Continuos grounding conductor from electrode

[Strombea]

We wired a detached garage 200amps under ground from 400a panel, with sub panel inside garage, with a disconnect on the exterior. I ran uffer to the disconnect and a Polaris connecter to connect the uffer to the aluminum SER sub feed wire ground conductor(SER wire feeds panel in garage that supplies all circuits for that building). Inspector is saying uffer has to be continuous all the way to the sub panel and that my connection has to be irreversible in the disconnect. But I'm arguing that the "continuous" is only to service or feeder entrance of which would be the disco. So the Question is:

Where is the NEC defining the ends of the "continuous" conductor? Electrode at one end obviously, other end??? Service entrance? Distribution panel? Etc.

i told him that if I wanted to I could put a listed approved lug kit in disco to attach both wires as in a normal situation with ground bar holding uffer and gas bond and all other sub panels and those sub panels don't have to be continuous.

Please help

 

[infinity]

You need to determine where the GEC begins and ends, only the GEC needs to be continuous or irreversibly spliced. The terminations at the ends do not need to be irreversibly connected.

 

[Smart $]

The GEC for a building supplied by a feeder must be landed on a grounding terminal or bus in the enclosure of the building disconnecting means. According to your description the building disconnecting means would be the disconnect on the exterior of the garage.

Inspector is wrong. GEC does not have to run to panel in garage.

 

[Smart $]

I suppose citing section can't hurt.

250.32(A) requires the grounding electrode or system, then requires the GEC(s) connected in accordance with 250.32(B) or (C).

 

[Strombea]

Is there a citing in NEC specifically saying to terminate the grounding electrode conductor in the disconnect? I want to spell it out for him, 250.32

(1) Supplied by a Feeder or Branch Circuit. An equipment grounding conductor, as described in 250.118, shall be run with the supply conductors and be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s).


I hope that will be enough because I can't find anything that actually says to terminate the "continuous" conductor in disconnect and not the sub panel. But above it says "disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode conductor" assuming a splice in the disconnect to connect them all together. He might still say irreversible in disco, but I will try to explain it

 

[Strombea]

You need to determine where the GEC begins and ends, only the GEC needs to be continuous or irreversibly spliced. The terminations at the ends do not need to be irreversibly connected.

This is the question I'm asking but how to determine it? The NEC should define it as "from electrode continuous to first disconnecting means"

but the NEC doesn't that I can find so like most other things it's now up for dispute as to where it needs to be continuous to

 

[infinity]

This is the question I'm asking but how to determine it? The NEC should define it as "from electrode continuous to first disconnecting means"

but the NEC doesn't that I can find so like most other things it's now up for dispute as to where it needs to be continuous to

The GEC needs to be continuous from one end to the other. It begins at the electrode and ends at the terminal on the other end, in this case in the disconnect. Ask the inspector which code section you're violating.

 

[Smart $]

Is there a citing in NEC specifically saying to terminate the grounding electrode conductor in the disconnect? I want to spell it out for him, 250.32

(1) Supplied by a Feeder or Branch Circuit.An equipment grounding conductor, as described in 250.118, shall be run with the supply conductors and be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s).


I hope that will be enough because I can't find anything that actually says to terminate the "continuous" conductor in disconnect and not the sub panel. But above it says "disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode conductor" assuming a splice in the disconnect to connect them all together. He might still say irreversible in disco, but I will try to explain it

Note the part that says the equipment grounding conductor shall be run with supply conductors, yes? Supply conductors terminate in the building disconnecting means. A [supply] feeder EGC run to any other location would be a violation.

The the next part says that EGC shall be connected to the building or structure disconnecting means and to the grounding electrode(s). If the EGC run to any other location is a violation, then the only place the EGC can connect to the building disconnect and to the GEC(s) is in the building disconnect. Simple logical deduction.