first unit and that is bonding the other three units. Inspector number two wants individual grounds ran from the main panel to each water main. Each units plumbing is installed with nonmatallic water pipe except for the four copper inches entering each unit.I have been looking in art. 250.104 bonding of water systems. which inspector has it correct? I want to do both projects the same.
 
(2) Buildings of Multiple Occupancy. In buildings of multiple occupancy where the metal water piping system(s) installed in or attached to a building or structure for the individual occupancies is metallically isolated from all other occupancies by use of nonmetallic water piping, the metal water piping system(s) for each occupancy shall be permitted to be bonded to the equipment grounding terminal of the panelboard or switchboard enclosure (other than service equipment) supplying that occupancy. The bonding jumper shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.122.
after reading this I would go with inspector #2
 
The incomming is water pipe copper 250.50 may apply and if so them 250.58 2005 applies as well. if the units where plumb in copper but supplied by plastic then the second inspector would be correct that you could bond each system to there prespective panel board but one of the systems would be required to be bonded to service enclosure the unit in which the service is installed on 250.014(a)(3).
 
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Town home and condo design is different from apartments in that usually there is a spereate water and gas meter to each unit. If that is the case then yes you have to bond each one seperately.

Now I have had all the water mains come in at one location and just had them jump them, but usually there is a meter in front of each unit.
 
jwelectric said:
I don't understand what is being said here, please explain.
Click to expand...
Mike
I think the OP is saying that the condo are plumbed with non metallic plumbing pipe but that there are 4 copper lines that enter the building and extends 4" into each unit. That's my take
 
I can't unserstand why it would have to be bonded-- it is not likely to get energized. But I have no article to back that up..
 
thanks for all the replies, it turns out that the inspector now agrees that art.250.104 is the way to go. running individual grounds from the main service enclosure is not necessary running grounds from the panelboards is sufficient
 
Larry,
What are you using for the grounding electrodes and where is the grounding electrode concductor landed?
Don
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Mike
I think the OP is saying that the condo are plumbed with non metallic plumbing pipe but that there are 4 copper lines that enter the building and extends 4" into each unit. That's my take
Click to expand...

Then one or two things must happen.
1) the copper water pipe is an electrode
or
2) 250.104(B) is all that is required.
 
larry wood said:
thanks for all the replies, it turns out that the inspector now agrees that art.250.104 is the way to go. running individual grounds from the main service enclosure is not necessary running grounds from the panelboards is sufficient
Click to expand...


I must have mis-understood something in your OP because to 250.104 applies to water pipe systems if you just have stub up out of the ground and it is plastic from that piont it is not a system so the only other option would be that it is a GE if that is the case then it would have to go to main service discos. Please elaborate on what the installation is because I am not following the direction that is being taken.

Thank You
 
Ground is ground earth around

Ground is ground earth around

Interesting post. I am curious to know how the GEC system is ran also. We know 4 inches of copper wont fly as an electrode, so bonding it (250.104) makes sense. The water itself is conductive, heck, I might feel a little safer sitting in the tub.




PS; I hope our electrical inspectors are not getting baked on their lunch hour. lol
 
if i follow..he has a stub up thats cu in the utility room
to ea unit then changes back
to plastic. if it were me i would drive two rods and take them to the main
disco then ea pnl to the cu pipes for bonding purposes
jmo
 
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