Grounding Conductor Securing

[timm333]

A question about the grounding conductors. NEC 250.64(B) requires GEC (grounding electrode conductor) to be protected inside conduit when GEC is smaller than 6 AWG. Does NEC have similar requirement for EGC (equipment grounding conductor), or can EGC be run on the surface of the structure without being protected inside conduit? Thanks

 

[chris kennedy]

Why would you ever need to do that? Where are the rest of the circuit conductors.

 

[timm333]

For example when you have to ground the conservator tank of a transformer which is not pre-installed in the packaged transformer and is assembled/installed separately at site.

 

[petersonra]

A question about the grounding conductors. NEC 250.64(B) requires GEC (grounding electrode conductor) to be protected inside conduit when GEC is smaller than 6 AWG. Does NEC have similar requirement for EGC (equipment grounding conductor), or can EGC be run on the surface of the structure without being protected inside conduit? Thanks

Incidentally, inside conduit is not the only allowed protective means.

Take a look at 300.3(B).

 

[petersonra]

Why would you ever need to do that? Where are the rest of the circuit conductors.

he might be referring to bonding conductors as opposed to EGC.

 

[timm333]

I think equipment bonding jumper is the one which would be needed to bond different components of transformer together. Is equipment bonding jumper and bonding conductor the same thing?

 

[timm333]

Maybe EGC to connect the grounding electrode conductor to the body of enclosure which contains the main incoming terminals of the transformer, and then the equipment bonding jumpers to bond this enclosure to the other components of transformer ?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

And equipment grounding conductor is different than a grounding electrode conductor. If the grounding electrode conductor to the ground rod is smaller than #6 then it needs protection. We never use #8 for a grounding electrode conductor as our services are usually 200 amp so we carry #6. I would probably use #6 even if I did a 100 amp service.

 

[kwired]

GEC smaller then 6AWG needs physical protection - installing it inside a conduit is one way to accomplish that, but it is not required to be installed in a conduit.

 

[MRKN]

And equipment grounding conductor is different than a grounding electrode conductor. If the grounding electrode conductor to the ground rod is smaller than #6 then it needs protection. We never use #8 for a grounding electrode conductor as our services are usually 200 amp so we carry #6. I would probably use #6 even if I did a 100 amp service.

Yes, this is good practice, especially for the above-ground portion, since this is where it's exposed to mechanical damage, and you may only have one GEC. Requiring 2 GEC and/or very large GEC are typical mitigations.