Grounding Electrode Conductor Splicing

[Eddie702]

I was watching a new Ryan Jackson vid on u tube and 2026 if I am not mistaken you are now allowed to splice a GEC with a set screw butt connector. It does not have to be irreversible

 

[ActionDave]

I'd like to see the ROP, ROC on that to see what the technical substantiation was.

 

[electrofelon]

I'd like to see the ROP, ROC on that to see what the technical substantiation was.

How about:

"This panel recognizes that there was never any technical reason or substantiation for the GEC to require irreversible splicing in the first place, so we are getting rid of some of this old nonsense."

 

[ActionDave]

I figure there is a back story where some animals were sacrificed just in case the CMP members wanted some extra protection from the curses of the Dirt Worshipers.

 

[electrofelon]

But really is it true that they got rid of the Irreversibe splice requirement? Cant remember the last time something good happened in the NEC, maybe last good thing was when they changed SER ampacity back up to 75.

 

[ActionDave]

We can only hope. Eddie702 post was the first I heard anything about it. I'm not on '26 code yet and I'm back to full time service work so I haven't worried about any changes in this cycle. There has been surprisingly little chatter about the new edition.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

There were a number of public inputs on this subject, and they all pretty much said two things. One, the EGC is much more important in terms of electrical safety as it is the fault clearing path and there is no restriction on splicing EGCs. Two, there was never any technical substantiation for the unspliced GEC. All of the PIs, were rejected for lack of technical substantiation, yet the panel issued a First revision with a panel statement that said:
" The requirement is revised to allow the splicing of grounding electrode conductors with listed grounding and bonding equipment to be used where the splice is made at an accessible location. Splicing by exothermic welding process and irreversible compression-type connectors is still permitted for accessible or non-accessible locations."

 

[ActionDave]

All of the PIs, were rejected for lack of technical substantiation, yet the panel issued a First revision with a panel statement that said:.....

Given the conversations we've had in the past about the CMPs only voting up or down on public inputs and not issuing changes without substantiation how is this possible?

 

[Eddie702]

How about:

"This panel recognizes that there was never any technical reason or substantiation for the GEC to require irreversible splicing in the first place, so we are getting rid of some of this old nonsense."

That is pretty much Ryans opinion as I understand it.