Does equipment grounds need to be in same conduit as ungrounded conductors? Situation: 2- 1" PVC conduits 6-#10 (3-220V 1Ph Cir. Ea) and 1-2/3" 2-#10 (1-220V Cir)& 7 #12 Equipment Grounds conduits run about 100' and then all go into a 12X12 "J" box and then out to fans in flex grouped back together (2-#10 Ungrouned conductor & 1-#12 Equip Ground). Doesn't all wires for a circuit to be a same conduit? What is the code section?
Equipment grounds in same conduit
- Thread starter MichaelJ
- Start date
- Status
chris kennedy
Senior Member
- Location
- Miami Fla.
- Occupation
- 60 yr old tool twisting electrician
The first part is hard to follow but I can give you this. 300.3(B).
No, that does not make it ok. The EGC will have to be increased in size to match the ungrounded conductors reguardless of the reason the ungrounded conductors are oversized.
and if applicable
Roger
dcspector
Senior Member
- Location
- Burke, Virginia
Look at 250.122(B)
dcspector
Senior Member
- Location
- Burke, Virginia
Sorry Roger I came in a bit late.
goindowner
Member
- Location
- Tallahassee.Fl
If you upsize your conductors you must upsize your grounding conductors.250-122 B. A number 10 on an twenty amp breaker would require a number 10 grounding conductor.
Johnmcca
Senior Member
- Location
- Mid-Hudson Valley, NY
250.122 (b) doesn't mention multiple circuits. So if for any reason an ungrounded conductor is upsized in a multi circuit conduit you will still have to comply, and proportionatley increased the ground.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
So you are all saying that if there were two #6's in there feeding a 60 amp circuit, that he would have to run a #6 ground? Even though per 250.122(A) he can use a #10 EGC per the table which is based on the rating of the overcurrent device and not the conductors.
Or are you simply giving him the answer to his question?
The EGC doesn't have to be the same size as the conductors it simply has to be incerased proportionately.
Or are you simply giving him the answer to his question?
The EGC doesn't have to be the same size as the conductors it simply has to be incerased proportionately.
No, that is not what we are saying
This is the problem with the article section, up to a 30 amp circuit, in order to be sized proportionately the EGC must be the same size as the ungrounded conductors
Roger
Last edited:
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Just checking.
And I was thinking the same thing.
You sure think that section could be written better. Maybe instead of sizing it per the overcurrent device you could size it per the ungrounded conductors and then you could just match the grounding conductor to the wire size or have a table for both.brother
Senior Member
Ive always wondered has there been an actuall 'test' done to prove it was necessary to actually increase the size of the egc. I mean , the current that it will actually see is what the overcurrent device will allow, regardless of how big the ungrounded conductors are.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Well if you like to read, here is a nice long discussion on the subject.
http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=117577
I myself feel at least some kind of table, to size EGC to ungrounded would be much closer then what is in effect now.:roll:
- Status