EGC From a Disconnected Circuit

[Little Bill]

If you have a circuit that is completely disconnected from the device and wires properly capped and then disconnected at the breaker, would there be a problem if the EGC from the circuit was left connected to the ground bar in the panel? The grounded (neutral) conductor also disconnected, only the EGC still connected.

 

[charlie b]

I gather that you are essentially asking if there would be a shock hazard, if a person were to touch the other end of the wire. My answer to that question is that it would be no more of a hazard than if a person were to touch a water pipe to which a GEC had been attached. That is to say it is not a hazard at all. There is no short-circuit or ground fault scenario that would cause a person to be shocked by touching the EGC.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Under ground fault conditions on a grounded system, everything connected to the grounding system will be raised to a voltage above earth that is equal to the votlage on the grounded conductor between the utility transfomer and the main bonding jumper. With very high current faults this voltage could be a shock hazard. The hazard will go away as soon as the OCPD clears the fault.