Failed inspection for only 1 gec ran to panel

[russellyoungblood]

Failed for only having 1 gec conductor ran to panel. I permanently attached #6 from water line and #6 from ground rods and ran 1 unbroken to main service panel. Inspector says both must terminate in main breaker panel. Trying to figure out how to post a photo, will do so

A water ground is a SUPPLEMEMTAL ground connection,one #6 from one ground rod is all you need if you can prove the ground w a tester. And its only valid if the water line is buried in the ground 12 ft b4 it comes up within a certain distance from the service entrance. I do not agree w inspectors requiring water grounding along w ground rods and bonding pex water pipes at the metal clips at water heater,its not required and if it was your ONLY ground connection you would have to dig water line up to prove its validity as a ground source....its supplemental ,not required. We put 2 ground rods in because no one has a ground tester to prove that one is enough,to be failed b/c you included a water ground is crazy.

 

[infinity]

A water ground is a SUPPLEMEMTAL ground connection,one #6 from one ground rod is all you need if you can prove the ground w a tester. And its only valid if the water line is buried in the ground 12 ft b4 it comes up within a certain distance from the service entrance. I do not agree w inspectors requiring water grounding along w ground rods and bonding pex water pipes at the metal clips at water heater,its not required and if it was your ONLY ground connection you would have to dig water line up to prove its validity as a ground source....its supplemental ,not required. We put 2 ground rods in because no one has a ground tester to prove that one is enough,to be failed b/c you included a water ground is crazy.

If the buried water pipe qualifies as an electrode it is not supplemental anything. If it is not an electrode then it is required to be bonded if there is a complete metallic water piping system according to 250.104(A). Not sure what you mean by "A water ground is a SUPPLEMENTAL ground connection,".

 

[roger]

A water ground is a SUPPLEMEMTAL ground connection,one #6 from one ground rod is all you need if you can prove the ground w a tester. And its only valid if the water line is buried in the ground 12 ft b4 it comes up within a certain distance from the service entrance. I do not agree w inspectors requiring water grounding along w ground rods and bonding pex water pipes at the metal clips at water heater,its not required and if it was your ONLY ground connection you would have to dig water line up to prove its validity as a ground source....its supplemental ,not required. We put 2 ground rods in because no one has a ground tester to prove that one is enough,to be failed b/c you included a water ground is crazy.

Read through 250.50, 250.52, and 250.53

 

[NEC Inspector]

A water ground is a SUPPLEMEMTAL ground connection,one #6 from one ground rod is all you need if you can prove the ground w a tester. And its only valid if the water line is buried in the ground 12 ft b4 it comes up within a certain distance from the service entrance. I do not agree w inspectors requiring water grounding along w ground rods and bonding pex water pipes at the metal clips at water heater,its not required and if it was your ONLY ground connection you would have to dig water line up to prove its validity as a ground source....its supplemental ,not required. We put 2 ground rods in because no one has a ground tester to prove that one is enough,to be failed b/c you included a water ground is crazy.

A very common misconception. See 250.50. All electrodes present shall be bonded together to form the grounding electrode system. If there is a metal water pipe stubbing into the house from underground, it is a grounding electrode.

If there is an isolated section of metal water piping in the house that is not attached to a grounding electrode, it still needs bonded per 250.104. I don't worry about small, irrelevant sections, but it is technically required.

If I see metal pipe stubbing into the house, and it changes to PEX after that inside the house, you still have to ground your service to it with a properly sized GEC. The rebuttal presumption is that the pipe is intact outside the house, unless the electrical contractor can prove that it isn't. Driving two ground rods does not mean that you don't have to comply with 250.50, you still have to bond to the water pipe electrode.

An intact water pipe electrode might run for miles underground, and is connected to a bunch of other electrodes at everyone else's house. The resistance to ground of a water pipe electrode could be close to 0 ohms by the time it's said and done. Driving two ground rods is not even close to achieving the same thing.

 

[infinity]

If there is an isolated section of metal water piping in the house that is not attached to a grounding electrode, it still needs bonded per 250.104. I don't worry about small, irrelevant sections, but it is technically required

Isolated sections of metal water pipe are not a system and therefore do not require bonding. The water pipe bonding requirement clearly states that only a system requires bonding.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I have challenged inspectors many times. Lost a “discussion” once.
What I have found is a lot of inspectors inspect, because they can’t make it as an electrician.

Some that can’t do, inspect.

Now on the flip side, I dealt with one in Greensboro NC that was extremely knowledgeable. He was also an instructor for CE classes.

So no, it’s not about dumping them all in the same barrel

And I’m not near as good and knowledgeable as most on this forum.

 

[ggunn]

I have challenged inspectors many times. Lost a “discussion” once.
What I have found is a lot of inspectors inspect, because they can’t make it as an electrician.

Some that can’t do, inspect.

That is certainly true of a couple of inspectors with whom I have crossed swords. Just because someone has a master electrician's license does not necessarily mean that they understand basic electrical theory.