Ground Wire

Originally Posted by TTW

Originally Posted by Billy_Bob

Note: In rare situations there can be electricity on a water pipe or electricity on a ground wire!

So if you disconnect a ground wire - and are holding the ground wire in one hand and touching the metal pipe with the other hand, you could be shocked.

Best to "assume" the water pipe and the ground wire is "live" when disconnecting it.

So first turn off the main power to the house - If any appliance is "leaking" electricity to ground, that would remove the hazard.

And wear rubber gloves when connecting / disconnecting the ground wire. (In rare situations electricity can still enter through the city's water main or the electric company's "neutral" wire - from neighbor's malfunctioning electric/plumbing systems.)

There probably will not be any such problem, but a little safety is always a good idea!

Originally Posted by digitalplumber

Very good thanks, is there any benefit to making it greater than 6 foot?

Originally Posted by tribe_fan

I would look closely to see if one of the outlets is somehow connected to the pipe.

Originally Posted by rrolleston

I would move the water pipe bond from where it is now and attach it to where it should be withing five feet of where the water main enters the home. And make sure the water heater has a jumper between the hot and cold.

Originally Posted by rrolleston

This is assuming you have city water. You also have to run the ground wire so you can connect to both sides of the water meter and install a jumper to the hot and cold water heater connections.

Originally Posted by k_buz

It goes for wells also. You have to jumper the tank in that case.

Originally Posted by k_buz

If you redid the panel/service, you must update the grounding. Including the water ground.