Search the FAQ Archives

3 - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
faqs.org - Internet FAQ Archives

Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Section - Bonding requirements

( Part1 - Part2 - Single Page )
[ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index | Neighborhoods ]


Top Document: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Previous Document: Grounding electrode system
Next Document: Testing grounding conductors and grounding electrodes.
See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge

	All "metallic systems" in a home that are capable of being
	energized are required to be bonded to the grounding system.
	This is usually taken to mean:  metallic water supply, metallic
	drain-waste-vent pipe, metal ducting, gas lines, and sometimes
	metallic structural elements (eg: metal framing systems).

	The rationale for this is simple: if somehow a hot conductor contacts
	a water pipe, say, you don't want every plumbing fixture in your
	home to become live.  The bonding attempts to ensure that you have
	a low resistance path to the ground system at the panel, and thence
	to the neutral - ensuring that this ground fault is stopped by
	a breaker or fuse tripping.  Remember that this is independent of
	the grounding electrode system's conductivity.

	Normally the bonding of most of these systems are done by the
	equipment involved.  Furnace ducting is grounded by the furnace
	connection.  Gas line grounding is done by the gas man ;-)
	So we'll mainly talk about water line grounding here.

	The NEC appears to insist that each electrically isolated section
	of metallic water pipe must be jumpered together.  Take particular
	note that you are required to provide a jumper wire that bypasses the
	main water meter (especially if you're using the water supply line
	as a grounding electrode), and a jumper between hot and cold if the
	water heater is an electrical insulator.  The CEC, for example,
	also requires that the frame of your clothes washer is bonded to the
	cold water supply pipe.

	Exact details of how this bonding should be done is beyond the scope of
	this FAQ.  It tends to be a 6ga wire running from the grounding terminal
	of the panel to a convenient copper pipe.  If the water supply is used
	as a grounding electrode, the rules become stricter (5' rule applies
	in NEC etc.)

User Contributions:

1
Dev
In a fire protection circuit, circuts are shown witha no example 6,8,4etc. what it mean?these circuits are connected between smode detector,junction box etc
2
kevin
My daughter dropped a small necklace behind her dresser. The necklace crossed a plug terminal and shorted the receptacle.
I bought a new receptacle and installed the same. I still have no power I suspect there could be a bigger problem,this is aluminum wiring.
I've killed the breaker and call an electrician but am curious as to what happened.P.s. there is a dimmer switch on the same circuit.
3
dennis
Regarding new construction wiring and running 12/2 and 14/3 wire in the same box.

I have multiple switches to lights. Ran 12/2 and 14/3 into switch box and inspector wrote correction needed.

What should I have done instead?

thank you
dennis
4
Robert
Does a grounding electrode facilitate the operation of a OCPD, to clear a ground fault ?
5
@dennis
Assuming you are installing two switches in a two switch box, you probably should have used 14/2 and 14/3 instead of replacing 14/2 with 12/2. If you are only installing one switch in a one switch box, you should only have one cable in the box.
6
P k
I prefer to use nothing smaller than12 awg /the smallest sized wire on a circuit determines the allowable ampacity
Ex: 15 amp-14awg. 12awg-20amp only rule for thumb other factors such as continuous load,heating and others if you do not know the safe NEC rules then please call a qualified journeyman Electrician better be safe

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:




Top Document: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Previous Document: Grounding electrode system
Next Document: Testing grounding conductors and grounding electrodes.

Part1 - Part2 - Single Page

[ Usenet FAQs | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ]

Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer:
clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)





Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM