The building inspector came over yesterday and said that most of my remodeling looked fine. However he said that I must ground the drain pipe where it exits the house before going to the septic tank. I questioned how to do this, and he said to drive two ground rods at least ten feet apart, connect them together with #6 bare cable, using ground rod clamps, and connect the cable to the pipe with an approved clamp. I have called every electrical and plumbing supply store in the area and no one sells an approved clamp for 4 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe. When I called the inspector and asked him where to get the clamp, he got real rude and said it is not his job to do my shopping and suggested using the internet. I am not finding anything online either. Where can I get one? (He said I can NOT use a large hose clamp, which I suggested).
Grounding is for electrical systems, not plumbing. Electrical ground used to be required to be tied to _SERVICE_ water entrance as it used to be it was always metal, but even that isn't so any longer, necessarily.
I'd call the building permit office and request the supervisory person to clarify the actual requirement and code section supposedly in violation.
He wanted you to ground a PVC pipe? You may want to ask him what section of the electrical code requires PVC (or other non-metallic) pipes to be grounded. Then call his boss and have a laugh together.
Now if it was a metallic pipe, you probably want it connected to the rest of the building ground system, which may already includes ground rods, not its own separate ground rods.
I am guessing only the electric panel needs a ground rod. A steel pipe water supply is the best ground and ground can be tied to that as well, but grounding concrete or PVC drain will do absolutely nothing.
The problem is, you can't ground plastic pipe with metal wire. If your county approves stranded wire, you can get away with using some nylon rope. Otherwise, a fishing store should have some solid nylon wire that'll do the trick. A big plastic zip-tie can hold it all together since then you'll have similar materials for everything.
PVC pipe doesn't conduct electricity, so you cannot ground it.
Plumbing is not grounded to protect the plumbing, it's to offer more grounding for the electrical system in addition to the two copper ground rods.
Grounding can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including ground rods, underground metal piping, buried metal plates, or tying into the metal rebar of the foundation. Any and all grounds available should be tied together electrically to prevent voltage differential between them (i.e. connect the ground rods, metal cold water pipes exiting the building, telephone grounding, etc.)
It's like eating candles; you don't actually know until you try.
No, grounding of the plumbing is done to protect humans. But it is the plumbing that is connected to ground, not the electrical system being grounded through the plumbing.
You don't ground electrical stuff by connecting it to a water pipe; you ground the water pipe by connecting it to the electrical ground (one way or another). The technique is the same, but the rationale differs.
well a ungrounded metal drain line can be a real hazard, imagine a drain line running along a electrical line, they omehow touch and rb from vibration.
over ime the power line powers the drain line, without a ground a kid ouches any part of the electrical drain system and get killed.
if drain line had been grounded a breaker would of tripped, the fault found and fixed.
as a child i found our doorbell wire crossing a gas line.
wierd bell ringing every time the hot water tank turned on. most inconvenient.
at 11 years old it was a exciting find and repair fix:)
Yes, the primary function of grounding is to protect against shocks and electrocution. Of course, it can also protect against outside forces like lightning or a live wire contacting something it shouldn't (powerline fall, shorted equipment, etc.). Assuming a broken neutral, a good ground should give a current path that would trip the breaker/fuse/etc.
According to the 2002 NEC:
250.52A1 - Use metal water pipe as ground if 10 feet or more is in contact with the earth.
250.53D2 - Water pipe must be supplemented with other grounds (not the sole electrode)
Metal water piping actually makes a good electrical ground, since it often runs a long distance through the earth. The main issue with water pipe as the sole ground is that old plumbing is often replaced with plastic pipe which would leave the electrical system ungrounded.
Pipe doesn't need to be grounded. Until it comes in contact with electricity, it's just a metal tube (barring static or galvanic potentials).
Plastic pipe doesn't conduct electricity anyway, and if it's metal and running through the earth it is grounded already.
250.50 - Bond all grounding electrodes (ground rods, water piping, etc.)
The point is to ensure there is always a ground (in case the pipe is replaced, or the ground rods are damaged) for the electrical system.
Also, bonding the various grounds together prevents a voltage difference between the grounding systems (for instance, in case a power line and waterline are in a trench and hit by someone digging. Breaks the waterline as the ground, but energizes the pipe. Thus the need to supplement with additional grounds).
To my knowledge, there is no mention of grounding in the plumbing codes. But the electrical codes are obsessed with grounding.
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