Cold water ground

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dwellselectric

dwellselectric

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Cape Cod, Massachusetts
I have been looking in the code book and cant seem to find an answer. By boss and I where working on a old panel today had to run a ground to the cold water pipe because the electrican before hand had run a ground to the hot water pipe instead. So we ran the ground and when we opened the panel it turned out that the panel was so messy that we couldn't get to the ground bar. Well I asked my boss why not just cut off the hot water bond and attach to that wire instead of having to spend more time in trying to get to the ground bar. He told me that was illegal because you can't have a break in the cold water ground. I can't find that in the code could someone please help me find it?
 
cschmid said:
I do not know where it says cold water line is the one to be used..
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If your using the water line as a grounding electrode you must do it within five feet of the point of entrance. That pretty much rules out the hot water lines. :)

250.52(A)(1)
 
cschmid said:
I do not know where it says cold water line is the one to be used..and yes you can splice the ground line as long as you use an irreversible crimping method..
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We were referring to resi work. If I ever saw you utilize 250.64C Exc.1-4 in res, I'd definetly say you go above and beyond, and are very well prepared:grin:
 
I agree but it does not state cold water line..I had an inspector ask me to run a line from a service entrance system to a metal portion of a water system that was located above a dishwasher system located 150 ft away..the water entrance was in plastic on opposite side of building 600 ft away..there was only one section in the place in metal and that was directly above the dishwasher..we discussed it and he wanted it sized according to the entrance size..that was costly not so difficult but costly..another one of those things where it is better to comply them fight..just increased level of bonding for student dishwashers..Oh and yes I bonded the hot and cold lines.. :smile:
 
cschmid said:
I agree but it does not state cold water line.
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No it does not, still going to the hot pipe with a GEC will end up with a legitimate red tag unless the building is supplied with a hot water pipe. :smile:
 
cschmid said:
I agree but it does not state cold water line..I had an inspector ask me to run a line from a service entrance system to a metal portion of a water system that was located above a dishwasher system located 150 ft away..the water entrance was in plastic on opposite side of building 600 ft away..there was only one section in the place in metal and that was directly above the dishwasher..we discussed it and he wanted it sized according to the entrance size..that was costly not so difficult but costly..another one of those things where it is better to comply them fight..just increased level of bonding for student dishwashers..Oh and yes I bonded the hot and cold lines.. :smile:
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What you described does not sound like a metal water piping system. I would have fought it.
 
Bob good point..I normally don't even want to use water pipe as we have discussed here before..I use it because the code requires it..

I did have a discussion with the inspector and we did come to an understanding that it was just bonding the metal portion due to the circumstances and the size was due to the distance and proportionality of the service size..You must remember it is cold H2O to a separated dish washing area and hot water to a 100 amp hot water booster located above a dishwasher area maned by upper end teenage kids (college students)..the building has five 200 amp panels, two 3 phase and the rest are single phase..do not ask I did not install them just work on them to correct the crummy workmanship..added protection is not a bad choice..owner agreed to extra material costs..was there anyway running pipe..
 
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