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GEC bonded to enclosure

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Grouch1980

Senior Member
Location
New York, NY
I came across this in an electric service room. if you look at the attached picture, the green wire is the GEC, tapping from the neutral terminal in the service switch (towards the top of the pic) and then connecting to the cold water pipe below (pipe not seen in pic).

However, this GEC is also bonded to the service switch enclosure... you can see where they stripped the wire and bonded it, near the bottom of the picture. Is this necessary? or it against the NEC / a violation? I thought the GEC has to run straight from the neutral or ground terminal in the service switch to the grounding electrode.

GEC.jpg
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Possibly serving as the MBJ jumper also but, if so, it's undersized
(There may be a MBJ on the neutral block but it's not visible)
No harm if it's bonded.
 

Another C10

Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
Location
Southern Cal
Occupation
Electrician NEC 2020
I came across this in an electric service room. if you look at the attached picture, the green wire is the GEC, tapping from the neutral terminal in the service switch (towards the top of the pic) and then connecting to the cold water pipe below (pipe not seen in pic).

However, this GEC is also bonded to the service switch enclosure... you can see where they stripped the wire and bonded it, near the bottom of the picture. Is this necessary? or it against the NEC / a violation? I thought the GEC has to run straight from the neutral or ground terminal in the service switch to the grounding electrode.
Normally that joining of grounds to the neutral is seen at the main panel enclosure. If thats the case .. its good.

Although I'm curious why the neutral lugs are isolated if it's a main enclosure.
 
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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Normally that joining of grounds to the neutral is seen at the main panel enclosure. If thats the case .. its good.

Although I'm curious why the neutral lugs are isolated if it's a main enclosure.
The upper ground lug looks like it is on the same buses bar as the neutral lugs, so the equipment may be SUSE rated and require a bonding jumper. There is no evidence of factory supplied bonding.

The bottom ground lug looks to be a Latin style so the GEC is continuous to the common neutral/ground bound. The sizing may be suspect.
 

Sberry

Senior Member
Location
Brethren, MI
Occupation
farmer electrician
Think about a 4 wire fed panel to an outbuilding, its landed on a bar bolted to the enclosure. I have seen it done when they add additional equipment bar to a main service.
 
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