Hot Water Heater Bonding Wire

This is frequently done at the service panel.

Hot water heater bonding wire.

This bonding is essential to maintain continuous ground path. A bonding wire is an external part that is attached to the water heater. The bonding wire is usually a heavy copper wire fastened with brass clamps at one end to the cold water pipe and at the other end to the hot water pipe. If this bond is not in place it s possible for the hot and cold plumbing to be at different voltage potentials.

Kit includes two brass ground clamps and copper conductor. 10 sol 2 0 str ground wire range. According to the experts we spoke with bonding wires may actually extend the life of the water heater by diverting electrolysis from the anode rod and tank even on electric models. The southwire water heater grounding kit is designed for residential water heater use but can be used across any continuity break in residential plumbing.

This bonding jumper is sized using the same section and table used for the grounding electrode conductor for the service. It typically has two brass clamps with a thick copper wire strung between them. More product details close. The pressure of the clamp may stress soldered joints and valve connections.

Most electricians automatically bond the cold water line but do not ensure that the cold and the hot water lines are metallically interconnected through mixing valves in the plumbing fixtures. 10 sol str 2str. Each clamp should be on a smooth part of the pipe and not too close to any fittings. Bronze ground clamp for bonding bare copper wire bronze ground clamp for bonding bare copper wire to water pipe or for use as a water meter shunt.

Bonding the plumbing attempts to keep the hot and cold plumbing at the same electrical potential. Run the bonding wire from a point near your water heater a convenient spot if you have a gas fueled water heater to an exit point where the wire can be bonded to the grounding wire that leads to the exterior grounding electrodes. So whether or not your local code calls for the bonding wire you may want to install one to get more life out of your water heater. In any case if you need a bonding wire it usually consists of a 6 awg bare copper wire connected to a ground clamp on each of the hot and cold water pipes.