Ground Rods

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jm1470

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What size wire do you run to ground rods if you have an hundred amp service. I ask this because I ran #8 and fail inspection, should it have been #6
 
It depends on the size of your service entrance conductors. Look at 250.66 and remember the gec never needs to be larger than #6.
 
It could also be a damage protection thing. A #8 GEC has to be in a conduit. A #6 can be exposed if closely following the surface of something.

A 100A residential service would normally only need a #8 copper GEC. But as Dennis said, it depends on the size of your service conductors.
 
btharmy said:
Never say never. The #6 max rule only applies to rod plate and pipe electrodes.
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The title of the thread is ground rods....I thought that was what we were talking about. And yes if you use the rod as a bonding jumper to a water pipe or another electrode than it may need to be larger than #6. I'll say almost never....and I have never used an electrode larger than #6 to the thousands of rods I installed. :p
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The title of the thread is ground rods....I thought that was what we were talking about. And yes if you use the rod as a bonding jumper to a water pipe or another electrode than it may need to be larger than #6. I'll say almost never....and I have never used an electrode larger than #6 to the thousands of rods I installed. :p
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Just for clarification you said the gec never needs to be larger than #6.

Better wording would maybe be ..the conductor that is the sole connection to a ground rod...




Physical protection requirement is different for 8 AWG.

jm1470, what did inspector cite you for? If he can't give you a code section that has been violated I would refuse to change it if I know it is acceptable.
 
I always use #6 for every service between 100-400 amps. Never done one bigger or smaller, so I don't know what I would do in either of those situations.
 
The problem with using #8 to a ground rod is that it must be protected by use of conduit or cable armor. In my area the #6 is allowed unprotected if it is securely fastened to the structure.
 
Yes, the #8 is the minimum size required but must be protected from physical damage by a means outlined in 250.64(B). We just use #6 Cu for every size service to the rods.
 
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