84 v from remote earth and ground rod

[ptonsparky]

I think the generator feeds a step down that then feeds the lights. I think.

 

[ptonsparky]

Is there an EGC pulled and connected to the metal poles??

Back in a Post 4, he says Yes.
That leaves a system bonding jumper that is missing.

Sparking GEC connection would have me bringing an amp meter out just for curiosity. They can carry a small amount of current. I've seen it before in a darkened basement. Not broad daylight.

OP: Combined with everything else, don't turn that generator on again until you've found the problem. You don't need power to find it. Don't worry about rods until then.

 

[kwired]

I have L1 L2 L3 and G
running from a 277/480 generator ( it is not grounded) to a disconnect (which has a connection to a ground rod)
The disconnect feeds a panel board( which has no line to neutral loads ) the panel board feeds a 208/ 120transformer
The transformer is grounded to the same ground rod as the disconnect and it
Has the system bonding jumper
So I have l1 l2 l3 n and g in the panel board
The panel board is feeding some 208v light poles and each pole has an auxiliary ground rod
The problem is that if I measure from remote earth to the ground rod I got 85 v
The lights poles flickers and after a while the breaker trips
I found out that in the 208 /120 panel board had the main bonding installed so I removed it and I thought that was the problem but it's still doing the same thing
All this is really close to transmission lines
Thanks for your time
I'll really appreciate your help thanks

Nobody said a word yet about the mentioned transmission lines.

How close and what voltage are those? lower voltage lines may not create too many issues but higher voltage transmission lines maybe can.

After enough bits and pieces I think your grounding/bonding likely isn't a direct problem here.

 

[ptonsparky]

Nobody said a word yet about the mentioned transmission lines.

How close and what voltage are those? lower voltage lines may not create too many issues but higher voltage transmission lines maybe can.

After enough bits and pieces I think your grounding/bonding likely isn't a direct problem here.

The direct problem being the breaker tripping.

 

[kwired]

The direct problem being the breaker tripping.

I guess I missed that somewhere. Still that high of volts on a ground rod to other remote earth? With a utility connected system you have other electrodes in the utility system, this I am presuming is stand alone system and there should be no other electrodes to create such voltages between two points in earth. But there can be induction or capacitance causing stray voltages around high enough voltage lines

 

[Fred B]

Nobody said a word yet about the mentioned transmission lines.

How close and what voltage are those? lower voltage lines may not create too many issues but higher voltage transmission lines maybe can.

After enough bits and pieces I think your grounding/bonding likely isn't a direct problem here.

Another thing I've seen this happening and if new rods have been driven and hit or came close to hitting a barried conductor this might be an explanation, or other . Called out to parking lot with lighting failure. Someone drilled in and hit line the feeder putting in new handicap parking sign. Made a higher impedance short that resulted in a delayed tripping. Disconnected down stream and no trip.

 

[synchro]

Another thing I've seen this happening and if new rods have been driven and hit or came close to hitting a barried conductor this might be an explanation, or other . Called out to parking lot with lighting failure. Someone drilled in and hit line the feeder putting in new handicap parking sign. Made a higher impedance short that resulted in a delayed tripping. Disconnected down stream and no trip.

Yes, with all those ground rods maybe one of them has hit a line feeding 208V to the lights and it's causing the breaker to trip. This would explain why removing the EGC for the lights at the disconnect would prevent the breaker from tripping as the OP mentioned in post #14. And so I think that possible cause should be checked out before exploring other things that are less straightforward.

 

[ptonsparky]

Yes, with all those ground rods maybe one of them has hit a line feeding 208V to the lights and it's causing the breaker to trip. This would explain why removing the EGC for the lights at the disconnect would prevent the breaker from tripping as the OP mentioned in post #14. And so I think that possible cause should be checked out before exploring other things that are less straightforward.

That would be the first time ever that happened!