How to Ground a PVC Pipe

Adding an Equipment Ground to a PVC Pipe

• 1

  Pull a length of bare uninsulated copper wire through the entire length of the PVC pipe in question. If the wire cannot be pushed through easily on its own, a fish tape must be used. Insert the fish tape in one end of the pipe and feed it through until it exits the pipe. Attach the wire to the tape and pull the tape back through the pipe, bringing the wire with it.

• 2

  Connect the wire to a surface that is connected to a grounding electrode conductor system of the building. This may include a grounded metal pipe, grounded junction box, grounded wire or any equipment grounding electrode. The wire should also be grounded to the equipment connected to the duct work (i.e., the tool and the dust collection unit).

• 3

  Adding a grounding conductor to the exterior of the pipe is an additional precautionary measure that may be necessary to reduce the buildup of static charge. In order to secure a wire to the PVC, either wind the bare wire around the pipe or use some sort of fastener to locate a bare conductor to the pipe. Ground this wire in a similar fashion to the grounding instructions from Step 2.