Reidentifying black #4 THHN for EGC

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dhducati

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I was wondering about using some left-over black #4 THHN to bond a water line to the service panel (200A service). Parts of the run through a crawl space will be exposed. 250.119 allows re-identification, but in this case there would be relatively long lengths where the conductor is accessible. Would the whole accessible length need to be taped green? Perhaps it would be easier to use bare wire, or get some green #4 and save the left-over black for another job.
 
dhducati said:
I was wondering about using some left-over black #4 THHN to bond a water line to the service panel (200A service). Parts of the run through a crawl space will be exposed. 250.119 allows re-identification, but in this case there would be relatively long lengths where the conductor is accessible. Would the whole accessible length need to be taped green? Perhaps it would be easier to use bare wire, or get some green #4 and save the left-over black for another job.
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Just fine. As a matter of fact, you do not have to color this wire at all - it is not a EGC - it is a GEC or a bond wire (depending if the water is a grounding electrode.)
I would use green tape personally, but it not required.
 
IMHO, you are dealing with a bonding conductor, not an equipemt grounding conduictor, so 250.119 would not apply.
Even though green is commonplace, I don't believe there is a required color on a bonding conductor.

edit: sorry, John typing at same time
 
It seems to me that if the code were going to be specific and require a certain color for this grounding electrode conductor, it would have done so at 250.62 or 250.64 (A) through (F). I've seen zillions of solid cu, black #4 for years. :smile: Rarely is it ever reidentified by green tape at the water service entrance or for that matter within the panel.
EDIT: Also, it is not the same thing as an equipment grounding conductor. See the definition.
 
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JohnJ0906 said:
Just fine. As a matter of fact, you do not have to color this wire at all - it is not a EGC - it is a GEC or a bond wire (depending if the water is a grounding electrode.)
I would use green tape personally, but it not required.
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OK, it is a bonding wire in this case. I was originally planning to tape it at each end, but when I went to double check in the code book, the EGC identification section jumped out at me. :smile: Thanks for the quick reply!

Dave
 
As others have stated, if it's a GEC no re-identification is required.

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No Need to re identify something that needs no identifying in the first place.

When I was young and foolish I had an inspector "make me" apply green tape every few feet to a black gec. His reasoning was "What if somebody cuts it thinking it's a coax catv wire...."

I don't know who was the biggest loser, him for his nonsense, or me for doing it. :rolleyes:
 
electricmanscott said:
No Need to re identify something that needs no identifying in the first place.

When I was young and foolish I had an inspector "make me" apply green tape every few feet to a black gec. His reasoning was "What if somebody cuts it thinking it's a coax catv wire...."

I don't know who was the biggest loser, him for his nonsense, or me for doing it. :rolleyes:
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Him,he is supposed to know all the codes.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
Him,he is supposed to know all the codes.
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Jim
That is impossible, or more likely improbable.


A good inspector should be aware generally of as many portions of the NEC/codes as he is able to do. He should be an expert at searching for the proper answer...which may involve more than the NEC.
A good inspector also has people skills and does not take the actions displayed by some on the job sites personally. Leave the ego home, try to learn at least one new thing a day and carry the series of books he may reference daily with him.
There are always going to be jobs that are hard for both the inspector and the installer...those make for interesting days.
 
Pierre C Belarge said:
Jim
That is impossible, or more likely improbable.


A good inspector should be aware generally of as many portions of the NEC/codes as he is able to do. He should be an expert at searching for the proper answer...which may involve more than the NEC.
A good inspector also has people skills and does not take the actions displayed by some on the job sites personally. Leave the ego home, try to learn at least one new thing a day and carry the series of books he may reference daily with him.
There are always going to be jobs that are hard for both the inspector and the installer...those make for interesting days.
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Should he not be educated enough to back up what he tags with a code number?His job is to site violations.Not saying he needs to know every code number but before he sites it be smart to find the number first.
 
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