Would your supplier know?

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ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
I walked into a supply house this morning and being somewhat a SA I asked for a whatchacallit for tying the things together. I don't use this place very often and the young woman looked at me like what the....so I told her I needed an "Intersystem Bonding Bar". Reply was "I have never heard of it." I did not know what else to call it, so I described it to her and the young fellow she asked to assist.

Eventually we got it straightened out but I went to the manager of another store I use quite often and asked him for the same item. I got a blank look.

What do you call them?
 
I call them an intersystem bonding bar. Sometimes I have to explain it. Ask them what they call it and make them happy next time.




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I went to Home Depot the other day and walked the isles looking for one. Then I asked. The first guy didn't know but he found a guy that knew what it was and where it was. I called it an intersystem grounding bar.

My guy at my regular supply house knows what they are too.
 
They are so well thought of by the E/Cs here, the supply house might not recognize your description without the adjective "damn" included.
 
augie47 said:
They are so well thought of by the E/Cs here, the supply house might not recognize your description without the adjective "damn" included.
Click to expand...

Yes I have heard that Adjective used a few times when refering,
to the inner system ground block,
just adds about $20.00 to the material costs.
Got to take care of phone and cable people.
 
The interesting thing is the cable guys have been told by their bosses not to use the intersystem bond . They continue to use a split bolt.
 
ptonsparky said:
I walked into a supply house this morning and being somewhat a SA I asked for a whatchacallit for tying the things together. I don't use this place very often and the young woman looked at me like what the....so I told her I needed an "Intersystem Bonding Bar". Reply was "I have never heard of it." I did not know what else to call it, so I described it to her and the young fellow she asked to assist.

Eventually we got it straightened out but I went to the manager of another store I use quite often and asked him for the same item. I got a blank look.

What do you call them?
Click to expand...

Intersystem Grounding Bridge
 
Around here they use the little triangle that clamps onto the corner of the panel cover. Seems like they occassionally fall off.
 
I was finishing up on part of a job, I was running some wire outside and the cable/internet guy was there. He asked me and a few other guys who were working if anyone had a split bolt. No one had one and I asked him what he needed it for (I already knew). I told him I would add the bonding bar so he could connect. He didn't say anything so I assumed he would wait. I went to lunch and when I got back, guess what I found? Yep, a split bolt. The other guys said he went all the way back to his office and got one.:rant:
 
Ah, yes, gotta love the NEC.

The Cable, Satellite, and alarm, and phone guys have been using all manner of purpose-designed clips, straps, and widgets for decades ... and only this year does the NEC suddenly discover a need for 'intersystem bonding.'

More importantly, suddenly it is now the responsibility of the electrician to provice a specifically listed widget for this task. It's not enough that there be a 2" rigid mast for the other guys to land their straps, or a steel meter can for their little clips .... or even a nice, exposed copper wire available for their use. No, WE have to supply the gizmo.

Various manufactures call them "Intersystem grounding (something)s" The 'something' will be bar, termination, clamp, etc., according to the manufacturers' preference. Personally, I'd just as soon just screw a ground buss to the can.

I'm beginning to imagine a swimmer drowning because of the parachute he carried 'just in case.'

How's that? Because I've worked many places who want the GEC to be either inside the wall, or in pipe, just to protect it from the gardener and the copper thief. Maybe so, but there goes and chance of using blocks like the one pictured in this thread. Run a second #4? Sure ... see how long the thieves leave it there!

Which leads us to the fine widget marketed by Thomas & Betts, a clever little strap that clamps on to the meter can. Does your PoCo allow you to attach to the meter can? What do you think of the $50 price?

Let's see here .... EVERY service now needs these things. Am I the only one who thinks the attachment point ought to be an integral part of EVERY piece of "service" equipment? Where are the panel manufacturers? Probably vacationing with their buddies in the lamp ballast business (who have ignored the NEC requirement for a disconnecting means).

Next thing you know, the folks at the NEC will discover a 'need' to require a phone jack in homes. Oops, to late :)
 
i was just at the big orange hd lastnight for some wirenuts , (ideal wingnuts) of course and ways they had some new stock and i was checking it out . they have the intersystem bonding bars and thats whats printed on the package . now on a scary note i also noticed they now carry polaris type connectors in both the L shape and straight , my first thought was oh great now harry homeowner / handy andy can come and purchase a meter panel and the polaris connectors , get some free half witted advice on wire size , pay for it all and go home and attempt to do a svc upgrade
 
socalelect said:
i was just at the big orange hd lastnight for some wirenuts , (ideal wingnuts) of course and ways they had some new stock and i was checking it out . they have the intersystem bonding bars and thats whats printed on the package . now on a scary note i also noticed they now carry polaris type connectors in both the L shape and straight , my first thought was oh great now harry homeowner / handy andy can come and purchase a meter panel and the polaris connectors , get some free half witted advice on wire size , pay for it all and go home and attempt to do a svc upgrade
Click to expand...

i had one of those once... i'd just finished up a service upgrade, and got a phone call from a customer.... his
father's friend from the senior center had come over to "help" with the electric problems, and had literally
demolished the meter socket and part of the buss support..... and then left it, saying it was "too broken
to fix".... the line patrolman cut the service entrance at the weatherhead, and left it for the reconnect...

did two services that day...... second one was just a panel replacement, not an upgrade... same price.

i have no problem with homeowners doing their own thing... when you get the call, it's usually cause
the sun is going down, and the ice cream in the freezer is starting to melt.

all in a day's work.

as for the doohickey... ok.. gotta add one of those from now on.
 
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