THHN #6 stranded for GEC to ground rods...

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sw_ross

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Given the price of copper, what are thoughts about using THHN (in the appropriate size) for the GEC?

I need to update a 100-amp service in a small building. I have various scrap chunks of #6, both THHN and THW, some that I scrapped out of previous jobs and I just kept hold of.

Now I am looking at the idea of using them for the GEC to the ground rods.
Otherwise I’m going to have to go out and buy some #6 bare wire for ground, and I’m afraid to even price that out!

And yes, I know #2 awg SE wire only needs #8 GEC to ground rods.
 
ActionDave said:
I wish I had a big chunk of orange THHN to use just to see if I could freak an inspector out.
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I used to do things like that but 9 out of 10 of the inspectors I dealt with were top notch and never questioned it.

Roger
 
We had a guy who wouldn't allow stranded wire ran outdoors to ground rods, (he retired). Quoting 250.62 did no good, he would jump to the part about not using any material not resistant to corrosive conditions and to him , outdoors is a corrosive condition. However, if there was a poured concrete slab at the ground rod with an exposed connection, he passed it.
 
macmikeman said:
We had a guy who wouldn't allow stranded wire ran outdoors to ground rods, (he retired). Quoting 250.62 did no good, he would jump to the part about not using any material not resistant to corrosive conditions and to him , outdoors is a corrosive condition. However, if there was a poured concrete slab at the ground rod with an exposed connection, he passed it.
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I hate to say it but I agree.. I know it is legal but IMO it opens the door for issues with stranded wire. I think infinity used to use it all the time.
 
I have used stranded for GEC's my whole career, never wanted to have to have another item on my truck such as solid #6. I always sleeved it in a piece of 1/2" PVC.

Roger
 
I have never used anything but stranded copper for a GEC to the ground rod. Typically we used green but if orange or blue were on the truck we would use that too.
 
roger said:
I have used stranded for GEC's my whole career, never wanted to have to have another item on my truck such as solid #6. I always sleeved it in a piece of 1/2" PVC.

Roger
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Me too. Especially when you have to run through a number of stud bays it's real labor saver.
 
I had never even seen solid #6 until I went to help my buddy do some work in Florida. I'm still wondering why anyone would not use stranded?
 
infinity said:
I had never even seen solid #6 until I went to help my buddy do some work in Florida. I'm still wondering why anyone would not use stranded?
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I used stranded once. All the strands spread out when I tightened the acorn, and only half the strands were actually making contact.

For me, solid just works easier
 
macmikeman said:
We had a guy who wouldn't allow stranded wire ran outdoors to ground rods, (he retired). Quoting 250.62 did no good, he would jump to the part about not using any material not resistant to corrosive conditions and to him , outdoors is a corrosive condition. However, if there was a poured concrete slab at the ground rod with an exposed connection, he passed it.
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Copper is very durable stuff. Around here, the power company uses uncovered concentric neutral primary cable, directly buried. The concentric neutral, IIRC, is 10 number 14 wires bare, just sitting in the dirt (well sand because they require 6 inches of sand below and above). kind of freaked me out at first but I guess it lasts a long long time.
 
In my area solid is the norm. I agree with James it just seems easier to use solid under the connections especially with the intersystem bonding device.
 
Interesting...
I'd have thought if insulated, it would have to be green if #6 or smaller. Flipping through the code book, though, it looks like it only specifies that for grounded (white/gray) conductors and EGCs (green/green-yellow).
Bare solid has been the norm in the several areas I have worked.
 
Electromatic said:
Interesting...
I'd have thought if insulated, it would have to be green if #6 or smaller. Flipping through the code book, though, it looks like it only specifies that for grounded (white/gray) conductors and EGCs (green/green-yellow).
Bare solid has been the norm in the several areas I have worked.
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The code has never required a specific color for a grounding electrode conductor, however a little known section in the 2017 and earlier codes prohibited the GEC to have the same insulation color as an ungrounded conductor.
310.110(C) Ungrounded Conductors.
Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.120(B)(1). Branch-circuit ungrounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 210.5(C). Feeders shall be identified in accordance with 215.12.
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Black has been and is a commonly used color for GECs. The information from 310.110 was modified and relocated to 310.6 in the 2020 code.
310.6(C) Ungrounded Conductors.
Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and equipment grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.8(B)⁠(1). Branch-circuit ungrounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 210.5(C). Feeders shall be identified in accordance with 215.12.
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This change makes the code match with common installation practices.
 
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