New Residential Ufer/Ground Rod

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Bama_Electrical

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Location
Alabama
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Electrician
Trying to figure out if this is kosher or not. I am picking up where another electrician left off. Homeowner paused the build for a while and the previous electrician moved on. Rough in is mostly done, but trying to wrap it up to get it inspected, so trying to reverse engineer everything. There is an ”Ufer” turned up out of the slab, with a ground wire running back to the first disconnect, but there is also 2 ground rods with a #4 copper that feeds up to the meter base. Anyone else doing it like this? AHJ confirmed that it is correct.
 
If the rods can land in the meter base there, that's a lucky break; we can't do that here. Code says at or before the main.
 
Bama_Electrical said:
There is an ”Ufer” turned up out of the slab, with a ground wire running back to the first disconnect, but there is also 2 ground rods with a #4 copper that feeds up to the meter base. Anyone else doing it like this? AHJ confirmed that it is correct.
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As mentioned with a CEE no other electrodes are required. Mulitple GEC's can connect in both the meter enclosure and the service disconnect.
 
Found out today that the CEE had a vapor barrier under it when the concrete was poured. Inspector is still requiring that it be bonded because the rebar is coming up through the slab. Thoughts?
 
Bama_Electrical said:
Found out today that the CEE had a vapor barrier under it when the concrete was poured. Inspector is still requiring that it be bonded because the rebar is coming up through the slab. Thoughts?
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It is not an electrode so it is not required to be bonded and i would not bond it. I would cut off the piece sticking up so that in the future someone doesn't think that there actually is a CEE.
 
infinity said:
It is not an electrode so it is not required to be bonded and i would not bond it. I would cut off the piece sticking up so that in the future someone doesn't think that there actually is a CEE.
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It would probably be easier just to run the wire rather than to cut off the rebar and make it look nice.
 
infinity said:
I don't see any benefit in leaving it and for the aforementioned reason I would not connect to it.
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How much time are you willing to waste just to prove you're right? For $25 you can do what the inspector wants and be done with it. You might eventually win but it will likely cost a lot more than $25 to win.
 
Bama_Electrical said:
Found out today that the CEE had a vapor barrier under it when the concrete was poured. Inspector is still requiring that it be bonded because the rebar is coming up through the slab. Thoughts?
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Does the moisture barrier extend below both the slab and the footing around the perimiter? The NEC only requires the footing to be in earth contact as long as the turned up rebar has electrical continuity to the footing as well as the slab.
 
petersonra said:
How much time are you willing to waste just to prove you're right? For $25 you can do what the inspector wants and be done with it. You might eventually win but it will likely cost a lot more than $25 to win.
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Doing nothing costs nothing but for some it might be easier to just play along with the inspector. I don't play well with inspectors who cite non-existent code requirements.
 
LarryFine said:
If the rods can land in the meter base there, that's a lucky break; we can't do that here. Code says at or before the main.
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Explain this comment please. The meter is at or before the main. This is common practice in my part of Florida. In fact you have to special order a meter that has the neutral and ground separate in the meter enclosure.
 
Dominion Power does not allow us to land EGCs in the meter base, and our inspectors also enforce it.

Ahead of the main disco, there is no separate grounding conductor. Every cabinet is tied to the neutral.
 
Strathead said:
Explain this comment please. The meter is at or before the main. This is common practice in my part of Florida. In fact you have to special order a meter that has the neutral and ground separate in the meter enclosure.
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Why would you have a separate place for the neutral? There is no EGC in the meter. We land the GEC in the meter here and the neutral is bonded to the case.
 
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