"splitting" a 120v circuit into two.....ground rod required?

J

JoeNorm

Senior Member
Location
WA
Not something I do very often so I'm scratching my head a little.

I have a 10AWG 120v cable(hot, neutral, ground) running to a dock from a 30A single pole breaker. I would like to land it on a 2space panel and add a 20A breaker for lights and receptacle at the top of dock, then continue down the dock from a 30A breaker to a dock power station.

Will the 2space require a ground rod? Can a 120v circuit count as a "feeder"? I would like to avoid if possible since the ground is all rock. Thanks
 
Since you are adding branch circuit protection, the 30 amp circuit would be a feeder.
An alternative would be a 20 amp MWBC which would not require a ground rod.
 
roger said:
Once it becomes a feeder you will need ground rods
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Eeeee don’t you need ground rods at a structure- a post is not a structure I know some say it erected but I say no. Another gray area- so you may not need- it’s your ahj call. I’ve challanged it before don’t need ground rods on a 50-30-20RV post
 
I was thinking this was a loading dock and wouldn't need ground rods for a new panel since it would be the same building. Now it's hitting me that this might be a dock at a lake, or similar. Can the OP confirm what kind of dock he is talking about.
@JoeNorm
 
AC\DC said:
Eeeee don’t you need ground rods at a structure-...
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That's the opposite of what the code says. You can argue about whether something is a separate structure, but if it is a structure then electrodes are required in this case.

Grounding electrode systems belong to structures.
 
infinity said:
I agree with you especially when something is simply mounted to a post or some other support apparatus. I always use this example it this a structure?
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If I were the AHJ I would not be a jerk and call that a structure, but the code definition is vague enough that if someone wanted to be a jerk they could.

It's the strut that's at issue because that may or may not be 'equipment'.
 
jaggedben said:
That's the opposite of what the code says. You can argue about whether something is a separate structure, but if it is a structure then electrodes are required in this case.

Grounding electrode systems belong to structures.
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Yeah, I stated that you needed it structures, but a post in the ground isn’t a structure. If it’s a vague rule, it should not be enforceable rule should be black-and-white and defined. arbitrary rules are nothing more than tyranny.
 
jaggedben said:
That's the opposite of what the code says. You can argue about whether something is a separate structure, but if it is a structure then electrodes are required in this case.

Grounding electrode systems belong to structures.
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And service disconnects or the secondary of separately derived systems regardless where they are located.
 
JoeNorm said:
running to a dock from a 30A single pole breaker.
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A boat dock? If so the feeder breaker that supplies docking facilities should have ground-fault protection not exceeding 30 mA and a insulated equipment ground. I'd say use a 30A GFPE breaker. see NEC 555.3 and 682.31, I don't think you need to establish ground rods at a boat dock.
 
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