I just relocated my electric water heater. When I reinstalled it I used Pex to reconnect. Do I have to keep the bonding cable on now? I think not since the ground has been broken with using the Pex. Do I need to keep that bonding cable in place and splice it to a copper pipe that runs through the crawlspace now? I am thinking I should re establish that ground somehow. Thoughts?

The only reason it is bonded is because @#$%& cable/satellite installers ground the boxes to water lines and not a proper ground. Your electrical should be grounded to your service panel and a jumper installed so you have a complete circuit. Or simply have a proper ground installed and get everything bonded to the water line off of it.

If the former heater was installed properly it would have had dielectric connections so the heater was NOT part of the bonding circuit, so you using PEX did not change anything. However it was connected then is how you have to do it now.

When one uses pex then bonding is not used as this would be similar to trying to bond or ground a water hose. However if there is copper water pipe present in the crawl area the pipe has to be incorporated in the bonding grounding even if there are other ground systems such as a ground rod or ufr foundation re bar The ground attachment to the copper pipe is to be within the first 5 feet of the crawl entrance to the under floor area Hope this helps

The only reason that water systems are bonded is because it was an easy way with metallic water lines to get a good ground. It didn't require the electricians to run a separate grounding rod outside since the water line was in contact with 20'+ of earth already. It was simply a shortcut then, and is a shortcut now. With non-metallic plumbing becoming more prevalent in residential homes, electrical code will be changing if it hasn't already. When there are household appliances grounded directly to the water lines, it becomes not just lazy, but potentially destructive or dangerous. When replumbing some galvanized in a house a few years back, the ground to the satellite boxes was attached to the water line.. thankfully not to the gas line that was less than a foot away.. and it arced when I removed the clamp. If that clamp had been loose, and the water hammer from the pipes had caused arcing, it could have easily caused a house fire.

in massachusetts the electricians must run 2 grounds.
one to the metal water main and one to a ground rod.

NEC:

the electrical 'system' must be properly grounded with the neutral bonded to the ground 'element'

the plumbing piping (if metallic) must be 'bonded' to above grounding system

there is NO 'I think' but merely code requirement(s)

ps. the current returns to the power station via the EARTH (to which the neutral has been bonded)

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Quote

in massachusetts the electricians must run 2 grounds.
one to the metal water main and one to a ground rod.

potentially misleading

the electrical system must be grounded PROPERLY as per code

the metallic plumbing system ITSELF must be 'bonded' to said grounding system (so that one can NOT be shocked by a 'live pipe' and/or faucet or other fixture)

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



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