Around four amperes on grounding conductors between CB panel and ground rods

[Always Moore]

The current is there even when all the breakers including the main disconnect are off. Looking for possible reasons.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I was thinking a bad neutral on another service, but that current should just pass back to the transformer via your service neutral. Could be a utility issue with their primary neutral and that is causing current flow through the earth.

 

[retirede]

Are you sure that there are no other connections to the grounding electrode conductor between where you are taking the measurement and the ground rods? Example - bonding jumper to water piping.

If so, that could change the possibilities.

 

[ptonsparky]

Retired's comment brings up the issue of metallic, shared community water systems.

 

[John A]

As Don said in Post 2, a utility issue could be the cause. There was an issue a few years back in my neighborhood with 'stray voltage' which was determined to be the utility using SWER primary. Single Wire Earth Return that was feeding the pole mounted transformers. Basically 1 'hot', and a #6, or #4 down the pole to a ground rod at each pole.

 

[retirede]

As Don said in Post 2, a utility issue could be the cause. There was an issue a few years back in my neighborhood with 'stray voltage' which was determined to be the utility using SWER primary. Single Wire Earth Return that was feeding the pole mounted transformers. Basically 1 'hot', and a #6, or #4 down the pole to a ground rod at each pole.

I don’t think SWER is used anywhere in the US. You likely observed an issue with the utility’s primary neutral which caused it to behave similar to a SWER.

 

[John A]

retirede
The 'SWER was determined by the utility, and a few 'outside' engineers. This was about 15 years back. There was a lot of 'testing' and when a cut-out was opened on the primary, the stray voltage was gone. It was 'old' distribution that was not updated.

This info I picked up from a few utility linemen, and two of the engineers that were involved.

 

[Elect117]

Would you mind elaborating on what you mean a little more?

If this is residential and you confirmed everything is bonded to the GECs properly then it seems to be stray from somewhere else like leakage from underground lighting, the power utility, or maybe the communication utility.

If this is a commercial location, then there could be much more going on.

 

[mtnelect]

You will never get rid of it no matter how hard you try, because of MGN system that the utilities use !