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Bonding copper water pipes with steel gas line - the right way?

2007

Hello,

I'm Jimmy Scott, and I'm rather perplexed at the term, "bonding," as it applies to the copper tubing and the black steel gas pipe. I've searched to the point I'm totally confused. I'm not a tradesman. I'm just a guy building my home with a contractor friend.

I did pay for a Lightning Protection System, which I am installing myself. The fellow who engineered the system said that I should bond the water lines and the black steel pipe. No one from these parts has ever heard of bonding these. I'm in the country, so city codes do not apply, but I do want to do this correctly. My plumber is absolutely swamped... to the point that I'd rather not pester him.

The LPS guy elected not to try and tell me how to do this, unfortunately. His diagram shows the steel gas pipe attached with a heavy copper LPS cable to the main electrical service ground rod. Is this as simple as that? Should I simply do the same for the copper water lines? Both of these utilities is run in a plastic pipe to my home.

The copper tubing jumps from one faucet to another under the slab. The gas line runs up a wall, and is run through the attic, and it is connected to a central Rheem AC\gas furnace unit. Is this connection to the central unit a, "bonding one?"

I have read a bunch on connections of differing metals and the potential problems ranging from corroded water heaters to pin holes in copper tubing.

The ground clamps that I bought are brass. Can I attach them to cold water copper, hot water copper, and to the black steel gas pipe using these clamps without having any problems? If not, can someone guide me? My eyes glaze over in viewing the standards, so a couple of paragraphs can cheerfully set me straight on this issue!

Thanks Very Much!

Jimmy Scott
Consumer, shadetree builder - Nacogdoches, Texas

This is a forum dedicated to finishing, not construction. Anyhow, I think that the fact that you live in the country shouldn't be an excuse. There must be applicable official regulations or specific acceptable practices in your area. Get professional advise (the vendor should at least orient you). Otherwise, liability, accidents, damages or malfunctioning may result.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2007

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Guillermo is correct: have a licensed electrician do this work. Otherwise, any homeowners or property insurance may be voided.

Texas has adopted the 2005 National Electrical Code® issued by the National Fire Protection Association as minimum requirements. Some additional codes re lightning protection which may apply are given in letter 41787. Not sure what your 'black steel pipe' is used for, but the NEC prohibits using the lightning grounding rod as the electrical system ground. Where the water supply pipe is non-metallic, interior metal water piping is required to be connected to the electrical ground.

Brass & bronze are traditional materials for bonding clamps. If the location doesn't get wet, I don't see a corrosion problem.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
2007