# Water pipe grounding



## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

Got a plastic water pipe entering the house. Its grounded # 6 to the copper pipe in the house to the service isnt this of no use?


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

What size is the service?
What size are the entrance conductors?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

The system is bonded but the PVC is not a grounding electrode.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

reddog552 said:


> Got a plastic water pipe entering the house. Its grounded # 6 to the copper pipe in the house to the service isnt this of no use?


 

Interior metal piping systems are required to be bonded. 
It is not necassary to use it as an electrode, due to the fact it's plastic, but the interior metal piping system still requires bonding


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

*100 amp service*

ground rod instaled #6 to meter cabinet 100 amp 20 space main bonded with green bonding screw. Isnt this all thats needed.Plastic water pipe entering house serves no grounding purpose? Does it need to go back to the entrance or can it be bonded at any point?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

reddog552 said:


> ground rod instaled #6 to meter cabinet 100 amp 20 space main bonded with green bonding screw. Isnt this all thats needed.Plastic water pipe entering house serves no grounding purpose?


If the clamp with the number six copper is on the copper portion it is okay.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

*what type of plastic?*

Pvc or CPVC?:jester:

Bond the interior metal (copper),make sure there is a ground.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

reddog552 said:


> ground rod instaled #6 to meter cabinet 100 amp 20 space main bonded with green bonding screw. Isnt this all thats needed.


No, as the others are saying, the metallic water piping in the house MUST be bonded. Since this is a 100A service then the #6 is fine. #8 would have been fine.



reddog552 said:


> Plastic water pipe entering house serves no grounding purpose?


Certainly true.



reddog552 said:


> Does it need to go back to the entrance or can it be bonded at any point?


Since the water pipe is not being used as an electrode it can be bonded at any accessible point.


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

*Bonding*

Thats what i thought thanks guys, AHJ wanted it bonded back to the entrance 75 ft. I bonded to the closest point 15 ft.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

reddog552 said:


> Thats what i thought thanks guys, AHJ wanted it bonded back to the entrance 75 ft. I bonded to the closest point 15 ft.


If the disagreement has been resolved...good. If not when you talk to him just be respectful. He is probably just thinking about a metal piping service.


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## wayne g (Nov 28, 2010)

Due to the plastic water pipe entering & copper pipe in the house you only have to bond the copper piping so as it cannot become energized.
The GEC would be 2 ground rods back to the panel and a suplement GEC may be required.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Interested on installing aluminum GEC's on budget jobs, is it still legal ?


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

wayne g said:


> Due to the plastic water pipe entering & copper pipe in the house you only have to bond the copper piping so as it cannot become energized.
> The GEC would be 2 ground rods back to the panel and a suplement GEC may be required.


Your second rod would be your supplemental.....:whistling2:


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

It's a another "Wayne G bring a thread back from the dead" moment. 

Are you going to resurrect EVERY thread on the site? You're off to a hell of a start. :thumbsup:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Shockdoc said:


> Interested on installing aluminum GEC's on budget jobs, is it still legal ?


 
The past two services I upgraded originally had aluminum GEC's from service panel to interior water pipe bond. It's still legal if sized properly.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> The past two services I upgraded originally had aluminum GEC's from service panel to interior water pipe bond. It's still legal if sized properly.


The termination at the pipe is my problem,never did one so , only seen them. I want a cheap budget method for the cheap consumers,, what's the best way to terminate at pipe, nobody seems to carry the side by side al/cu crimps around here.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Shockdoc said:


> The termination at the pipe is my problem,never did one so , only seen them. I want a cheap budget method for the cheap consumers,, what's the best way to terminate at pipe, nobody seems to carry the side by side al/cu crimps around here.


 

Don't know the price but these are rated for aluminum.
http://www.arrisistore.com/product.php?pid=209599


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Don't know the price but these are rated for aluminum.
> http://www.arrisistore.com/product.php?pid=209599


I have seen them around in fact I do have one in my truck from my PA/NJ days.


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## kwired (Dec 20, 2009)

Shockdoc said:


> The termination at the pipe is my problem,never did one so , only seen them. I want a cheap budget method for the cheap consumers,, what's the best way to terminate at pipe, nobody seems to carry the side by side al/cu crimps around here.


Use a pipe clamp with AL/CU rating. They do exist.


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