Load side Grounding. 250.148 (C)

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Tim11

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I am using a metal 18x18x4 junction box to extend 8 circuits to a relocated sub panel. Does every ground need to be landed on a ground bar in my junction box or just a couple to ground my junction box?
 

infinity

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I agree with Dennis but I'm sure that there are others who will disagree. The wording of that code section stinks. :rant:
 

Dennis Alwon

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If you have a metal box with metal raceways and no conductors are spliced within the box then IMO no grounding is needed for the box.
 

infinity

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If you have a metal box with metal raceways and no conductors are spliced within the box then IMO no grounding is needed for the box.

True, but the OP did mention extending circuits so I would assume that there is splicing involved. So if he has 8 NM circuits do all of the EGC's that are spliced need to hit the box or only one? It's been argued here before that they all need to be spliced together as well, not something I agree with.
 

Adamjamma

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Rob, are you saying that if a cable such as NM passes through a box enroute to its usage spot, in a raceway or a conduit, you must break it, to ground its ground at the box? I can see this easy when using single conductors and using a variation of the MWBC by sharing one ground wire for a few circuits, but if using Control wire or NM cable in a conduit, that creates problems and the need for extra splices...at least in my own mind.
 

infinity

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Rob, are you saying that if a cable such as NM passes through a box enroute to its usage spot, in a raceway or a conduit, you must break it, to ground its ground at the box? I can see this easy when using single conductors and using a variation of the MWBC by sharing one ground wire for a few circuits, but if using Control wire or NM cable in a conduit, that creates problems and the need for extra splices...at least in my own mind.


No but if you splice the circuit conductors then you must connect the EGC to the metal box.
 

Little Bill

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Even all of the EGC's landed in a wire nut and a pigtail to the box would suffice.

OP had 8 circuits so a ground bar would be easier/faster than trying to use wire nuts. A "big blue" might take 9 conductors (12AWG or smaller) don't have the specs handy. But I still think a ground bar would be better with that many conductors.
 

infinity

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OP had 8 circuits so a ground bar would be easier/faster than trying to use wire nuts. A "big blue" might take 9 conductors (12AWG or smaller) don't have the specs handy. But I still think a ground bar would be better with that many conductors.

Bill your post goes back to what I said earlier about connecting all of the EGC's together. IMO it's not required, if he's extending 8 circuits then he could have 8 splices.
 

ActionDave

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Bill your post goes back to what I said earlier about connecting all of the EGC's together. IMO it's not required, if he's extending 8 circuits then he could have 8 splices.

I agree with you and that is the way I would do it, have done it, and will continue to do it, however, after reading some of the ROPs I don't think the code writers agree. I'm kin to an outlaw so I don't care.
 

infinity

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I agree with you and that is the way I would do it, have done it, and will continue to do it, however, after reading some of the ROPs I don't think the code writers agree. I'm kin to an outlaw so I don't care.

Yes, and it's been argued both ways here before. IMO that section needs to be rewritten so that it says what the actual intent is. Actually a big chunk of Article 250 needs to fixed.

A recent thread about EGC's with parallel feeders shows just how poorly some of these concepts have been thought out before they entered into the NEC.
 

Little Bill

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Bill your post goes back to what I said earlier about connecting all of the EGC's together. IMO it's not required, if he's extending 8 circuits then he could have 8 splices.

I agree with you. I was responding to Larry saying you could use a wire nut and pigtail. I was pointing out that the OP had 8 circuits and a ground bar would be better vs trying to twist all those wires together.
 
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