joanie
Member
On an Air Force Base, communications equipment for about 80 facilities are being upgraded/installed. The sub panels are about 40 years old, but met the code at installation and through 2005 (I believe). The facility has not been upgraded nor has any "significant" work been done on the electrical system.
The communications people say that they need an equipment ground all the way back to the main distribution panel. Existing installation uses rigid conduit between panels, continuous, and bonded either to the enclosure or to the ground bus,with the enclosure bonded properly. Code now shows PVC instead of rigid - there is nothing that I saw in the Handbook that shows the setup with RSC.
Is the equipment ground, or what we have been using as an equipment ground, sufficient for the facility? If so, then the additional requirement falls to the contractor for the comm equipment to upgrade as required. Civil Engineers are responsible for facilities and to provide an electrical connection (panel), but special requirements to support equipment are the responsibility of the user (communications people).
In your opinion, does the subpanel circuit, with a properly sized equipment ground, have to be replaced all the way to the MDP?
Thanks very much, Joanie
The communications people say that they need an equipment ground all the way back to the main distribution panel. Existing installation uses rigid conduit between panels, continuous, and bonded either to the enclosure or to the ground bus,with the enclosure bonded properly. Code now shows PVC instead of rigid - there is nothing that I saw in the Handbook that shows the setup with RSC.
Is the equipment ground, or what we have been using as an equipment ground, sufficient for the facility? If so, then the additional requirement falls to the contractor for the comm equipment to upgrade as required. Civil Engineers are responsible for facilities and to provide an electrical connection (panel), but special requirements to support equipment are the responsibility of the user (communications people).
In your opinion, does the subpanel circuit, with a properly sized equipment ground, have to be replaced all the way to the MDP?
Thanks very much, Joanie