In article , "Richard B. \(Bruce\) Leiby" wrote:
Your local electrical inspector Does NOT know code as well as he would like
to think he does, although he is right up to a certain point.

Actually, he knows it a lot better than you do!

NEC Article
250.52 (A) (1) is what he is "alluding" to!! 250-52 Grounding Electrodes (A)
Electrodes Permitted For Grounding (and then it lists them by numerical
ascension) (1) 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 effectively 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 conductors. INTERIOR METAL WATER PIPING
LOCATED MORE THAN 1.52 m (5 ft) FROM THE POINT OF ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING
"SHALL NOT" BE USED AS A PART OF THE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM OR AS A
CONDUCTOR TO INTERCONNECT ELECTRODES THAT ARE PART OF THE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM.
As you can see, it says in the first part that the water supply into the
house CAN be used as an electrode!!

Note that the Code also says that it canNOT be used as the ONLY electrode.

The 2nd part is saying if you do use the
water pipe as one of the electrodes, you MUST make the connection WITHIN 5
feet of the "point of entrance" of the water pipe coming into the building!!

Right so far... but you missed the part where the Code says that "The interior
metal water piping system SHALL BE BONDED..." [my emphasis] to whatever
grounding means is used for the electrical system. In other words, if the
house has metal water piping, you *must* make the connection, *and* that
connection must be within 5 feet etc etc.

So, as you can see, your local electrical inspector is wrong when he
says 6 feet. NEC means 5 feet or LESS!!!!! He needs to get enrolled in a
continuing ed program and stay on top of things!!

The NEC specifically permits local authorities to make interpretations and
exceptions. The inspector is well within the Code by permitting 6 feet instead
of 5. Perhaps YOU need to "get enrolled in a continuing ed program and stay on
top of things" before dispensing advice on subjects you know little about.

And where I live, many is the electrical inspector that has tried to
interprete code his way and I have always "called them" on it. I know the
code well enough that I don't argue with them when I know they may be right,
BUT they know that when I DO argue with them, they are in deep sh_t!!!!!

You apparently don't know the Code very well at all, or you would realize that
the Code *defines* the local inspectors as having authority to interpret what
the Code means.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?