water heater bonding

[sevlander]

I recently installed a new service and ran a #2 properly sized ground to the water main. I bonded across the water meter with the same size wire. I also bonded the water heater with a left over scrap of the same size. The inspector told me I only needed to use # 6 to bond the water heater. I told him I only ran it that way because of 2 past inspections that had required the full size bond across items such as water heaters. What is the correct NEC way and does it very from place to place and inspector to inspector.?

 

[tom baker]

Re: water heater bonding

Before we can answer, we need the size and type of the service entrance conductors.
In Washington State a jumper is not required at the water heater if there is a mixing valve that creates a bond between the hot and cold water lines

 

[eprice]

Re: water heater bonding

If you have a metal water piping system, and a bonding jumper is required at the water heater (we require them here), then 250.104(A)(1) requires that bonding jumper to be sized in accordance with Table 250.66, which is the same table as used to size the GEC.