For all bonding, what is the minimum wire gauge?

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Multiple Choice

For all bonding, what is the minimum wire gauge?

Bonding is about creating a single, low-impedance path so all metal parts share the same electrical potential. This ensures any fault current has a reliable route back to the source, helps the overcurrent device trip promptly, and reduces the risk of shock or equipment damage. The minimum copper bonding size specified is six AWG. This size provides a robust enough cross-section to carry fault currents without overheating and to maintain a solid bond under fault conditions. You can use a thicker conductor if needed, but you cannot go thinner than six AWG. Using a smaller conductor would raise resistance, potentially overheating or failing to carry the fault current long enough for the protective device to operate, which defeats the purpose of bonding.

Bonding is about creating a single, low-impedance path so all metal parts share the same electrical potential. This ensures any fault current has a reliable route back to the source, helps the overcurrent device trip promptly, and reduces the risk of shock or equipment damage.

The minimum copper bonding size specified is six AWG. This size provides a robust enough cross-section to carry fault currents without overheating and to maintain a solid bond under fault conditions. You can use a thicker conductor if needed, but you cannot go thinner than six AWG. Using a smaller conductor would raise resistance, potentially overheating or failing to carry the fault current long enough for the protective device to operate, which defeats the purpose of bonding.

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