GEC

[nizak]

I have a service disconnect that is about 100 ft away from the load center it's feeding. There is a driven rod at that location. The conductors are in rigid metal conduit from the disconnect to the load center. 2 insulated ungrounded conductors and a bare grounded conductor-make up the feed, conduit is used as EG.

A copper water line is present inside the building where the load center is. Is it code compliant to connect the water line to the load center EG bar that is isolated from the grounded conductor in the load center?

Ground bushings and jumpers will be used at both ends of the rigid metal conduit.
I've never run into this scenario before.

Thanks .

 

[texie]

No, the GEC must connect at the service disconnecting means or other compliant point ahead of it.
You seem to be describing a feeder with an uninsulated grounded conductor. This is not compliant either.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

My suspicion is this is being fed from a different structure and it was done prior to 2005? or 2008? It might have been compliant but I am not certain because of the rmc. Yes, the separate structure would need to be connected to a grounding electrode conductor.

 

[LarryFine]

The bare conductor can not be used as a neutral, so if you have any neutral loads the bare wire must be replaced with an insulated wire. If not, you're okay.

All of the rod and water-pipe electrode conductors must run to the disconnect. The panel must be fed and wired as a sub-panel, with no neutral-ground connection.

 

[nizak]

The bare conductor can not be used as a neutral, so if you have any neutral loads the bare wire must be replaced with an insulated wire. If not, you're okay.

All of the rod and water-pipe electrode conductors must run to the disconnect. The panel must be fed and wired as a sub-panel, with no neutral-ground connection.

As an existing installation, can the bare neutral conductor still be used? I can deal with the GEC in a different way as far as getting it back to service disconnect.

 

[LarryFine]

As an existing installation, can the bare neutral conductor still be used? I can deal with the GEC in a different way as far as getting it back to service disconnect.

No, not in the same building. The old exception applied to a feeder to a separate building.

You need three insulated conductors. If this was service cable, you would have to use SER, not SE.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

No, not in the same building. The old exception applied to a feeder to a separate building.

You need three insulated conductors. If this was service cable, you would have to use SER, not SE.

I took his statement to mean it was from a separate building or structure

 

[infinity]

We need to know if these are separate structures.

 

[kwired]

Even if it was originally a feeder from a separate building from before we had to run a separate EGC, the bare neutral would have been acceptable but the main disconnect in the separate building would still have been required to be near point of entry (which wasn't and still isn't very well described) and most likely would have been wrong to route it as extensively though the building as was mentioned.

 

[nizak]

Even if it was originally a feeder from a separate building from before we had to run a separate EGC, the bare neutral would have been acceptable but the main disconnect in the separate building would still have been required to be near point of entry (which wasn't and still isn't very well described) and most likely would have been wrong to route it as extensively though the building as was mentioned.

The building is actually a residential duplex. The metering is located at the opposit end of the 1/2 that I'm working on.
The feeders travel underground in RMC and come up on the building exterior then LB into the back of the load center.

lm hoping to be able to use the existing wiring since the route the conduit takes and the fact it's been in the ground for 45 years may be problematic to pull new conductors.

 

[infinity]

The building is actually a residential duplex. The metering is located at the opposit end of the 1/2 that I'm working on.
The feeders travel underground in RMC and come up on the building exterior then LB into the back of the load center.

lm hoping to be able to use the existing wiring since the route the conduit takes and the fact it's been in the ground for 45 years may be problematic to pull new conductors.

Is there an OCPD at the meter? If not then the conductors are service entrance conductors not a feeder.

 

[kwired]

Agree with infinity, those would be service conductors if there is no main at the meter and the GEC would not have to run back to the meter location either.

Would still be code compliant install today as well though 2020 NEC will require a disconnecting means on the outside.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I believe he stated the service disconnect is 100 feet from the panel so I am thinking this is a feeder. In this case then you cannot use the bare neutral