Backcountry802
Member
- Location
- Vermont
- Occupation
- Electrician
With new code requiring meter disconnects for single family homes, I’m trying to brush up on my Grounding Electrode Conductor splicing options on existing services.
Most houses I work on have the service disconnect inside the house, fed by an SEU and with main bonding jumper inside the main panel.
My understanding is that if I add a new, properly labeled meter pack with disconnect, I can still consider the panel disconnect as the service disconnect and keep the SEU and interior main bonding jumper.
What I’m trying to clarify is how I am allowed to d Splice the existing grounding electrode conductors terminated in the inside panel and extend them outside to the meter disconnect. This would typically just be a 6awg to ground rods and 4awg to water pipe.
Am I correct in reading that I can move the main bonding jumper outside, replace the three wire service wire with four wire and use the panel’s ground bar to extend the grounding electrode conductor without the need of an exothermic weld or crimp,as long as the interior panel has a main breaker? Whereas, if the existing panel were changed to a main lug panel, it would require cad weld or irreversible crimp.
I think these are the basic options, the first being easiest and least expensive, but if i’m adding a meter disconnect already, it might be a nice upgrade to have a meter main outside.
I’m mainly wondering about whether I need to invest in a crimp tool to extend existing GEC’s or if I can just tap off the panel ground bar?
Most houses I work on have the service disconnect inside the house, fed by an SEU and with main bonding jumper inside the main panel.
My understanding is that if I add a new, properly labeled meter pack with disconnect, I can still consider the panel disconnect as the service disconnect and keep the SEU and interior main bonding jumper.
What I’m trying to clarify is how I am allowed to d Splice the existing grounding electrode conductors terminated in the inside panel and extend them outside to the meter disconnect. This would typically just be a 6awg to ground rods and 4awg to water pipe.
Am I correct in reading that I can move the main bonding jumper outside, replace the three wire service wire with four wire and use the panel’s ground bar to extend the grounding electrode conductor without the need of an exothermic weld or crimp,as long as the interior panel has a main breaker? Whereas, if the existing panel were changed to a main lug panel, it would require cad weld or irreversible crimp.
I think these are the basic options, the first being easiest and least expensive, but if i’m adding a meter disconnect already, it might be a nice upgrade to have a meter main outside.
I’m mainly wondering about whether I need to invest in a crimp tool to extend existing GEC’s or if I can just tap off the panel ground bar?
