Phase 1: Pipes NEC Change
The National Electric Code (NEC) is changing - we will make sure it does with your help.
KeepItOnWires.org has launched Phase 1 of its campaign to get electricity back on electrical cables where it belongs. Phase 1 is water/plumbing/gas pipes. This issue is easy for the public to detect, measure, and resolve. This issue affects a huge portion of the populations. Cities, neighborhoods, blocks, houses, and other buildings are affected by the magnetic fields caused by current running on water, sewer, and other pipes.
Power engineers and electricians are aware of the issue, but are turning blind eyes to it. This is a big, dirty secret that they do not wish to acknowledge. We are exposing it now. Help us by spreading the word, taking pictures and videos of measurements and sharing with us and tagging our website KeepItOnWires.org. Consider a small tax-deductible donation to the people volunteering to run this website.
Together we will get this problem solved by getting this practice changed and insulating pipes with plastic where needed.
Exerpt from The EMF Bible: Book of EMF from Current on Pipes by Shaun Kranish:
What does the US National Electric Code (NEC) say about pipes?
Unfortunately, the NEC is a little unclear about bonding to water pipes. This is good and bad, as of May 2022. It is good, because it means they really need to address it and we can pressure them to get it right and insulate the water supply pipe if it is not insulated on the street, or stop using it altogether and use other grounding methods in order to avoid the pipe becoming a current-carrying conductor that violates other codes. It is bad, because it leads to confusion and has electricians everywhere thinking it is necessary and “good” to bond to incoming metal water supply pipes. Let's dig right in:
NEC 300.3
(B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench cable, or cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).
The above code ensures that current-carrying conductors follow the same path and stay together. This is important for working on circuits and troubleshooting/modifying circuits. It is also important to ensure magnetic fields are not created, which thereby create the transformer effect and cause current to be induced or formed in loops of conductive materials.
NEC 250.142 Use of Grounded Circuit Conductor for Grounding Equipment.
This one assures the neutral-to-ground bond is made only at the service to the building where the main breaker or disconnection means is. This is to ensure current does not get carried on things like...you guessed it...pipes!
NEC 250.6 Objectionable current.
(B) Alterations to Stop Objectionable Current. If the use of multiple grounding connections results in objectionable current...one or more of the following alterations shall be permitted:
Discontinue one or more but not all of such grounding connections.
Change the locations of the grounding connections.
Interrupt the continuity of the conductor or conductive path causing the objectionable current.
Take other suitable remedial and approved actions.
You can see in this one that the NEC is aware of these issues inside buildings. We see them ALL of the time. Accidental and purposeful illegal neutral-to-ground connections for example cause these frequently. The NEC states, clearly, to do something to alter these to stop the objectionable current. NEC trainer Mike Holt writes about this here on his website.
NEC 250.52 Grounding Electrodes.
(A) Electrodes Permitted for Grounding.
Metal Underground Water Pipe. A metal underground water pipe in direct contact with the earth for 3.0 m (10 ft) or more (including any metal well casing bonded to the pipe) and electrically continuous (or made electrically continuous by bonding around insulating joints or insulating pipe) to the points of connection of the grounding electrode conductor and the bonding conductor(s) or jumper(s), if installed.
The take-home important information from this above code is “...and electrically continuous (or made electrically continuous by bonding around insulating joints or insulating pipe)...” What this means is that IF one has NOT made it electrically continuous by bonding around insulating pipe, it is NOT an electrode permitted for grounding :)
NEC 250.53 Grounding Electrode System Installation
Metal Underground Water Pipe. If used as a grounding electrode, metal underground water pipe shall meet the requirements of 250.53(D)(1) and (D)(2)
Continuity. Continuity of the grounding path or the bonding connection to the interior piping shall not rely on water meters or filtering devices and similar equipment.
Supplemental Electrode Required. A metal underground water pipe shall be supplemented by an additional electrode of a type specified in 250.52(A)(2) through (A)(8). If the supplemental electrode is of the rod, pipe, or plate type, it shall comply with 250.53(A)
The important part in this code above is the first word under (D) – IF. “If used as a grounding electrode...” Some make the argument it must be used, and it must be jumpered around water meters and insulating pipes. However – 250.52 and 250.53 do NOT state that it must be used and jumpered. 250.52 basically says only-if jumpered around insulating pipe it can be used. 250.53 uses the word if which proves in some cases it is not used.
The next code is where the NEC contradicts itself and contradicts logic as well.
NEC 250.104 Bonding of Piping Systems and Exposed Structural Metal.
This one is long, so I won't go over the specific codes in this section. To summarize, it uses the word “shall” and suggests that all metal pipe must be bonded. It also uses the word shall and talks about installing bonding jumpers. The problem is that this contradicts the other code sections. It also contradicts logic to bond to small pieces of metal that are unlikely to become energized. Small metal fittings or short sections of pipe are frequently used to attach water heaters, sinks, and other things. These are hardly ever bonded, as it would be very costly and pointless to bond to something small and far from a source of it to become energized. Metal fittings like elbows and things for plastic pipe would also be ridiculous to bond.
The bottom line is that the code needs to be updated and exceptions need to be put into place. It needs to be clarified about water supply line bonding so that the important codes above are not violated by turning pipes into parallel current-carrying conductors taking a different path with objectionable current on them 24/7/365. The NEC must be clarified to stop this phenomenon of magnetic fields all over the place in neighborhoods and throughout homes and residential property. We must hold their feet to the fire until they do.