Equipment Grounding question

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All,
Please see picture attached. Is this the correct size grounding conductor required for equipment grounding? 2 of the power panels have 100A main breaker and the other 2 have 150A main breaker. The transformers are 25KVA. The Fiber panel is a Corning ICH-12P, Nema 3S, I believe. A #4 seems to be an overkill but that's why I am asking in this friendly forum if someone can share some insight to help me out. I really do appreciate it.
Thank you,
David
 

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petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I am not sure any of these are actually required by code so they should be whatever size the guy that wants them says to make them.

I don't know what you mean by "safety ground". That is not a term defined in the NEC.

If these are actually equipment grounding conductors (which seems unlikely) the code does not allow them to be green with a yellow stripe. if they are something else, green with a yellow stripe might be OK.
 
Bob,
Thank you for answering. This will be used for equipment grounding/case grounding. Can you tell me what color should be used for this purpose? I'm assuming green but I hate to assume.
David
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
The code requires equipment grounding conductors be routed with the circuit conductors, so these can't be EGC.

As far as I am concerned they can be any color you want except white or gray, and any size you want, since they don't appear to be code required.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I would call them equipment grounding conductors. A fella could call them bonding jumpers. I think green with a yellow tracer is OK, although that is usually reserved for isolated grounding conductors.

Size them off 250.122.

since they are not fed with the circuit conductors how can they be EGC since the code requires that?

110.54 (B) Equipment Grounding Conductors. An equipment
grounding conductor shall be run with circuit conductors
inside the metal raceway or inside the multiconductor cable
jacket. The equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted
to be insulated or bare.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I am not sure any of these are actually required by code so they should be whatever size the guy that wants them says to make them.

I don't know what you mean by "safety ground". That is not a term defined in the NEC.

If these are actually equipment grounding conductors (which seems unlikely) the code does not allow them to be green with a yellow stripe. if they are something else, green with a yellow stripe might be OK.

I'm not saying that what the OP has are EGCs but you are mistaken on them not allowed to be green with a yellow stripe.

250.119 Identification of Equipment
Grounding Conductors
Unless required elsewhere in this Code, equipment grounding
conductors shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated.
Individually covered or insulated equipment
grounding conductors shall have a continuous outer finish
that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes
except as permitted in this section. Conductors with insulation
or individual covering that is green, green with one or
more yellow stripes, or otherwise identified as permitted by
this section shall not be used for ungrounded or grounded
circuit conductors.
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Here is the way I parse that:
1. Covered or insulated EGCs must be green or green with yellow stripe(s).
2. Grounded or ungrounded circuit conductors (CCCs?) must not be green or green/yellow.

This leaves open what you can do with grounded wires (such as bonding jumpers, or undefined) which are NOT EGCs and also are NOT circuit conductors.
If you take the "not prohibited is OK" interpretation of the code you can use those colors for the OP's wires.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Here is the way I parse that:
1. Covered or insulated EGCs must be green or green with yellow stripe(s).
2. Grounded or ungrounded circuit conductors (CCCs?) must not be green or green/yellow.

This leaves open what you can do with grounded wires (such as bonding jumpers, or undefined) which are NOT EGCs and also are NOT circuit conductors.
If you take the "not prohibited is OK" interpretation of the code you can use those colors for the OP's wires.

I agree.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
This is really confusing:

Unless required elsewhere in this Code, equipment grounding
conductors shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated.
Individually covered or insulated equipment
grounding conductors shall have a continuous outer finish
that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes
except as permitted in this section.



What does 'except as permitted' mean? You can't do it if you are permitted to do it?
 
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