slc410
Electrician
- Location
- Madison wi
- Occupation
- Electrician
Is there any usefulness to jumping the water meter when the water main entering through the slab is plastic pipe then after the water meter pex tubing is ran throughout the house?
Water meter jumper
- Thread starter slc410
- Start date
- Status
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
None.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
ONLY if a clueless AHJ inspector insists on it.
Easier to satisfy ignorance with compliance vs. argument or attempt at education.
Happily, worst I've come across is requiring TR receptacles in a woodworking shop !
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
If the water main is plastic then the metal portion of the water piping system does not even need to be bonded near the water meter.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Just curious- has anyone been required to put a bond across a water meter from plastic pipe to plastic pipe? I mean, to put the clamps on the plastic, just to satisfy an inspector? It would be the height of stupid, but sometimes it's easier to blow a few dollars than to argue.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
That's the long and short of it :happyyes:
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
That is why I was wondering if there was copper on the load side of the meter and the op wanted to know if he had to jump across the meter. Our meters are in the ground outside the homes so it is not an issue but I could see someone enforce jumping across the meter if the connection is on the meter itself when there is plastic outside and copper inside or the reverse. Seems odd but
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I know there are some States that may not enforce this but we've been doing that here in NJ for many years. We also bond across water heaters for the same reasons although I don't know that it specifically states that in a Code section. Also, I live in a lake community and many of the meters along the lake are in the street. We are required to bond any copper piping that enters the house within 5' of where it enters.
Getting back to the OP, I don't see a reason to bond water lines if they are run in PEX yet I'm sure some EI's will make you do that anyway. What I would do in a case like that is run the ground wire to the water meter and leave a whip at that location. There's nothing to attach or bond to. He can't make you bond to PEX.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Why would you run the grounding electrode conductor to the meter if there is plastic coming in. I seriously doubt they will ever go back to a metal piping
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I am sure you are correct. However if the E I insisted on it I would just run it there just keep the job moving. I know it is a waste .
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I meant that as a way to avoid and a hug human not as a rule of thumb
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
The 5' rule is only if the water pipe is being used as an electrode. If you're just bonding the interior metal piping system {250.104} the connection can be at any accessible point along the piping system.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I agree. Would you also say that irrespective of whether the pipe is being used as an electrode or not that the bonding point should be before any fittings, hose bib tap offs, etc. ? Not sure if that's a requirement or not.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Was it a woodworking shop for 4 or 5 year old children?
Sorry but my concern wouldn't be how much it is going to cost me to fight the inspector but rather how much this inspector's incompetence may be endangering those he is inspecting for. I think I can find a lot more people that would side with me then would side with the inspector on this issue.
jaggedben
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern California
- Occupation
- Solar and Energy Storage Installer
If the inspector is asking for something that doesn't do any harm and the parts and labor cost less than another trip for re-inspection, then I won't start a fight. If the inspector is asking for something that undeniably makes things less safe then yes he'll get an earful from me.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Inspector is also showing his ignorance and you have to wonder what else he is ignorant about. You are doing a community service by calling him out on such issues, if he isn't a poop head he will learn from it and become a better inspector.
jaggedben
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern California
- Occupation
- Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Oh, trust me, I'd always call him out. I just won't start a big fight that causes me a failed inspection and a bad relationship that affects future jobs.
A lot of times I find that the inspector won't budge on the job you first call them out on, because they have to save face. But then they mysteriously don't enforce that 'rule' on later jobs.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I likely wouldn't either - depending on what the issue was. This one is bad enough I won't give up too easily. Everyone has a different place to draw that line.
- Status