current in EGC

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Esthy

Senior Member
Old residential 200 AMPS service. Ammeter read constant 1.8 amps on the #4 solid grounding conductor from the service panel to a subpanel, but 0 amps from the main service to the water pipe. Told by an inspector ... it is normal ... Normal?
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
are the neutrals and equipment grounds seperated at the sub-panel ?
 

Esthy

Senior Member
yes, but I have a feeling that at some point in the system they are togheter. I am looking into. Can this current be dangerous, specially with a pool in the property? And why someone suggested a small current is not a problem?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Old residential 200 AMPS service. Ammeter read constant 1.8 amps on the #4 solid grounding conductor from the service panel to a subpanel, but 0 amps from the main service to the water pipe. Told by an inspector ... it is normal ... Normal?

It sounds like you have a parallel ground going on here. Why is there a #4 solid run bewteen the service and the subpanel?
 
Old residential 200 AMPS service. Ammeter read constant 1.8 amps on the #4 solid grounding conductor from the service panel to a subpanel, but 0 amps from the main service to the water pipe. Told by an inspector ... it is normal ... Normal?

Circulating ground currents are nothing new. They occur between two areas that have different potential and also induced currents.
 

jca0108

Member
i have a similar problem in my house. the water in washer machine gives you a shock from time to time. i checked the outlet, panel, meter, and grounding system. nothing wrong there. i found out later that in 1992, my whole nieghborhood had been demolished by hurricane andrew. a lot of unlicensed contractors did a lot of work in the area when they rebuilt. upon remodeling the bathroom 2 yrs ago i found a neutral and grd together in the vanity light box floating in the wall. so there is evidence of wrong doing but i still havent found the problem. its a concern but not major one to remodel my whole house.
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
yes, but I have a feeling that at some point in the system they are togheter. I am looking into. Can this current be dangerous, specially with a pool in the property? And why someone suggested a small current is not a problem?

EGC, conduit and fittings are not intended to carry current all the time, only in short duration ground faults. The small amount of current over a long time could cause a fire due to heat at a loose connection. Or you could open an EGC and get a fatal shock as you did not suspect there was current on the conductor
 
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