bonding question

[Fred Herndon]

I recently inspected a 1989 house where copper water lines are bonded a few feet from the panel. The panel is in the rear stairwell about 30' from the water service entry. Sure enough, a plumber came along and spliced a polybutylene conection into the cold water line for a rear faucet. Now everything attached to this pipe ahead of the splice, including all hot water lines, are not bonded. Further proof, as if any was needed, that plumbers and electricity do not mix.

I understand that the present requirement is for the bond to be made within 5' of the water service entry, and this is why. Does anyone here know when that code change was made???

Thanks in advance

[Jerry Peck]

I understand that the present requirement is for the bond to be made within 5' of the water service entry, and this is why. Does anyone here know when that code change was made???

You are mixing "grounding" and "bonding".

"Grounding" must be done within the first five feet to avoid just what you found - because you are "grounding" to the water service pipe which is buried.

"Bonding", on the other hand, can be done anywhere, and, must be done everywhere there is a break like the one you found. A "bonding jumper" would be required to be installed from one metal piping section to the other, or, 'some bonding jumper needs to be connected to the now isolated metal water piping section' and bond it back to ground.

[Fred Herndon]

Jerry,
Thanks. I didn't realize the rules were different for attaching grounding conductors and bonding. A jumper is the solution. Report to be modified. (And I just sent it out, too!)