Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nothing

Member
My journeyman told me the other day that I didn't need to bond junction boxes above the ceiling in a commercial building. I remember reading something about this but I can no longer find it. Can one of you help me find this to verify if I'm getting correct information? :confused:

[ October 18, 2005, 12:34 AM: Message edited by: nothing ]
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

Originally posted by nothing:
My journeyman told me the other day that I didn't need to bond junction boxes above the ceiling in a commercial building. I remember reading something about this but I can no longer find it. Can one of you help me find this to verify if I'm getting correct information? :confused:
Click to expand...
To the best of my knowledge, see 250.96(A).

If you don't have to bond metal boxes, stop the presses, that's news to me.

Nothing, welcome to the forum.
Why does it say 'Paper Jam' when there is no paper jam?
Click to expand...
Good movie, one of my favorites.
icon14.gif
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

I just read 250.96(A) and I remember reading something about J-boxes above the ceiling at or above 10'AFF to the bottom of the box didn't have to be bonded.


But than again the last code book I stuck my nose in was in 1993 when I took electrical in the trade school, I've just gotten in the electriacl trade a year ago and alot has changed scince I remember. Maybe someone can recall what i'm refering to and correct me.
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

Also what i remember if the ceiling was at 12' and my work was exposed at 11' although it was above 10' it had to be bonded, it had to be above the ceiling and over 10' for it not to be bonded.
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

i have run across specs that did not require emt to have a ground wire included in certain cases, such as where not exposed or out of reach (I don't recall the exact wording).

the metal boxes are still bonded through the emt though.

maybe he is thinking of something along those lines.
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

Nothing,

Everything has to be bonded. If you are using EMT as your bonding path, then it would make sense to only pigtail boxes that are getting devices (as in, boxes not in the ceiling). But the box is bonding the device, not the other way around.

I just read an article in ECM of a death attributed to half-measures in bonding, it's something to take seriously. An electrician went into the attic of a bank to locate reported arcing. There was an energized conduit and a properly bonded one in close proximity, and he died, long story short.
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

i am curious how a conduit gets energized and not blow the ocpd for that circuit? it seems that a whole series of violations would have had to have happened for this to have occurred.
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

i am curious how a conduit gets energized and not blow the ocpd for that circuit? it seems that a whole series of violations would have had to have happened for this to have occurred.
Click to expand...
A coupling was broken and the ground fault was on the load side of the broken coupling. That energized the conduit without opening the OCPD. This could happen even where there were no code violations in the original installation.
Don
 
Re: Grounding pig tale above ceiling...

Thank you for all the input, your point was well taken. As of four months ago i bond everything I can get a ground screw into no matter what anyone says.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top