QA

Question: How To Bond Water Pipes

Where hot and cold water pipes are electrically connected, you need only one bonding jumper — to either the cold- or hot-water pipe. Otherwise, use a single bonding jumper sized per 250.104(A)(1) to bond the hot- and cold-water piping together. Building or structure supplied by a feeder.

Where do I bond the water pipe?

The metal water pipe can be bonded to the electrical service enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor where it is of sufficient size, or to one or more of the grounding electrodes for the service.

Do water pipes need bonding?

If the pipes are made of plastic, they do not need to be main bonded. If the incoming pipes are made of plastic, but the pipes within the electrical installation are made of metal, the main bonding must be carried out.

Why water pipe grounding is not recommended?

Water pipes have been used extensively in the past as a grounding electrode. Water pipe connections are not testable and are unreliable due to the use of tar coatings and plastic fittings.

Should water pipes be earthed?

If the pipe is earthed, the earth leakage will trip as soon as it happens. Without earth, the whole length of the pipe would be at 240V; so not great for turning your taps on. Many other examples of where it could be useful, but nowadays there is so much plastic used in plumbing this is not a required practice.

Why are water pipes grounded?

Electrical grounding directs dangerous electrical charges away from the home and into the ground. Historically, the home’s copper water pipe system provided a safe ground for the home’s electrical system. The plumbing system was grounded because its metal pipes extended a long way underground.

How do I know if my plumbing is grounded?

As long as there is water in your plumbing system, there is no way to electrically determine if your electrical system is bonded to your plumbing, since the water inside the pipes (even if PEX) will conduct electricity such that any two points tested between electrical ground and plumbing will be close enough to zero.

Is supplementary bonding still required?

Residual current devices (RCDs) – A sensitive switching device that trips a circuit when it finds an earth fault. You may need supplementary bonding for rooms containing a bath or shower, except where all circuits in the room are RCD protected and the main bonding is up to the required standard.

What is main protective bonding?

The purpose of main protective bonding is to create an earthed equipotential zone. All exposed and extraneous conductive parts within this zone are connected to the Main Earth Terminal (MET) by means of the circuit protective conductors or the main protective bonding conductors.

Where is main protective bonding found?

The protective bonding connection is required to be located as close as practicable to the incoming point into the building, preferably within 600 mm and before any branch pipework.

Why are pipes bonded?

In essence, the intention behind bonding extraneous-conductive-parts is to limit the potential difference across the body when a fault occurs in part of the electrical system.

Why are cold water pipes grounded?

Plumbing System Grounding The water heater creates a break between the cold water pipes and the hot water pipes in the home. By bonding the hot water pipe to the cold water pipe at the water heater, it is thought that this helps to ensure that the entire plumbing system will be electrically grounded.

Can I run a ground wire to a water pipe?

Clifford A. Popejoy, a licensed electrical contractor in Sacramento, California, replies: To answer your second question first, no, you can’t grab a ground from a cold-water pipe.

What is the difference between bonding and earthing?

Earthing draws the unwanted energy to the ground to protect the person who touches the metallic body of the machine during faults. Bonding ensures both the connected devices at the same level of voltage and provides a low impedance path back to the source to trip the CB in case of fault currents.

Can copper pipe be used as a grounding rod?

Do you mean to use a copper pipe as a driven ground rod? Yes, you can do that. The National Electrical Code allows it in section 250.52(A)(5). A copper pipe would need to be at least trade size 3/4.

How do I know if my water pipe is bonded?

To find out if your electrician has carried out earth and bonding correctly, take a look at your main gas meter. You should see a green and yellow 10mm Cable attached to it. (its about the thickness of a biro pen). In addition, also take a look at your main water stopcock, you should see a similar connection.

Is tap water grounded?

The taps are not grounded as they should be. Perhaps you don’t have metal plumbing, but plastic. Then it is the water in the line, that while a poor conductor is carrying the shocking currents.

Do you need to bond bathroom pipes?

Under latest writing regulations, there is no specific need to have extraneous metalwork earth bonded in a bathroom, but water and gas incoming pipes must be bonded to the consumer unit within 60cm after the meter (there are some exceptions eg if all plastic supply etc).

Why is bonding required?

Rather, bonding is required because experience has shown that when people are entrusted with the money or property of another, there will be instances when individuals will cause a loss through fraud or dishonesty. Bonding is therefore required to insure the union against such a loss.

When can Supplementary bonding be omitted?

You don’t have any main protective bonding, so supplementary bonding may not be omitted. You have to install it i.a.w. the first part of 701.415. 2 even if the pipes in the bathroom are not extraneous to the building.See Also: Technical discussion forums · Other and general engineering discussions Archived categories.