Panelboard grounding

[steve66]

NEC 517.14 Panelboard Bonding: The equipment grounding terminal buses of the normal and essential branch-circuit panelboards serving the same individual patient vicinity shall be bonded together with an insulated continuous copper conductor not smaller than 10 AWG. .....


Does the bonding wire need to be in conduit, or can it be ran without conduit?

If the answer is that it needs conduit, could it be MC or AC cable with a grounding conductor??

 

[Smart $]

NEC 517.14 Panelboard Bonding: The equipment grounding terminal buses of the normal and essential branch-circuit panelboards serving the same individual patient vicinity shall be bonded together with an insulated continuous copper conductor not smaller than 10 AWG. .....


Does the bonding wire need to be in conduit, or can it be ran without conduit?

If the answer is that it needs conduit, could it be MC or AC cable with a grounding conductor??

It is a [grounding] bonding conductor. Its protection is not stated, so it falls back to Article 250 requirements... more specifically, IMO, 250.102(E). Most notable for this case, you must comply with 250.102(E)(3), which says you have to comply with 250.64(A) & (B). Securing and protection is covered by 250.64(B), which states at the end, "Grounding electrode conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be protected in RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, EMT, or cable armor." [2011 NEC]. It is to be assumed your bonding conductor is equivalent to a grounding electrode conductor.

 

[steve66]

It is a [grounding] bonding conductor. Its protection is not stated, so it falls back to Article 250 requirements... more specifically, IMO, 250.102(E). Most notable for this case, you must comply with 250.102(E)(3), which says you have to comply with 250.64(A) & (B). Securing and protection is covered by 250.64(B), which states at the end, "Grounding electrode conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be protected in RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, EMT, or cable armor." [2011 NEC]. It is to be assumed your bonding conductor is equivalent to a grounding electrode conductor.

I went down that road too, but I keep thinking that its not a grounding electrode conductor.

 

[Gregg Harris]

It is a [grounding] bonding conductor. Its protection is not stated, so it falls back to Article 250 requirements... more specifically, IMO, 250.102(E). Most notable for this case, you must comply with 250.102(E)(3), which says you have to comply with 250.64(A) & (B). Securing and protection is covered by 250.64(B), which states at the end, "Grounding electrode conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be protected in RMC, IMC, PVC, RTRC, EMT, or cable armor." [2011 NEC]. It is to be assumed your bonding conductor is equivalent to a grounding electrode conductor.

Wouldn't you go forward to 517.33.(3) Mechanical Protection of The Emergency System?

 

[roger]

I went down that road too, but I keep thinking that its not a grounding electrode conductor.

Steve, you are correct, it is not a GEC nor is it an EGC so to speak, it is simply for equipotential bonding of the different systems as covered in NFPA 99 chapter 4. When flamable anesthetics were used we would extend this conductor as open wiring through the studs to all metal surfaces inside the room that could be touched ie window and door frames, sinks, floor drains, etc...

Roger

 

[Smart $]

Wouldn't you go forward to 517.33.(3) Mechanical Protection of The Emergency System?

517.33 is regarding Critical Branch. I think you mean 517.30(C)(3) [2011 NEC]...

I don't believe that covers protection of this bonding conductor... for one, it is not isolated to the emergency system or panel nor is it directly associated with feeder or branch circuits.

 

[Smart $]

I went down that road too, but I keep thinking that its not a grounding electrode conductor.

Nor are all bonding jumpers and conductors covered under 250.102(E).