Missing ground?

[sidney alstad]

Main panel at today's inspection, single family home, 4/0 aluminum with 200 amp breaker. No wire at the ground bus on top. Is this proper. Also, I could not locate the grounding electrode at the exterior below the meter.

Your comments are appreciated.

[Joseph Stevens]

Hi Sidney

Sounds like you have basically answered your own questions. Should have 6ga. copper leaving panel going to ground rods. Also should be connected to water line if it is metallic.

[Roger Frazee]

Main panel at today's inspection, single family home, 4/0 aluminum with 200 amp breaker. No wire at the ground bus on top. Is this proper. Also, I could not locate the grounding electrode at the exterior below the meter.

Your comments are appreciated.

If this is the service equipment then you should only have 3 wires from the utility feeding single phase 120/240 the panel .. the utility does not bring a ground into the home from the transformer.
So .. no .. an equipment ground from the utility will not be present. It's normal.

[Jerry Peck]

Should have 6ga. copper leaving panel going to ground rods.


If this is the service equipment then you should only have 3 wires from the utility feeding single phase 120/240 the panel .. the utility does not bring a ground into the home from the transformer.
So .. no .. an equipment ground from the utility will not be present. It's normal.

Both of the above are correct ... depending on the AHJ.

Some AHJ will require the grounding electrode conductor to be connected where they can see the connection - which means in the service equipment.

Some AHJ allow the grounding electrode conductor to be connected within the meter can, thus you will not see it in the service equipment.

Additionally, there are some real derating issues apparent, unless those raceways going out the top of the service equipment are less than 24" long (they are likely longer than 24", which creates the derating problem).

Additionally, each of the NM cables are required to be secured to the enclosure, which (obviously) cannot be done when installed in raceways as shown (there is an exception to this also, but that exception does not apply to this non-surface mounted enclosure).