Grounding to a cold water pipe?

[Jonathon]

Is it still within NEC guidelines to ground electric lines to a cold water pipe? The reason I ask is because I'd often get shocked while taking a shower in an apartment that I used to rent. Not a jolt, but a strong 60-cycle tingle if you touched the water valves.

I suspect that other tenants in the building were using some sort of appliance that was grounded to the cold water pipes as per directions often included in installation procedures. It didn't happen every time but often enough that it'd really get your attention. I'd usually 'slap' the faucet with a finger to see if it was presently 'hot' before getting into the shower.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Grounding to cold water pipes is no longer to code. Too much PVC and PEX inside homes and thought there could be copper, many will cut out the copper and redo with PEX, thus losing any ground. You better call on the building management company or landlord and get it checked out. Multi family buildings run on a slightly different set of codes. You may be in a older building where the ground is run to the copper cold water pipe and to a ground rod. The ground rod could be corroded and not making a proper ground. Large buildings will have a ground plate buried.

It's true what you stated, at one time it was common to ground the electric dryer and other appliances to a nearby cold water pipe. Depending how old the building is, who knows was has changed. Since you feel a tinkle, your in an older building with copper or galvanized pipe.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

Today, you'd still BOND, not ground, some things to the water pipe, but they are no longer allowed to be THE ground for the system. There's a subtle difference between bonding things and grounding them, but it's important.

As was noted, there's a lot of newer materials available for piping, and they are not all conductive, so even bonding may do little good...you need a good ground, and you can't depend on a water pipe to provide it.

FWIW, getting a tingle in your shower, I'd call the landlord. IF he didn't fix it, I'd call the building inspector. The building would probably be condemned until that was fixed.

 

[Kevin Crawford]

Most important is YOU should not be anything. It should be completed be a licensed contractor per article 250 NEC.
Yes the NEC does allow as one of its grounding electrodes to be a metal water pipe in direct contact with the earth for 10' or more (not to rely on water meters). Concrete encased electrode, metal in ground support structure,ground ring, ground rod and plate electrode are a few of the other acceptable means. I'm guessing that house system is not grounded correctly and you are also a lesser resistive path...hence the tingle

 

[WorthFlorida]

... I'm guessing that house system is not grounded correctly and you are also a lesser resistive path...hence the tingle

The cold water pipe is hot and the tub drain is ground via metal drain pipes.