Grounding to Gas Line

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DMSatinstaller

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Over the past month, I have seen two new homes that have the #6 ground wire from the electrical service panel connected to the incoming Natural Gas line to the home. Is this acceptable?
 
DMSatinstaller said:
Over the past month, I have seen two new homes that have the #6 ground wire from the electrical service panel connected to the incoming Natural Gas line to the home. Is this acceptable?
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If this is the new flexible gas tite type of gas line the manufacturers are now requiring it. Do a search on Gastite and you will be overwhelmed with the responses.
 
It is allowed, and in fact bonding the gas line is a requirement. This is one of the methods allowed to bond the gas line. Take a look at 250.104(B)

Chris
 
DMSatinstaller said:
Over the past month, I have seen two new homes that have the #6 ground wire from the electrical service panel connected to the incoming Natural Gas line to the home. Is this acceptable?
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If this is the _only_ 'ground wire', then this is not acceptable. You are required to have a grounding electrode system, and it is not permissible to use the gas line as a grounding electrode.

However, if there is a proper grounding electrode system, then you may be required to _bond_ the gas line to the electrical service ground. There is most likely a dielectric (insulating) fitting somewhere in the gas feed, so the presumed bonding wire that you saw was only electrically connected to the _interior_ piping.

The difference is that a grounding electrode conductor is used to connect the electrical system to earth, whereas a bonding conductor connection is used to connect that particular hunk of metal back to the electrical system. Pipes inside the house get bonded, pipes outside of the house are sometimes used as grounding electrodes. Sometimes a single wire serves as both a grounding electrode conductor and for bonding.

-Jon
 
For what it's worth, I've read on the forums that the gas utility installs a dielectric fitting on the gas service to the building to act as an insulator. That way the underground pipe can't act as an electrode. my 2cents. (sorry winnie, I type slow)
 
The houses may have a UFER ground which would eliminate the need for ground rods. The gas ine would then be bonded, not used as a grounding electrode.
 
yanici said:
For what it's worth, I've read on the forums that the gas utility installs a dielectric fitting on the gas service to the building to act as an insulator. That way the underground pipe can't act as an electrode. my 2cents. (sorry winnie, I type slow)
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The insulator ,is to block the DC cathodic protection installed on the gas lines.
 
barbeer said:
I prefer to see the circuit feeding the equipment connected to gas to provide the bond (EGC) as the NEC dictates is acceptable.
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So do I. However, some jurisdictions here are now requiring a separate bond for gastite flex systems.
 
JohnJ0906 said:
So do I. However, some jurisdictions here are now requiring a separate bond for gastite flex systems.
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This is actually a manufacturers requirement for Gastite brand CSST.

Chris
 
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