Storage Container

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jap

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Electrician
There is a storage container on a commercial site that needs a 20 amp 120V circuit for lighting to be installed in it.
It is a 50' metal rail car with a door cut in the side of it.

A 3/4" pvc conduit was installed between an exitsting metal building and the storage container. Roughly 50' between them.
There will not be any bonding between the existing metal building and the storage container other than the EGC that will be run with the single 120v circuit.

Is there any more bonding or grounding required at or between the storage container and the existing building ?
My thoughts are if the small EGC was somehow compromised between the 2, no return path would exist at all should a fault happen to occur.

JAP>
 
This is no different than a 600 amp 4 wire feeder to a warehouse, the EGC could be compromised. However the feeder requires a grounding electrode system, which will do nothing in the event of a line to case fault.
For your application, see 250.32(A) EX
You can always upsize the EGC, I would run 1" PVC with 8 AWG XHHW-2, or at least run 12 AWG XHHW-2, I have seen THHW/THWN fail in underground runs
 
The pipes already installed.
It just brings up the importance of the EGC in a scenario like this.

JAP>
 
tom baker said:
This is no different than a 600 amp 4 wire feeder to a warehouse, the EGC could be compromised. However the feeder requires a grounding electrode system, which will do nothing in the event of a line to case fault.
For your application, see 250.32(A) EX
You can always upsize the EGC, I would run 1" PVC with 8 AWG XHHW-2, or at least run 12 AWG XHHW-2, I have seen THHW/THWN fail in underground runs
Click to expand...

even if there is just one circuit? :)
 
jap said:
There is a storage container on a commercial site that needs a 20 amp 120V circuit for lighting to be installed in it.
It is a 50' metal rail car with a door cut in the side of it.

A 3/4" pvc conduit was installed between an exitsting metal building and the storage container. Roughly 50' between them.
There will not be any bonding between the existing metal building and the storage container other than the EGC that will be run with the single 120v circuit.

Is there any more bonding or grounding required at or between the storage container and the existing building ?
My thoughts are if the small EGC was somehow compromised between the 2, no return path would exist at all should a fault happen to occur.

JAP>
Click to expand...

it seems fine to me.

people obsess way too much about grounding and bonding. the bare minimum installed correctly will likely work just fine.

something elaborate installed incorrectly may not work at all.
 
petersonra said:
it seems fine to me.

people obsess way too much about grounding and bonding. the bare minimum installed correctly will likely work just fine.

something elaborate installed incorrectly may not work at all.
Click to expand...

Probably because grounding and bonding is the only thing keeping them upright and walking around. :)

JAP>
 
jap said:
Probably because grounding and bonding is the only thing keeping them upright and walking around. :)

JAP>
Click to expand...

They should learn to do it correctly instead of taking elaborate measures that may not work at all.

I am not opposed to people making sure it is done correctly.

But there is no point in doing something crazy trying to make it "better" and ending up with something that may not work at all.

An example in this case would be to add ground rods. Serves no real purpose and does not add any measure of safety.
 
petersonra said:
They should learn to do it correctly instead of taking elaborate measures that may not work at all.

I am not opposed to people making sure it is done correctly.

But there is no point in doing something crazy trying to make it "better" and ending up with something that may not work at all.

An example in this case would be to add ground rods. Serves no real purpose and does not add any measure of safety.
Click to expand...

I agree with that.

JAP>
 
I was more inquiring if a grounding electrode system needed to be established at the container, seeing as how its a separate structure, if there was only (1) 120v circuit pulled to it.

JAP>
 
tom baker said:
This is no different than a 600 amp 4 wire feeder to a warehouse, the EGC could be compromised. However the feeder requires a grounding electrode system, which will do nothing in the event of a line to case fault.
For your application, see 250.32(A) EX
You can always upsize the EGC, I would run 1" PVC with 8 AWG XHHW-2, or at least run 12 AWG XHHW-2, I have seen THHW/THWN fail in underground runs
Click to expand...

That 250.32 (a) EX is what I was looking for.

Thanks,
JAP>
 
250.38 indicates that snap switches, 3 ways or 4 ways shall be permitted as the disconnecting means in a residential garage or outbuilding, although I don't see how a 3 way or 4 way actually disconnects the power.

This storage container will have a 3 way switch at each end and is considered commercial so I take it that 3 ways will not satisfy the rule as a disconnect for the container as it would in a residential setting ?

JAP>
 
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