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The Code Question of the Day (CQD) is NECA and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine’s flagship National Electrical Code (NEC®) public forum for the industry, sponsored by EATON.

The daily distribution of Q&A generates a lively dialogue and shares relative Code-based practical responses.

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  • ?
    Friday, May 20, 2022

    Question:

    Hello, is the neutral conductor at a service permitted for bonding on the line side of the service overcurrent protective device(s), or is a separate wire bonding jumper required for that purpose?

    Thanks for any clarification you can provide.

    Sandy Burns

  • ?
    Thursday, May 19, 2022

    Question:

    Good Afternoon,

    During a recent inspection of our building under construction, the inspector said that the building steel had to be bonded. Our question is in wood-framed buildings with metal studs used inside the building and/or isolated metal studs or steel beams, does the steel need to bonded and grounded?

    Robert Miller

    A

    Answer:

    Hello Robert.

    Thanks for the question. First, the authority having jurisdiction has the interpretation and approving responsibility as indicated in Section 90.4. That said, based on the information in the question, we offer the following response. There are no requirements in the NEC to bond metal studs or remote steel materials to the electric supply source. Section 250.4(A)(4) requires electrically conductive materials that are likely to become energized to be connected together and to the electric supply source in a manner that establishes an effective ground-fault current path. Unless there is some substantiation that these metal materials are likely to become energized it is not necessary to connect them to establish an effective ground-fault path. The requirement for bonding exposed metal building framing applies when interconnected metal framing and structural metal are bonded together to form an entire building frame as indicated in 250.104(C).

ABOUT CQD: The Code Question of the Day (CQD) is NECA and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine’s flagship National Electrical Code (NEC®) public forum for the industry, sponsored by EATON. The daily distribution of Q&A generates a lively dialogue and shares relative Code-based practical responses.

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CHARLIE TROUT: Charles M. Trout, better known as Charlie, was a nationally known NEC® expert and author. He served on several NEC® technical committees and is past chairman of CMP-12. In 2006 Charlie was awarded the prestigious Coggeshall Awardfor outstanding contributions to the electrical contracting industry, codes and standards development, and technical training. Even though Charlie passed away in October of 2015, his work continues in spirit. NECA continues to maintain this question forum for its many subscribers in memory and recognition of all his significant contributions to making the NEC what it is today.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Unless the question requests a response based on a specific edition, all answers are based on the latest edition of NFPA 70® National Electrical Code®.

This correspondence is not a formal interpretation of the NEC® and any responses expressed to the questions are opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of NECA, NFPA, the NEC Correlating Committee any Code-making panel or other electrical technical committee. In addition, this correspondence is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services. 

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