Wellcasing Bonding

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notrom

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Just curious what your municipality requires regarding submersible pump well casing bonding. Are you required to bond via pipe clamp direct to casing, or allowed to bond to one of the threaded pipes attaching to the well cap. Issue has arisen as to bonding to the well cap and not getting a good bonding connection from the cap to the casing that is screwed down to the casing. I believe there is a compression gasket between the cap and casing. Every one I've tested ohm's out between the casing and cap.
 
I just take a little pigtail from the pump EGC at the well head and bolt on a little lug to the casing inside the top. Cost... about a dollar. Time, about 3 minutes.
 
notrom said:
Direct to the casing or to the bolted cap on top of the casing?
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Why would you bolt it to the cap???? The casing is what you're bonding, and it's only a couple inches below the cap. Forget about the cap. It will bond itself to the casing with the set screws that hold the cap ring on.
 
Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. Scenario is contractor uses a pipe clamp to run EGC bond to a 2 " threaded galvanized pipe that is attached to the well casing cap (threaded fittings not eccentric). Inspector (not me) insisted that this was not a good bond and requested the bond be made direct to the well casing via a 4" pipe/rebar clamp. Just curious as to if other municipalities allow the EGC/bond to be attached to a pipe that is threaded onto the well cap, allowing the cap to casing as a valid bond.

Gary
 
Around here, I've drilled a hole in the casing, filed around the hole, and installed a single lug on a 1/4-20 to connect the EGC to.

Bonding the cap is unnecessary, IMO. What is going to energize the cap and not the casing?

Edit: Whoops, I didn't read the last post closely.

The caps I've seen are on a cast hinge, and a 1/2" or 9/16" bolt holds it shut. That would be a good enough bond, IMO, but I'd say it's an AHJ call.

One other thought - if the cap was open for some reason (maintenance or troubleshooting), then the good connection would be lost to the casing. Why someone would be pulling the pump out while energized is beyond me, but it seems reasonable to expect the bond to be on the casing to remove any doubt.
 
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georgestolz said:
Around here, I've drilled a hole in the casing, filed around the hole, and installed a single lug on a 1/4-20 to connect the EGC to.
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Yes, that's exactly how I do it. What's a 4" pipe bond clamp cost?? 50 bucks, maybe? Lord, have mercy. I almost never see 4" metallic casings anyhow. They're generally 6" and bigger when metallic 'round these parts.
 
I have a 3/8-16 x 1" long bolt welded to the well casing, and use it as a stud to attach the GEC or EGC to.
The casing is typically 12 or 16"
 
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