Residential Water Pipe Ground Electrode

[tryinghard]

Residentially underground water pipes are not always metallic but sometimes they are yet not 10? in direct contact with earth. If either of these are the case it cannot be the electrode and another listed in 250.52 must be used. The NEC does not required a water pipe electrode, but we are required to have at least one electrode listed in 250.52(A)(4) - (A)(8).

There is much discussion about the water pipe as an electrode and it appears cities often do use the water pipe this way but I have found the country, rural, and other areas don?t. It would be interesting to know these percentages from this site. Think about the areas you?ve worked and post more than once if multiples apply.

 

[LarryFine]

I had to vote 'sometimes'. I work in all ages of houses.

Oldest is steel, older is copper, newer is usually plastic.

You asked residential, but the same is true for comm'l.

 

[tryinghard]

Actually the old house I live in may be galvanized all the way to the meter maybe 20?, I'm not positive; I am positive I've fixed a leak at the entrance to the house (nipple). I don?t remember seeing the GEC [hum].

The old homes I?ve worked on were metallic stubs only, not 10?, we just provide driven rods.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

The NEC does not required a water pipe electrode, but we are required to have at least one electrode listed in 250.52(A)(4) - (A)(8).

The statment I highlighted above is true, if, none of the other electrodes in (A)(1-(A)(3) are present. If any of the electrodes in (A)(2) or(A)(3) are present, no other electrodes are necessary.

If there is more than one electrode, they are all required to be bonded together.

 

[tryinghard]

The statment I highlighted above is true, if, none of the other electrodes in (A)(1-(A)(3) are present. If any of the electrodes in (A)(2) or(A)(3) are present, no other electrodes are necessary.

If there is more than one electrode, they are all required to be bonded together.

True, with the exception of the water pipe requiring a supplemental (additional) electrode of (A)(2)-(A)(8); per 253(D).

 

[don_resqcapt19]

...
Oldest is steel, older is copper, newer is usually plastic.
...

No lead pipes? Around here the oldest would be lead pipe, then steel, then copper and now mostly plastic.

 

[LarryFine]

No lead pipes? Around here the oldest would be lead pipe, then steel, then copper and now mostly plastic.

As far as I know, I haven't seen lead. I certainly hope I've never lived in a house with it.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

As far as I know, I haven't seen lead. I certainly hope I've never lived in a house with it.

I was commonly used in the early 1900s and a lot of areas banned it in the 1930s. Some large cities such as Chicago required the use of lead water service pipes into the 1980s.
I have saw some removed lead pipe here and as a result of the hard water that we have the inside of the pipe is coated with a hard mineral coating that limits the leaching of the lead into the water after a couple of years. Testing for lead in the water here at buildings known to have lead serivces does not show elevated levels of lead in the water, but I am sure that if testing would have been done when the pipes were first installed there would have been high levels in the water.

 

[iwire]

As far as I know, I haven't seen lead. I certainly hope I've never lived in a house with it.

My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.




My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.



My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.




My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.



My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.




My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.



My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.




My 1925 home has a lead water service.

It has not hurt me a bit.



What where we talking about???

 

[LarryFine]

What where we talking about???

Do I know you?

 

[tryinghard]

Where are you at demographically with these type water pipes: city, country, apartments, subdivision??