Sparky's Journal

📅 April 8, 2026

The Difference Between Grounding and Bonding

Grounding and bonding are two of the most misunderstood fundamental concepts in the electrical trade and in the NFPA 70 National Electrical Code. Even though these concepts are used in nearly every electrical installation, confusion between the two remains common.

To truly understand the code book, you must understand what electricity is, how it behaves, and what our role is as electricians. We must understand why a conductor goes to one terminal and not another. Ultimately, it comes down to safety and protecting equipment and people.

Before we can understand grounding and bonding, we need to understand a few basic electrical ideas.

What Is Continuity?

Continuity is the presence of a complete and unbroken electrical path that allows current to flow. Think of it as a chain that's in a loop; if a link in that chain snaps and that loop is broken, the continuity is gone. 

Electricity can only move when there is a closed circuit. If that path is broken, current cannot flow.

For example:

• A wire connected from a breaker to a load and back to the source has continuity.

• If that wire is cut, disconnected, or damaged, continuity is lost.

Continuity is important because fault current must have a complete path back to the source in order for protective devices like breakers to trip. That's why we Bond. It's essentially a safe net for this surge of electricity that goes where we do not want it to go, and it immediately trips that breaker, stopping equipment from causing death or serious injury. 

I REALLY recommend reading the MASTER of THE NECs Paul Abernathys GREAT blog for this topic, as he is on the CMP-5 (Code Making Panel), which includes Article 250 and its sections involving Grounding and Bonding. Please read his full blog here.

And if you have questions on this topic anymore, I encourage you to join Fast Trax System: Community Forum, and put up a post; I guarantee you will get a response from the man himself within a few hours. 

Also check out his EDUCATIONAL COURSE on the 2023 NEC's Grounding and Bonding.