Should I bond pipes to ground in detached building subpanel?












1















In California.



My subpanel has a dedicated ground conductor run to it (ground and neutral bonded only at the main panel). The subpanel is in a building with its own plumbing, not connected to pipes where the main panel is located.



I know that I should not bond ground to neutral redundantly in the subpanel, but should I bond ground to plumbing independently from the subpanel?



My concern is that this will create an alternate path to ground.










share|improve this question



























    1















    In California.



    My subpanel has a dedicated ground conductor run to it (ground and neutral bonded only at the main panel). The subpanel is in a building with its own plumbing, not connected to pipes where the main panel is located.



    I know that I should not bond ground to neutral redundantly in the subpanel, but should I bond ground to plumbing independently from the subpanel?



    My concern is that this will create an alternate path to ground.










    share|improve this question

























      1












      1








      1








      In California.



      My subpanel has a dedicated ground conductor run to it (ground and neutral bonded only at the main panel). The subpanel is in a building with its own plumbing, not connected to pipes where the main panel is located.



      I know that I should not bond ground to neutral redundantly in the subpanel, but should I bond ground to plumbing independently from the subpanel?



      My concern is that this will create an alternate path to ground.










      share|improve this question














      In California.



      My subpanel has a dedicated ground conductor run to it (ground and neutral bonded only at the main panel). The subpanel is in a building with its own plumbing, not connected to pipes where the main panel is located.



      I know that I should not bond ground to neutral redundantly in the subpanel, but should I bond ground to plumbing independently from the subpanel?



      My concern is that this will create an alternate path to ground.







      electrical grounding-and-bonding






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked 3 hours ago









      MatthewMatthew

      5,037143661




      5,037143661






















          1 Answer
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          active

          oldest

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          2














          You need to bond the subpanel ground bus to the plumbing



          You will need to run a bonding conductor from the subpanel ground bus to a grounding clamp on the plumbing, as per NEC 250.104(A)(3):




          (3) Multiple Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or
          Branch Circuit(s). The metal water piping system(s) installed
          in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to any
          of the following:



          (1) Building or structure disconnecting means enclosure
          where located at the building or structure



          (2) Equipment grounding conductor run with the supply
          conductors



          (3) One or more grounding electrodes used



          The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
          Table 250.102(C)(1), based on the size of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors that supply the building or structure. The
          bonding jumper shall not be required to be larger than the
          largest ungrounded feeder or branch-circuit conductor supplying the building or structure.




          This ensures that if the plumbing somehow became energized, the breaker would trip and disconnect the fault, instead of leaving the plumbing floating off to shocking voltages.



          Don't worry about parallel paths here



          As long as you have one and only one neutral-ground bond, located at the main service entrance, you are safe from parallel-path problems. Since ground wires don't normally carry current, they are free to run in parallel with each other, metal plumbing systems, metallic structural elements, and so on.






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            1 Answer
            1






            active

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            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            2














            You need to bond the subpanel ground bus to the plumbing



            You will need to run a bonding conductor from the subpanel ground bus to a grounding clamp on the plumbing, as per NEC 250.104(A)(3):




            (3) Multiple Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or
            Branch Circuit(s). The metal water piping system(s) installed
            in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to any
            of the following:



            (1) Building or structure disconnecting means enclosure
            where located at the building or structure



            (2) Equipment grounding conductor run with the supply
            conductors



            (3) One or more grounding electrodes used



            The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
            Table 250.102(C)(1), based on the size of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors that supply the building or structure. The
            bonding jumper shall not be required to be larger than the
            largest ungrounded feeder or branch-circuit conductor supplying the building or structure.




            This ensures that if the plumbing somehow became energized, the breaker would trip and disconnect the fault, instead of leaving the plumbing floating off to shocking voltages.



            Don't worry about parallel paths here



            As long as you have one and only one neutral-ground bond, located at the main service entrance, you are safe from parallel-path problems. Since ground wires don't normally carry current, they are free to run in parallel with each other, metal plumbing systems, metallic structural elements, and so on.






            share|improve this answer






























              2














              You need to bond the subpanel ground bus to the plumbing



              You will need to run a bonding conductor from the subpanel ground bus to a grounding clamp on the plumbing, as per NEC 250.104(A)(3):




              (3) Multiple Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or
              Branch Circuit(s). The metal water piping system(s) installed
              in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to any
              of the following:



              (1) Building or structure disconnecting means enclosure
              where located at the building or structure



              (2) Equipment grounding conductor run with the supply
              conductors



              (3) One or more grounding electrodes used



              The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
              Table 250.102(C)(1), based on the size of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors that supply the building or structure. The
              bonding jumper shall not be required to be larger than the
              largest ungrounded feeder or branch-circuit conductor supplying the building or structure.




              This ensures that if the plumbing somehow became energized, the breaker would trip and disconnect the fault, instead of leaving the plumbing floating off to shocking voltages.



              Don't worry about parallel paths here



              As long as you have one and only one neutral-ground bond, located at the main service entrance, you are safe from parallel-path problems. Since ground wires don't normally carry current, they are free to run in parallel with each other, metal plumbing systems, metallic structural elements, and so on.






              share|improve this answer




























                2












                2








                2







                You need to bond the subpanel ground bus to the plumbing



                You will need to run a bonding conductor from the subpanel ground bus to a grounding clamp on the plumbing, as per NEC 250.104(A)(3):




                (3) Multiple Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or
                Branch Circuit(s). The metal water piping system(s) installed
                in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to any
                of the following:



                (1) Building or structure disconnecting means enclosure
                where located at the building or structure



                (2) Equipment grounding conductor run with the supply
                conductors



                (3) One or more grounding electrodes used



                The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
                Table 250.102(C)(1), based on the size of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors that supply the building or structure. The
                bonding jumper shall not be required to be larger than the
                largest ungrounded feeder or branch-circuit conductor supplying the building or structure.




                This ensures that if the plumbing somehow became energized, the breaker would trip and disconnect the fault, instead of leaving the plumbing floating off to shocking voltages.



                Don't worry about parallel paths here



                As long as you have one and only one neutral-ground bond, located at the main service entrance, you are safe from parallel-path problems. Since ground wires don't normally carry current, they are free to run in parallel with each other, metal plumbing systems, metallic structural elements, and so on.






                share|improve this answer















                You need to bond the subpanel ground bus to the plumbing



                You will need to run a bonding conductor from the subpanel ground bus to a grounding clamp on the plumbing, as per NEC 250.104(A)(3):




                (3) Multiple Buildings or Structures Supplied by a Feeder(s) or
                Branch Circuit(s). The metal water piping system(s) installed
                in or attached to a building or structure shall be bonded to any
                of the following:



                (1) Building or structure disconnecting means enclosure
                where located at the building or structure



                (2) Equipment grounding conductor run with the supply
                conductors



                (3) One or more grounding electrodes used



                The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with
                Table 250.102(C)(1), based on the size of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors that supply the building or structure. The
                bonding jumper shall not be required to be larger than the
                largest ungrounded feeder or branch-circuit conductor supplying the building or structure.




                This ensures that if the plumbing somehow became energized, the breaker would trip and disconnect the fault, instead of leaving the plumbing floating off to shocking voltages.



                Don't worry about parallel paths here



                As long as you have one and only one neutral-ground bond, located at the main service entrance, you are safe from parallel-path problems. Since ground wires don't normally carry current, they are free to run in parallel with each other, metal plumbing systems, metallic structural elements, and so on.







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 3 hours ago

























                answered 3 hours ago









                ThreePhaseEelThreePhaseEel

                30.7k114891




                30.7k114891






























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