Is wire to steel a bonding jumper or GEC?

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I'm having trouble finding the proper label for the wire going to building steel, water pipes, and gas pipes.

Rarely is building steel have sufficient contact with earth (10' or more vertically) to be used as a grounding electrode.
So, assuming I am using 2 ground rods as my electrode, the wires i run to steel, water, etc are for the purpose of bonding correct? Therefore they would be labelled as bonding jumpers. Am I mistaken on this?
 

Sea Nile

Senior Member
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Georgia
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Electrician
I'm a student/apprentice but my input is:
In a nutshell, yes. The Grounding electrode conductor is the wire, usually AWG 6 that connects the first grounding electrode (ground rod) in your example to the same enclosure that bonds the neutral to the the electrical system.

All other connections of metal parts, pipes, and even the second ground rod are connected via bonding jumper
 
Location
Maryland
Occupation
Electrician
I'm a student/apprentice but my input is:
In a nutshell, yes. The Grounding electrode conductor is the wire, usually AWG 6 that connects the first grounding electrode (ground rod) in your example to the same enclosure that bonds the neutral to the the electrical system.

All other connections of metal parts, pipes, and even the second ground rod are connected via bonding jumper
The wire to the second ground rod would not be a bonding jumper. The second ground rod is an auxiliary grounding electrode so the wire to it would still be a GEC. Typically, they are the same wire that is ran to both rods.

However, I’m the one asking the question so I am prone to mistakes. Thanks for the response.
 
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Maryland
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Electrician
I apologize. I meant a supplemental electrode. And looking over the code confirms I am wrong on that account. It is indeed a bonding jumper. It is one that is sized according to 250.66 though, which is what confused me.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
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retired electrician
I'm having trouble finding the proper label for the wire going to building steel, water pipes, and gas pipes.

Rarely is building steel have sufficient contact with earth (10' or more vertically) to be used as a grounding electrode.
So, assuming I am using 2 ground rods as my electrode, the wires i run to steel, water, etc are for the purpose of bonding correct? Therefore they would be labelled as bonding jumpers. Am I mistaken on this?
If you are talking about a metal underground water pipe, the conductor to that is a GEG. If you are bonding the interior metal water piping system as required by 250.104(A) the conductor will be a bonding jumper sized per Table 250.102(C)(1).
 
Location
Maryland
Occupation
Electrician
If you are talking about a metal underground water pipe, the conductor to that is a GEG. If you are bonding the interior metal water piping system as required by 250.104(A) the conductor will be a bonding jumper sized per Table 250.102(C)(1).
I am talking about the interior piping system. And the building steel would also be a bonding jumper correct?
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
I apologize. I meant a supplemental electrode. And looking over the code confirms I am wrong on that account. It is indeed a bonding jumper. It is one that is sized according to 250.66 though, which is what confused me.
Welcome to the confused on grounding club, that we are all members of!
For example, I need to pull a ground is commonly heard, but what is a ground?
 
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