Bjenks
Senior Member
- Location
- East Coast of FL
What are guys doing to address converting a service to work with a whole house generator as it pertains to the new GEC and Service location?
Typical house has a meter outside without a disconnect with a Ground Rod connected to the Neutral of the Meter. Then the conduit goes underground up to 80 ft. away to a service disconnect where the N-G bond is located and the GES is connected to. Then we put a new service disconnect with the N-G bond and connect to ground rod to the ground of the disco. We pull a new EGC to the old service and isolate the N-G in the old panel. The problem is how to connect to the new service outside the GES that is in the old panel.
I have heard the following options and wonder what others are doing:
1) Pull a EGC and GEC in the conduit to the new service making sure of bonding on both end per 250.64(E) for ferrous raceways. Problem is the conduit isn't typically large enough to handle the extra conductors.
2) Do a play on NEC 250.50 and drive 2 ground rods in by the new outside service connecting it to the new service. They say none of the other ground electrode systems exist for all practical purposes. Knowing that they will still be partially connected via the EGC (but it would also now be undersized and you are not allowed to use the EGC as a GEC).
3) Spend the money to figure out how to run a GEC from the new service to the old MDP. I can see this as being impractical for many situations because of the underground existing service feeder.
4) Pray that there is a rebar you can chisel down to and hope that it is interconnected. Again, many cases this is impractical and you might not find anything that connects to the GES.
Any other ideas?
Typical house has a meter outside without a disconnect with a Ground Rod connected to the Neutral of the Meter. Then the conduit goes underground up to 80 ft. away to a service disconnect where the N-G bond is located and the GES is connected to. Then we put a new service disconnect with the N-G bond and connect to ground rod to the ground of the disco. We pull a new EGC to the old service and isolate the N-G in the old panel. The problem is how to connect to the new service outside the GES that is in the old panel.
I have heard the following options and wonder what others are doing:
1) Pull a EGC and GEC in the conduit to the new service making sure of bonding on both end per 250.64(E) for ferrous raceways. Problem is the conduit isn't typically large enough to handle the extra conductors.
2) Do a play on NEC 250.50 and drive 2 ground rods in by the new outside service connecting it to the new service. They say none of the other ground electrode systems exist for all practical purposes. Knowing that they will still be partially connected via the EGC (but it would also now be undersized and you are not allowed to use the EGC as a GEC).
3) Spend the money to figure out how to run a GEC from the new service to the old MDP. I can see this as being impractical for many situations because of the underground existing service feeder.
4) Pray that there is a rebar you can chisel down to and hope that it is interconnected. Again, many cases this is impractical and you might not find anything that connects to the GES.
Any other ideas?
