ground amps

[Brandon Loyd]

I am told that up to 5 amps measured on ground wires is acceptable by either B
NETA or code due to phantom induction amps. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[ptonsparky]

Give a detailed description of your ground wires.

If I find 5 amps of current flow on the equipment ground of a 15 amp branch circuit, absolutely not.

5 amps of current on a water pipe bond to a neighberhood metallic water pipe may just cause me to ask questions then, depending on the answers, go home and sleep well.

 

[infinity]

I found between 2 and 3 amps on my water pipe the various times that I've checked it. I would consider that to be normal.

 

[Brandon Loyd]

In this case, we check the ground wires in the main electrical room where they all come together at a ground hub mounted on the wall. See attached picture.

 

[brian john]

Did you measure at the water connection?

Was this on two conductors or more?

This could be a variety of issues, could be circulating current a result down stream ground connections or leakage current from loads.

How big is the facility?

That I know there are no standards for allowable current on the ground.

I would recommend an outage and an insulation resistance test on the neutrals with the neutral disconnect linked removed. If shorted isolate the feeders then the branch circuits.