Footer AND Ground rods

Status
Not open for further replies.
X

Xander1701e

Member
Location
Baltimore, MD, USA
Just had an inspector fail a 400A service because I did not install ground rods, even though its a brand new house with a footer ground. His logic, as quoting 250.50 "All grounding electrodes as described .... that are present at each building or structure served shall be bonded together...". So hes saying that since there's ground, as in earth/dirt/soil (I guess?), present at the house, that installing ground rods is required. In all my time in the trade I have never ran into this, and have done hundreds of houses with just the footer ground and been fine. Anyone run into this before?
 
The inspector is out of his mind, really.

Go over his head or put the rods in but that is not what the NEC requires or you would be installing a ground ring, a ground plate along with the rods.
 
I agree with Bob the inspector is way off base, if you have a footing that qualifies as an electrode or you make your own CEE then ground rods are not required. It doesn't get simpler than that. :roll:
 
Just what does the inspector think that the CEE is connecting to if not the dirt.
Does the fact that there is dirt on all four sides of the house mean that you actually need 8 rods?
 
Now as rediculous as this is, has a anyone been required to do this? I have in one county that we don't work in anymore, many years ago, but it had more to do with the AHJ having certain resistance requirements regarding footers, and it was just easier for us (and less of a headache) to just put them in. Don't remeber specifics, I think I was still a helper then. Just curious if anyone's dealt with this before and how you handled it
 
Xander1701e said:
Now as rediculous as this is, has a anyone been required to do this? I have in one county that we don't work in anymore, many years ago, but it had more to do with the AHJ having certain resistance requirements regarding footers, and it was just easier for us (and less of a headache) to just put them in. Don't remeber specifics, I think I was still a helper then. Just curious if anyone's dealt with this before and how you handled it
Click to expand...

If the requirement is to follow the NEC (without local exceptions) then there is no reason to install the rods along with a CEE. Go over the inspectors head to his boss if he continues to write his own codebook.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top