New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

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Re: New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

I am at home and no code book with me, but doesn't it say that there must be at least 20 feet of rebar in the foundation to use it as a concrete encased electrode? Or 20 feet of copper wire in the concrete pour? Maybe that is where this mystery rumor of code required 20 foot ground rods came from?
 
Re: New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

Good call you may have found the source of the rumor. :cool:

(3) Concrete-Encased Electrode. An electrode encased by at least 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete, located within and near the bottom of a concrete foundation or footing that is in direct contact with the earth, consisting of at least 6.0 m (20 ft) of one or more bare or zinc galvanized or other electrically conductive coated steel reinforcing bars or rods of not less than 13 mm (? in.) in diameter, or consisting of at least 6.0 m (20 ft) of bare copper conductor not smaller than 4 AWG. Reinforcing bars shall be permitted to be bonded together by the usual steel tie wires or other effective means.
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Re: New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

The following is per 2002 Code:
250.50 If available on the premises at each bldg.or structure served, each item in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(6)shall be bonded together to form the grounding electrode system.Where none of these electrodes are available, one or more of the electrodes specified in 250.52(A)(4) through (A)(7) shall be installed as used.
The 2005 Code in Section 250.50 states the same as the 2002 Code, but there is an Exception in the 2005 Code stating the following:
Exception: Concrete-encased electrodes of existing buildings or structures shall not be required to be part of the grounding electrode system where the steel reinforcing bars or rods are not accessible for use without disturbing the concrete.
Now this is all very clear reading to me, if you will just take your time in reading.
In my opinion, in new construction, I would insist that reinforcing steel rods be installed in the footings with a minimum of 20 feet in length. Section 250.52(A)(3)
It has been proven with testing that the concrete encased rods are excellent for maintaining a good reading of ohms to ground.
I worked for DuPont and we have been using the concrete encased rods for at least the last 25 years.
 
Re: New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

The Code permits the installation in that manner, you do not have to be from New Jersey, see 250.64(F).
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Thank goodness !!! Thanks Charlie, I was starting to get a complex being from NJ. Our inspectors make us do a lot of strange things here especially when new codes are published and subject to many interpretations. Actually Charlie what I meant to say was that if the bonding wire from the re-bar was in the vacinity of the bonding wire at the cold water pipe, you could skin back the insulation at the closest point and bug it on right there and not run it back to the breaker panel.

[ January 17, 2005, 06:01 AM: Message edited by: goldstar ]
 
Re: New Residential Ground Rod Requirements

George,umm,You might need to return for one more cup of java....250.53(d)(4)?
 
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