Ground rod at separate building ?

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ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Hello. A question came up. Let's say there is a house and it feeds a sub panel in a detached garage. The garage would need s ground rod or two attached to the egc at the panel.

Now a breezeway is added between the house and garage. Or a roof between the two. Reading around some place consider the two building to now be one so I would think no ground rod would be needed.

Not making sense. How does the electricity know there's s covering attaching two buildings.

I personally installed a sub panel in my shed years ago. I did not I install a ground rod If I install a covering attaching my house to the shed do I need one. If I install one then add a covering do I need to remove it disconnect the rod?

Not making sense. To me a separate building 15 feet away from the main building or 150 feet away is a separate building Connected with a covering or not.


What say ye?

Thank you.
 
augie47

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Pure speculation on my part but I can see why the Code would want a GES at a separate building just as they would any structure. Rather than try to set a distance it would make sense to say any structure. The fact that yours was close enough to allow a breezway is not relevant to a "general rule". For one I am thankful that they didn't get into a "distance" war.
Plus a ptonsprky suggests.. not worth worrying about :)
 
ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
augie47 said:
Pure speculation on my part but I can see why the Code would want a GES at a separate building just as they would any structure. Rather than try to set a distance it would make sense to say any structure. The fact that yours was close enough to allow a breezway is not relevant to a "general rule". For one I am thankful that they didn't get into a "distance" war.
Plus a ptonsprky suggests.. not worth worrying about :)
Click to expand...

yes I think too much............

I am not considering attaching the (my) two buildings.

I'm just curious about how two buildings now become one................


http://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2011/11/28291/hawkins-inn-embroiled-in-breezeway-dispute/

and if it becomes one via a breezeway or roof.........electrically I don't think the covering should matter...... they would still seem like TWO SEPARATE buildings to me..
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Kind of have to agree with Augie - simpler to just require a grounding electrode at all separate buildings/structures, even if they are inches away from one another.

If you connect two buildings together it doesn't hurt to leave the electrodes at the second building. Though it does create issues with needing an EGC if it is an older install that allowed you to ground the grounded conductor again at the second building, and would have been an issue years ago as well, but is not a problem with newer installs that now must have an EGC to the second structure.
 
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