Grounding at the Service Entrance

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MTurley

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Boerne, Texas
A situation has come up where hit or miss there are multiple grounds at the service entrances that I've been inspecting. There is usually one coming out of the service disconnect and one coming out of the meter base or attached to the service neutral at the weatherhead. NEC talks about "the connection to ground" at the service entrance. I can see a clear danger of multiple grounds beyond the disconnect but what about before the disconnect. I can see where normal load current is split part inside the conduit and part outside through the external ground. Is it legal?
 
250-53 A grounding electrode conductor shall be used to connect the equipment grounding conductors, the service equipment enclosures, and, where the system is grounded, the grounded service conductor to the grounding electrode.

250-21a The grounding of electric systems, circuit conductors, surge arresters and conductive noncurrent-carrying materials and equipment shall be installed and arranged in a manner that will prevent an objectionable flow of current over the grounding conductors or grounding paths.

250-21c Temporary currents not classified and objectionable currents. Temporary currents resulting from accidental condition, such as ground fault currents that occur only while the grounding conductors are performing their intended protective functions hsall not be classified as objecctionalbe current for the purposes specified in 250-21 a and b above.

If I read this right, there should be one grounding conductor with a single bond from equipment to it. An arrangement that parallels grounded conductors, one inside the box and one outside the box would allow normal load currrent to flow outside the box and therefore be objectionable current. For illustration, connect the grounding conductor to the service neutral at the service entrance, connect the service neutral in the disconnect to the grounding conductor and also from the service neutral in the meter base to the grounding conductor. I do find where the transformer outside the building is to have a separate ground but these would be separated through say 40' to 150' of soil. The service equipment is located in one place. I only see grounding conductor and attachment used as singular terms never plural. Where is the reference to multiple connections to ground?
 
MTurley said:
Where is the reference to multiple connections to ground?

You are looking at it backward.

Where is the reference to say multiple connections to ground are not allowed on the supply side of the service disconnect.

250.24(A)(5) tells us we can not do this on the load side of the service disconnect but there is no equivalent section for the supply side.

Don't get me wrong, I understand your concern and have put up a lot of posts suggesting that we all should take it on ourselves not to create these parallel paths.

When we have two or more services to a building think about the implications of 250.58 Common Grounding Electrode. That section basically requires parallel paths to be created.

Bob
 
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