Requirements for distance to ground rod?

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supergeek

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Hi Folks,

Forgive me if this question has come up before, but here goes.... Residential service upgrade with new panel (from 100 A to 200 A.) Is there any rule saying the ground rod has to be a certain distance from the panel? Reason is, all around the panel - near back of house - is concrete patio. I'm running a #4 armored cable to the front of the house to pick up the cold water ground where it enters the house (about 70 feet). Can I drive the ground rod there and daisy chain the ground wire from the water pipe to the ground rod? Or do I have to drill the concrete at the panel and put the ground rod there? If it matters, I'm in City of Los Angeles jurisdiction. Thanks!
 
supergeek said:
Can I drive the ground rod there and daisy chain the ground wire from the water pipe to the ground rod?
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Yes, you can, and the jumper need only be #6 cu.
 
Yep, that's the norm around here....

Yep, that's the norm around here....

Not sure where the requirement comes from, but #4 AC is pretty much the standard for residential panels. A lot of inspectors allow the system to get grounded to the closest hose bib (I know it's not legal, but they allow it), so the amount of cable used is minimal. Panel, hose bib, ground rod, done. Some of us make the effort to go to the main water entry point, but we're really in the minority. Hey, if the customer want's the low bidder, they get what they pay for!
 
I am glad to hear that you personally perform electrical installations to the the requirements of the code and NOT only to what is enforced by the local inspector. Inspectors have no legal authority to permit and/or require installations that do not meet the minimum requirements of the code unless they have given Special Permission to do so. Only in that case does liability fall back to the AHJ and off the contractor for an installation that does not meet code.
 
I'm curious to know how you bond the armor of #4 armored ground wire at the panel end? I haven't really seen any connectors for this purpose yet. I know they exist for the water pipe and ground rod end, but the panel end fitting eludes me.
 
mdshunk said:
I'm curious to know how you bond the armor of #4 armored ground wire at the panel end?
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I don't use 4 awg armored but I would think a AC cable connector would be acceptable.

Would you have to use a red head? :)
 
iwire said:
I don't use 4 awg armored but I would think a AC cable connector would be acceptable.
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Save for the fact that every MC/AC connector I managed to get white papers on starts their sizing chart at 14-2. Single conductor #4 is about the size of a pencil. I'm not even sure any connector would grab the armor.
 
The closest thing I've found........

The closest thing I've found........

mdshunk said:
I'm curious to know how you bond the armor of #4 armored ground wire at the panel end? I haven't really seen any connectors for this purpose yet. I know they exist for the water pipe and ground rod end, but the panel end fitting eludes me.
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is to use a 1/2" ground bushing along with the cable connector.
 
supergeek said:
is to use a 1/2" ground bushing along with the cable connector.
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I wouldn contend that this is not necessary, as long as you have a connector that contacts the cable armor sufficiently. The one Bob dug up is for a 1/4" hole, and is typically for an undercabinet fixture, but I suppose would work as long as #4 AC is at least as fat as the min cable diameter for that connector.
 
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supergeek said:
Hi Folks,

I'm running a #4 armored cable to the front of the house to pick up the cold water ground
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Why don't you guy's up north just run a 4 bare?I see a number of post here where AC or MC is used for a GEC. Whats the point in that?
 
I only run bare solid for resi. The only armored I ever see is the old #8 armored that I tear out from the 40's. I can get armored, but it's special order. I'd like to use some as part of an upsell package, if I can resolve the panel connector issue.
 
iwire said:
Larry that end is simple.

How about the other end? :)
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Oh.

Okay, how about running the armor into a larger bus hole or lug, and continuing the inner conductor to a second hole?
 
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