Too many part one

[jxofaltrds]

Too many irons in the fire.

While helping a friends boy connect a compressor for his new business I saw something I do not understand.

On a piece of paper draw 20 garages side by side with common walls. Now each has it own service drop. A common water line is running through garage one to garage 20.

I am in garage 10. No bond to the water lines. And from what I can tell NO electrode.

What did they do???

Mike P.

 

[bennie]

Re: Too many part one

Would you go through that again?

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Too many part one

I'll try again.

One building with 20 units. Block construction.

A common water line services each unit.

Each unit has it's own overhead service drop.

No bonding to the water line. I did not see a ground rod.

I was not there to look at the electric but I am always looking for safety hazards.

If I where to bond the water line to this main panel (we'll call this unit # 10) what effect would this have on any other units.

Mike P.

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Too many part one

Are you saying that there are 20 services going to one building? Article 230.2?

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Too many part one

YES

Mike P.

 

[pierre]

Re: Too many part one

Hello Mike P.

If the walls between the units are fire walls, then they are by building code separate dwellings, but from your posts I do not think that is your question.
Think about this: 20 service drops, are they from the same transformer? Now think about a standard neighborhood, say 5 or 6 homes fed electrically from 1 transformer, and all those homes have water service from the street. The water service is mechanically and electrically connected in the street, right?
We still connect to the cold water at all those homes, right? So what is the difference if we connect to the common water in the homes? What happens if the 20 drops come from more than 1 transformer?
I know you wrote that you saw no grounding, we all know that is wrong, so how would you fix this situation?

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Too many part one

The water line starts in the main unit. It is then fed through unit 2 to unit 3 and so on. It is exposed. Enters from one side and exits the other side. From this main run a tap is run to an electric hot water tank (in each unit). I can not figure how one should bond to these lines.

There are utility poles run down the edge of the property so only a few units are fed from each transformer.

Mike P.

 

[pierre]

Re: Too many part one

Good Morning Mike P

The 20 units are fed from different transformers, that makes this situation more difficult on the premises. I will think about this and talk to some people to see what they say. Maybe somebody in this forum has seen this before and can help.

Pierre

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Too many part one

PS

This is one half of the building. The other side is the same setup. These are rented to roofers, lawncare companies etc. Aso there is no gfci protection.

To start I will and gfci protection to this one unit.

While waiting for my friends boy to arrive I was talking to an employee that works in the main unit.

"I get shocked all the time". This first unit in a metal building the others are block. I will go there today to see if the two buildings are attached, I cannot remember.

Mike P.

 

[karl riley]

Re: Too many part one

Pierre,
You bring up interesting points. This situation is similar to a neighborhood served by metallic water pipes. The main difference is that in this case the pipes run inside the buildings (and are also exposed rather than buried).

So the high magnetic fields due to the neutral current which will circulate between service entrances will directly impact those spaces. It takes only a couple of amps to affect computer monitors near the pipes. We'll leave the health effects controversy aside.
Karl

 

[bennie]

Re: Too many part one

Karl & Pierre: This is a good example of the logic, or lack of, in regrounding the neutral at the service location.

The pipe will not have any current flow if it is not in the circuit.