Ground Vers Bonding (when and where?

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Mass_Inspector

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Hello all,
My question is if you?re installing a common grounding electrode conductor from the service equipment( meter socket) to the first grounding electrode (from the meter to the 1st ground rod) that has to be continuous cunductor. But if I have to install another ground rod is that called a bonding jumper? Or a grounding electrode cunductor? And does the common grounding electrode now have to be replace because it has to go to the 2nd ground rod now?
 
Mass_Inspector said:
Hello all,
My question is if you?re installing a common grounding electrode conductor from the service equipment( meter socket) to the first grounding electrode (from the meter to the 1st ground rod) that has to be continuous cunductor. But if I have to install another ground rod is that called a bonding jumper? Or a grounding electrode cunductor? And does the common grounding electrode now have to be replace because it has to go to the 2nd ground rod now?
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You are correct. the GEC to the first rod must be continuous from the meter however the wire between the rods is a bonding jumper and does not need to be continuous.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
You are correct. the GEC to the first rod must be continuous from the meter however the wire between the rods is a bonding jumper and does not need to be continuous.
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Let me add that I always make it one continuous piece just because there is one less clamp. However the nec allows it. Here is a good graphic

1100202225_2.jpg
 
Mass_Inspector said:
Hello all,
My question is if you?re installing a common grounding electrode conductor from the service equipment( meter socket) to the first grounding electrode (from the meter to the 1st ground rod) that has to be continuous conductor. Yes, or irreversibly spliced.

But if I have to install another ground rod is that called a bonding jumper? Yes.

Or a grounding electrode conductor? No.

And does the common grounding electrode now have to be replace because it has to go to the 2nd ground rod now? No.
Click to expand...

:)
 
ground vers bonding

ground vers bonding

Thanks for clearing that up for me. That is how I interpret it but I wanted to make sure. I have asked inspectors but have gotten different answers but most of them say you have to have the common grounding electrode continuous to the 2nd ground rod? After reading the code book they are wrong and it is a bonding jumper.Do you know where in the code book 2011 NEC says that? And where i could show the differance between the two? I wish they would make a code change and say the common electrode conductor conects with the service equipment to the first grounding electrod! or the Main grounding electrode the the first grounding electrode and add the TERM (Main Grounding Electrode)
 
The definition of a GEC kind of gets you there. It tells you that the GEC can connect the grounded conductor to an electrode and to a point on the GEC. The GES itself can be made up of different electrodes connected together with bonding jumpers as depicted in the graphic that Dennis posted.

Grounding Electrode Conductor. A conductor used to connect the system grounded conductor or the equipment to a grounding electrode or to a point on the grounding electrode system.
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250.50 states that all grounding electrodes that are present at the building shall be bonded together to form the GES. To bond them together we use bonding jumpers. The diagram I posted is pretty clear. You must be careful in that you cannot run a #6 to the ground rod and then jump to a water pipe where a #4 is required. Either #4 to the water pipe and #6 to the rod or from the rod directly back to the service separately.

I agree it would be nice if the NEC spelled it out in one section that the GEC must be continuous and the rest are bonding jumpers. I don't know any one place that that info is clearly given.
 
Mass_Inspector said:
Thanks for the feed back I do understand it better. Have great day
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Welcome to the forum, and I want to say as an electrician how much we appreciate an inspector who looks for the truth in what the code says over what we are told as hearsay, this makes both our jobs so much easier.
Thank you

As George posted, it can't be much clearer then in 250.64(F) and (F)(1)
 
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one caveat, be careful as to how you use the term "common grounding electtrode". a true "common grounding electrode" will have more than one separatly derived systems (xfmr's) bonded to it in a single structure. what you are talking about is simply a grounding electrode conductor/system, yes, all one piece (unspliced between terminations)
 
PEDRO ESCOVILLA said:
one caveat, be careful as to how you use the term "common grounding electtrode". a true "common grounding electrode" will have more than one separatly derived systems (xfmr's) bonded to it in a single structure. what you are talking about is simply a grounding electrode conductor/system, yes, all one piece (unspliced between terminations)
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I'm not quite sure what the point you're trying to make is, but I will offer the correction that a GEC common to two service disconnects is a "common GEC." 250.64(D).
 
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