ground wire? / EGC

[JohnJ0906]

What is your opinion about running a grounding conductor in EMT?

Required? Good idea? Poor Idea?

Some of the people in my union are insisting that it's required.

Sorry Roger, I completely missed "Ground wire/ EGC " in the thread title. My post had to do with GECs.

I think I made decaf by accident this morning... :grin:

 

[iwire]

Sorry Roger, I completely missed "Ground wire/ EGC " in the thread title. My post had to do with GECs.

I think I made decaf by accident this morning... :grin:

Not to worry, you did not miss "/EGC"............. I added it after I was sure which he meant.:smile:

 

[iwire]

Ah, that's messed up, I can't test some of mine?:grin:

You can come test mine.

I had to run a 1,200 amp feeder about 200' being the cheap guy that I am I wanted to run three sets of 600 kcmil in 3" EMT, an EGC in each would have prevented that.

But all steel couplings and connectors all well tightened lets me sleep just fine. 3 parallel 3" EMTs are certainly enough to quickly open the OCPD in the case of a ground fault.

 

[physis]

You can come test mine.

I had to run a 1,200 amp feeder about 200' being the cheap guy that I am I wanted to run three sets of 600 kcmil in 3" EMT, an EGC in each would have prevented that.

But all steel couplings and connectors all well tightened lets me sleep just fine. 3 parallel 3" EMTs are certainly enough to quickly open the OCPD in the case of a ground fault.

I just did 40 feet of 4" RMC, yours'll look like a resister compared to mine. :grin:

Edit: Left out RMC.

 

[iwire]

I just did 40 feet of 4", yours'll look like a resister compared to mine. :grin:

No it would not.

In general EMT is a fine EGC out to about 300', there is software available to make the calculations.

 

[physis]

there is software available to make the calculations.

I was thinking about how the resistance could be approximated, there're a number of rather gushy variables.

 

[M. D.]

Here is a study for you reading pleasure
http://www.steelconduit.org/pdf/groundingpart1.PDF

 

[M. D.]

this site has a bunch of great info ,.. a keeper IMO
http://www.steelconduit.org/qa.htm

 

[infinity]

Bottom line is that normally EMT does not require an EGC. If you feel safer installing one go right ahead and eat the cost. One a large job if the customer isn't paying for EGC's in EMT he does not get them since they're not required.

 

[jflynn]

Personally I think a lot of EGCs are run in steel pipe because it makes the installer or designer feel good.:smile:

well said,...

 

[wawireguy]

It could be a local(state) code requiring a EGC with a steel pipe install.

On the other hand I've ran into plenty of electricians that don't know code and just regurgitate whatever they think they've learned over the years.