250.122(B)

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But if you do make the circuit conductors larger, then 250.122(B) requires you to make the EGC larger proportionately. And that would include the pigtails.
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I would disagree. If a portion of the circuit has the conductors increased in size for voltage drop there is no requirement for the larger conductors to be the larger size for the entire circuit. I can choose to make any portion of the circuit larger. This could be at the beginning, the middle or the end of the circuit. The requirement is that when the circuit conductors are increased for voltage drop than the EGC must be increased as well. As George said, this doesn't mean that a some point on the circuit that the EGC can't be decreased in size if the rest of the circuit conductors are decreased in size also. The increase in size of the EGC only applies to the portion of the circuit that has it's other conductors increased too.
 
georgestoz and infinity,

Yeah, I had thought about the point that you have both brought up, but here's my thinking. I agree that if you downsize the ungrounded conductors somewhere in a circuit, then the size of the EGC for that section of circuit would no longer fall under the upsizing requirement of 250.122(B). I think you are both thinking that #12 ungrounded conductor pigtails would constitue a section of circuit that is no longer upsized, and I agree. The question is, would the EGC pigtail to the box be part of this "not upsized" portion of the circuit? I don't think so. the EGC pigtail is there to ground the box because the #10 circuit conductors pass through it, not because the #12 ungrounded pigtails are there. I would agree that a pigtail to the grounding screw of a receptacle served by the #12 pigtails could be #12. That pigtail would clearly be part of the portion of the circuit with a #12 ungrounded conductor.

I know it sort of seems like splitting hairs, and whether the EGC pigtail to the box is #12 or #10 won't make any real difference. I'm just saying what I think the code language requires.

Edit: doh! I just re-read the OP. I'm thinking the boxes in question are just j-boxes. I don't think there are any receptacles or #12 ungrounded conductor pigtails present in those boxes. That reinforces my belief that 250.122(B) requires these particular EGC pigtails to be upsized because of the #10 ungrounded conductors used for the circuit.
 
Where in the NEC other than fire pumps and welders am I required to do a voltage drop upgrade for conductors?

If I upgrade due to conductor fill or temperature then this required upsizing of conductors will be required and the EGC will also.

Unless the code requires me to upsize for voltage drop then why do so?
I ran out of #12 black so I installed #10 black am I required to install a #10 EGC?
 
jwelectric,

If you increase the size of an ungrounded conductor for any reason you are required to increase the size of the equipment grounding conductor proportionately.

So in my opinion, if you run out of #12 and decide to use #10 to complete the circuit, then you would need to increase the EGC as well.

JMHO, Chris
 
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