Originally Posted By: cowen
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Can the electrical panel be bonded to a water pipe with aluminum wiring? Also the aluminum wire was clamped to the copper water pipe with an aluminum clamp.
Can the electrical panel be bonded to a water pipe with aluminum wiring? Also the aluminum wire was clamped to the copper water pipe with an aluminum clamp.
Originally Posted By: jpope
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Aluminum conductors are allowed for use in the GEC system per NEC 250.66.
The clamp is required to be listed for the specific application (250.70)
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Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738
Originally Posted By: Jay Moge
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i’ve only actualy seen copper bonds. i’d wonder if the aluminum to copper connection at the clamp would cause some dissimalar metal currosion and increase the resistance and lessen the effectivness of the ground. what is the house wiring? al. or copper. i’m sure the panel itself is steel. not sure maybe one of our resident sparkies will help.
Originally Posted By: Jay Moge
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sorry Jeff i was typing while you were posting and didn’t see you till i posted.
Originally Posted By: jpope
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The aluminum conductor must be sized appropriately as well. The minimum size would be 6 awg and would increase based on the size of the ungrounded service entrance conductors (SEC).
–
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
“At JPI, we’ll help you look better”
(661) 212-0738
Originally Posted By: joetedesco
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250.64 Grounding Electrode Conductor Installation
(A) Where used outside, aluminum or copper-clad aluminum grounding conductors shall not be terminated within 450 mm (18 in.) of the earth.
250.120 Equipment Grounding Conductor Installation
(B) Aluminum and Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors Equipment grounding conductors of bare or insulated aluminum or copper-clad aluminum shall be permitted.
Bare conductors shall not come in direct contact with masonry or the earth or where subject to corrosive conditions. Aluminum or copper-clad aluminum conductors shall not be terminated within 450 mm (18 in.) of the earth.
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Joe Tedesco, Massachusetts
Home Inspector Provider
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necmeister@gmail.com
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Originally Posted By: bbadger
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| joetedesco wrote: |
| 250.120 Equipment Grounding Conductor Installation
(B) Aluminum and Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors Equipment grounding conductors of bare or insulated aluminum or copper-clad aluminum shall be permitted. Bare conductors shall not come in direct contact with masonry or the earth or where subject to corrosive conditions. Aluminum or copper-clad aluminum conductors shall not be terminated within 450 mm (18 in.) of the earth. |
To be clear 250.120 does not apply to a GEC. 
250.120 only applies to equipment grounding conductors.
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Bob Badger
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Moderator at ECN
Originally Posted By: joetedesco
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Bob:
Correct, but the rule is the same, we know it is not a GEC, but the rule is applicable to the EGC.
This was to provide information that can be used when the question arises.
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Joe Tedesco, Massachusetts
Home Inspector Provider
www.joetedesco.org
necmeister@gmail.com
www.nachi.org/tedesco.htm
www.nachi.org/tedesco2.htm
www.nachi.org/illinoislicense.htm
www.nachi.org/jtarticles.htm
Originally Posted By: bbadger
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Thats cool Joe, but the rules are not the same.
250.64 only applies outside.
So in a basement I can terminate an AL GEC down at floor level if need be, some water services come in very low.
AL could also be in contact with the masonry. I agree a bad idea but as always the NEC is a minimum.
Perhaps a proposal is in order?
Personally I very rarely use AL anyway. 
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Bob Badger
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Moderator at ECN
Originally Posted By: joetedesco
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Bob:
I see your point, in a basement the use of aluminum would probably not last too long at all.
My mother in-law had a situation where the clamp was attached on the water pipe near the basement floor. It rusted out bad, and the connection would never have served its purpose if it was called upon to do its job. 
--
Joe Tedesco, Massachusetts
Home Inspector Provider
www.joetedesco.org
necmeister@gmail.com
www.nachi.org/tedesco.htm
www.nachi.org/tedesco2.htm
www.nachi.org/illinoislicense.htm
www.nachi.org/jtarticles.htm