GEC size.

[jpujols01]

Hi guys....
I understand very clear that the GEC connected to ground rod doesn't have to be large than number 6 but what happens if the ground rod is about 100 feet away from the service, should I have to run a large GEC in order to handle to large amount of electric pulse that will try to get down to earth trough the GEC.


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[jaggedben]

No. It makes no difference.

 

[jpujols01]

I got the point that isn't make difference but mike holt also say that the ground rod must be close to the service and recommend the GEC should be 10' or less in order to work properly.


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[infinity]

I got the point that isn't make difference but mike holt also say that the ground rod must be close to the service and recommend the GEC should be 10' or less in order to work properly.


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Where did you get this information? The NEC doesn't have any similar reference.

 

[ActionDave]

I got the point that isn't make difference but mike holt also say that the ground rod must be close to the service and recommend the GEC should be 10' or less in order to work properly.


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In practical terms it makes no sense to drive a ground rod a hundred feet away but the NEC is not going to tell you that.

 

[jpujols01]

Sorry but nec doesn't say that but if you watch mike holt dvd about grounding/bonding he said why the GEC should be as close is possible to the service.
Also the reason why the ground rod is 100' away is because in nyc after the sandy storm must of building service were out service because must of them are installed in basement and now new building are installing the services in ground floor or second floor but the ground rod still is installed in the basement and we have to run long distances GEC all the way to service.


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[jaggedben]

Sorry but nec doesn't say that but if you watch mike holt dvd about grounding/bonding he said why the GEC should be as close is possible to the service.
Also the reason why the ground rod is 100' away is because in nyc after the sandy storm must of building service were out service because must of them are installed in basement and now new building are installing the services in ground floor or second floor but the ground rod still is installed in the basement and we have to run long distances GEC all the way to service.

Well, perhaps you could install a new ground rod near the service and remove the old one (or at least make it so inaccessible that it shouldn't need to be bonded to the new one). One or two stories isn't 100ft (unless you are talking about buildings with multilevel basements in which case you probably can and should be using building steel).

I agree with Dave: it makes more sense to have it near the service but the NEC doesn't require it, and it certainly doesn't require a different size GEC.

 

[jpujols01]

Yes I'm talking about buildings were some times with have cellar and sub cellar and for one reason or other the ground rod will be more than 50' away even if you put a second one closer to the service but my question a the beginning was that maybe if I use a large size of wire that may help solve the issue of the distance as we do with drop voltage.
Here is a picture of what they recommend when running a GEC.

J Pujols.

 

[ActionDave]

Yes I'm talking about buildings were some times with have cellar and sub cellar and for one reason or other the ground rod will be more than 50' away even if you put a second one closer to the service

New construction or existing? Either way is there no building steel that qualifies as a grounding electrode?

but my question a the beginning was that maybe if I use a large size of wire that may help solve the issue of the distance as we do with drop voltage.
Here is a picture of what they recommend when running a GEC.

J Pujols.

Ground rods are about the weakest of the qualifying grounding electrodes. That is the main reason #6 is all that is required for them. You could tie a wire as big as your leg to one and it won't make any difference how much current it will carry at any distance at any voltage.

 

[Ponchik]

As mentioned ealier use the steel or CEC. The picture shows "should not be longers than necessary" in your case if 100' is the necessary distance then making 150' will give you 50' of unnecessary distance.

 

[GoldDigger]

As mentioned ealier use the steel or CEC. The picture shows "should not be longers than necessary" in your case if 100' is the necessary distance then making 150' will give you 50' of unnecessary distance.

Probably the biggest effect of length of the GEC is for lightning induced currents. The inductance of the log wire will have a much greater effect on the high frequency components than the DC resistance. And at the same time the high voltage makes the resistance if the ground rod a less important factor too.