For a 200amp service you need number 4 copper
A #14 wire will do fine for grounding a 20 amp device. That is the size of the ground wire in a 2 conductor # 12 wire building cable.
In the CEC, if pipe fill is used using table 6, ground wires are not included in the count. If pipe fill is used using cross sectional area of conductors and pipe then the ground wire must be included along with the current carrying conductors. A continuous metallic conduit system is considered a ground return path for fault currents.
A cold water pipe is usually a ground. Nowadays with plastic pipe you can't be sure. If the pipe out of the foundation is copper chances are it is good. You can check it with a meter. You can also get an electrical ground rod and install it. It is just a 10' spike that you hammer into the ground and clamp a wire to. It will also give you a good ground. You may already have one at your home. Check by the service entrance for electricity and phone.
The ground wire in a two or three conductor #12 cable is a #14 bare ground wire.
A 200 amp service panel will require a # 4 bare copper ground wire.
ground
It must be grounded outside with two 8' copper ground rids driven fully into the ground. One under the meter and one 6' to either side connected together with the proper size copper ground wire. The above answer leaves out the requirement for a grounding connection to a metal water pipe. The NEC actually makes the ground rods supplemental to the water pipe. We don't usually consider the water pipe as the primary grounding electrode but that is how it is treated in the code. Depending on the size of your service, the grounding electrode conductor to the water pipe may actually be a different size than what connects to the ground rods, which are allowed to be connected with 6 AWG copper regardless of the size of service.
The problem sounds like the water pipe is not bonded to the ground wire of the distribution. These two wires should have a potential of zero between them once they are bonded together as per electrical code recommendations.This must be an older installation as nowadays most new water pipe installations use PVC to service a water supply to the home. In this case the PVC water supply pipe does not need to be bonded to the ground wire of the distribution service.
Wire it to a metal ground rod driven 6 to 10 feet into earth. In some places it is also allowed to wire it to the metal water supply pipe.
DON'T CONNECT A GROUND WIRE TO A COLD WATER PIPE!!! Use ground rods in accordance with local codes. When in doubt, contact a local electrician or the local building and zoning office of your city or county. Connecting a ground wire to your cold water pipe can result in electrolysis that will eat away at you water pipe. ---------------- Metal underground water pipe is the first grounding electrode listed in the NEC. It is still commonly used in residential installations and is used in commercial installations when available. When the water pipe is used as the primary grounding electrode, it must be supplemented with another electrode which is most commonly a ground rod. Generally speaking, a 325 amp service requires 350 kcmil copper conductors for residences or 400 kcmil copper conductors for commercial installations. In either case these require a grounding electrode conductor of 1/0 ("one ought") copper.
Using a water pipe ground clamp and securing the ground wire to the cold water pipe as it goes into the building BEFORE the water meter is one way. A better way is to drive an 8-foot ground rod into the ground and secure it via a ground rod clamp. My employer and I actually try and use both methods together.
does a water heater require a ground wire?
A #14 wire will do fine for grounding a 20 amp device. That is the size of the ground wire in a 2 conductor # 12 wire building cable.
Yes, there are ground wire gauges. The approiate size ground wire must be matched to the size service you are installing. For instance a 200 amp serivce must be grounded with a # 4 bare copper ground wire.
In the CEC, if pipe fill is used using table 6, ground wires are not included in the count. If pipe fill is used using cross sectional area of conductors and pipe then the ground wire must be included along with the current carrying conductors. A continuous metallic conduit system is considered a ground return path for fault currents.
Except for the ground wire they must be insulated.
A cold water pipe is usually a ground. Nowadays with plastic pipe you can't be sure. If the pipe out of the foundation is copper chances are it is good. You can check it with a meter. You can also get an electrical ground rod and install it. It is just a 10' spike that you hammer into the ground and clamp a wire to. It will also give you a good ground. You may already have one at your home. Check by the service entrance for electricity and phone.