ramsy
Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
- Location
- LA basin, CA
- Occupation
- Service Electrician 2020 NEC
While repairing a building electrode system, and installing the 2nd ground rod, a bare #6 GEC was routed behind the meter, shorting to exposed phase lugs and energizing the rods. I discovered this as I went to bond it to the panel, and it exploded in my face. I was OK, wearing gloves and 600 volt boots, but still lucky to be alive.
After clipping this crap out of my panel & bonding a new GEC, owner claimed they never received my invoices, gripped about my final (peanuts) payment. I decided it was a good time to call the utility and request an emergency shut down. After notifying owner of shutdown schedule, my check miraculously arrived before the shut down.
Utility demanded no permit was needed to fix this, guys arrived unlocked the meter, ripped out the lead seals for wireway covers, and pulled that bare EGC so fast I couldn't get any pictures of it. They said several of these were installed this way in the mid 1960's, as they removed more bare GEC next to un-fused meter-bank lungs with their bare hands. This whole thing was unbelievable.
Utility crew asked me why I touched it, and explained it could burn until nothing was left. I didn't think EGC's are normally a hazard, and explained we must properly bond the EGC to panel, plumping or rods with properly-listed materials. I didn't recognize the existing bare wire, going into the service panel as a hazard, until it was too late. But I had no problem agreeing with the utility crew chief not to touch another one of those, before getting them there first.
After clipping this crap out of my panel & bonding a new GEC, owner claimed they never received my invoices, gripped about my final (peanuts) payment. I decided it was a good time to call the utility and request an emergency shut down. After notifying owner of shutdown schedule, my check miraculously arrived before the shut down.
Utility demanded no permit was needed to fix this, guys arrived unlocked the meter, ripped out the lead seals for wireway covers, and pulled that bare EGC so fast I couldn't get any pictures of it. They said several of these were installed this way in the mid 1960's, as they removed more bare GEC next to un-fused meter-bank lungs with their bare hands. This whole thing was unbelievable.
Utility crew asked me why I touched it, and explained it could burn until nothing was left. I didn't think EGC's are normally a hazard, and explained we must properly bond the EGC to panel, plumping or rods with properly-listed materials. I didn't recognize the existing bare wire, going into the service panel as a hazard, until it was too late. But I had no problem agreeing with the utility crew chief not to touch another one of those, before getting them there first.