why bridge lines

[Alex Collins]

so I Have a hot and cold copper line with a piece of solid thick copper wire that is fastened to both lines. What is this for?

 

[Jeff Handy]

Post some pics, and describe where it is and more about it.

Usually, a heavy copper wire like that is a grounding jumper.

In older houses without grounding rods outside, the buried copper water service line was used to ground the electrical panel.

Sometimes there was a need to maintain electrical continuity, and so a heavy stranded copper wire is attached as a bridge, or jumper, with clamps.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

In many cases you'll find more than one grounding point; one being the cold water entry point, and a second being a steel or copper ground rod. Often you'll see the water meter have a jumper around it because the gaskets prevent continuity. My last house had three grounding points: one steel rod at meter entrance, one at service panel, and the cold water line--with the jumper. The ground wire is generally #4, bare.

 

[frodo]

 

[Alex Collins]

OK so its a ground. SO is there no concern to remove and replace as needed for any length of time?

 

[Jeff Handy]

You can never remove it, unless you first create another bridge that does the same thing.

Otherwise, you can sometimes fry your house wiring, especially if there is any problem with the bare neutral wire that runs from the pole to your breaker box.

 

[FishScreener]

You can never remove it, unless you first create another bridge that does the same thing.

Otherwise, you can sometimes fry your house wiring, especially if there is any problem with the bare neutral wire that runs from the pole to your breaker box.

Others are correct: It is on to bond he hot and cold electrically. What year was the house constructed, or the electrical system put in?

The electrical code started banning the use of the water piping as a ground in the eighties, in response to the advent of plastic pipes which were non conductive, and the loss of the ground if someone installed a piece of plastic, and broke the conduction.

But I have seen places whee home owners, and renters, have installed a jumper wire which serves no purpose. It just “looks right” to them.

 

[Alex Collins]

Well, this is an apartment building community(10 of them)and they were built 14 years ago in wyoming and these jumpers are in nearly all the units and they placed them right above the water heaters.
So, I understand not to remove them but can I relocate them right away within 2-3 min. a foot over unto another portion of pipe or should I turn off all the breakers in that unit?

 

[Jeff Handy]

Yes, you can relocate the jumper, if done properly.

Post some pics of how it looks now, and describe where in the pic you want to move the clamps and wire.

And why you want to move the jumper wire.

You might need a longer wire.

Yes, turn off all the breakers, or main power to the panel if it has one.

Shut down computers and unplug electronics like a tv or stereo before turning breakers off and on, to avoid any chance of damage.

 

[Jeff Handy]

I also have read that a jumper across the hot and cold pipes can sometimes help prevent tank corrosion, but not sure if that is really true.