grounding electrode conductor - InspectionNews

Jerome W. Young · #1 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 05:09 AM

This house had an exterior 200 amp main and a non service panel in the garage. the garage had grounds and neutrals connected.I could not find a grounding electrode in the ground anywhere below the exterior main. i did not see it anywhere in the main cabinet, only the the neutral and 2 hot legs. I did see a grounding wire connected to the hose bibb at the side of the home. I wonder if they missed this during the renovation or am I missing something?

James Duffin · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 06:04 AM

The GEC could be connected inside the meter base and not be visible. Did you see a ground rod?

Jerry Peck · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 06:53 AM

Jerome,

Do you have a photo showing more of that main disconnect section?

I'm curious about a separate ground going 'from' that service equipment to the next panel downstream ... was it in metallic conduit (which would serve that purpose, or in PVC conduit (which would not serve that purpose)?

The grounding electrode conductor could be, as James said, coming out of the meter section, then buried in stucco (presuming stucco is present), then down into the ground to the foundation steel without a separate ground rod.

The latter was done for a while before many AHJ understood that the steel in a monolithic footing of a slab placed on a moisture barrier *is not* "in direct contact with earth", thus requiring an additional grounding electrode - the driven ground rod.

Jerome W. Young · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 12:19 PM

I did not see a ground rod. This is the only other picture I took. The down stream panel had neutrals and grounds connected which is incorrect or ok if the raceway between the two are connected , metal and grounded?

Jerry Peck · #5 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerome W. Young

The down stream panel had neutrals and grounds connected which is incorrect or ok if the raceway between the two are connected , metal and grounded?

"down stream panel had neutrals and grounds connected"

NOT OK either way.

However, if there is no equipment grounding path between the main disconnect and the non-service equipment panels, THAT is a problem too.

That equipment grounding path could be a ground conductor (green, bare, etc., or a metallic conduit). If none were present, that means the neutral is being used for both purposes: ground and neutral, and that is not allowed on the load side of the main disconnect. From the meter/service to the main, yes, but not after the main.