# Ground rod at gas meter



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

surenoproblem said:


> Boss had us drive a ground rod yesterday for a gas meter. Does this not seem like a good idea to the rest of you?
> (At a house, also drove one at the panel. No bonding between the two)


 It has to be connected to the other (rest) of the GEs.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Makes me wonder if your boss ever bothers to read the codebook.


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

Just make sure you don't hit the gas line with the ground rod.:vs_boom::vs_boom::vs_boom::vs_boom:


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## surenoproblem (Dec 24, 2012)

Glad to see we are on the same page


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## Jerome208 (May 10, 2013)

Seen a serious fire once directly attributed to this.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

You never connect the grounding electrode conductor to a gas meter. The NEC does not allow it and the gas company will have your ass.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Art. 250.52



> (B) Not Permitted for Use as Grounding Electrodes.
> The following systems and materials shall not be used as
> grounding electrodes:
> (1) Metal underground gas piping systems
> (2) Aluminum


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Does fuel code require dielectric unions at the gas main? Always seemed silly to me that there were all the prohibitions about using the pipe as a GEC when it gets bonded at a half-dozen spots in the house, anyway.


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## Stickshaker (Jun 29, 2012)

Dennis Alwon said:


> You never connect the grounding electrode conductor to a gas meter. The NEC does not allow it and the gas company will have your ass.


We have to bond it if Gastite is used.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

Big John said:


> Does fuel code require dielectric unions at the gas main? Always seemed silly to me that there were all the prohibitions about using the pipe as a GEC when it gets bonded at a half-dozen spots in the house, anyway.


Not sure if it's grasping at straws, but with out dielectric unions, if the utility side of the gas service is bonded to ground and is metal piping, wouldn't that mess up the cathodic protection on their piping?
I know when the city replaced my gas line a few years ago, it was all poly and they had a steel riser to the meter..


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Stickshaker said:


> We have to bond it if Gastite is used.


Yes you bond the gastite but not the gas line in the ground at the meter. There is, or should be, a fitting on the meter that isolates the inside piping from the underground line. These are called dielectric fittings.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I guess I should have been more specific about the grounding electrode conductor not being on the line side of the meter.

If the boss was asking to drive a rod to avoid running a grounding electrode conductor to the gas lines inside then he has made a grievous error. LOL

If there is no CSST piping then usually the equipment grounding conductor from the equipment using the gas lines is enough to bond the gas lines. For exmple, a 12/2 nm cable feeding a gas furnace is all that is required to bond the piping.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Big John said:


> Does fuel code require dielectric unions at the gas main? Always seemed silly to me that there were all the prohibitions about using the pipe as a GEC when it gets bonded at a half-dozen spots in the house, anyway.


The gas company here uses dielectric fittings otherwise, as you stated, it's meaningless.


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## surenoproblem (Dec 24, 2012)

Jerome208 said:


> Seen a serious fire once directly attributed to this.


Ok I am listening....


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## Jerome208 (May 10, 2013)

surenoproblem said:


> Ok I am listening....


It has been many years but this is how I remember it.

No MGN around here in Ca, pole mounted tx with ground rod and overhead service.

Combo meter main and load center.

Independent ground rod at gas line on other side of house.

This I am not sure of-maybe neutral-ground bond was missing or loose? Two unequal size solid conductors under one screw. They came loose because of the unequal size.

Anyway there was a handyman or electrician working in the main panel and he accidentally crossed his screwdriver from a bus bar to the case.

The lack of bonding caused the case and all the grounding throughout the house to go hot.

There was a gas cooktop in the kitchen counter with a power cord for ignitors.

Current flow was bus bar->case->ground conductors->cooktop->gas flex->gas pipe->independent gas ground rod->earth->pole ground->transformer neutral.

This burned away the gas flex and immediately ignited the now-open pipe under the countertop and there was a blowtorch going then.

Somehow they must have shut off the gas quickly because it did not burn the house down.

Anyway this is an example of what can happen.


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