Grounding the Electrical

System
Purpose of the Grounding System
Fundamental to the safety of those
installing, using, and servicing the
electrical system
Assures the system will work properly
while preventing damage to the system

NEC Requirements
All electrical systems serving structure
must be bonded together
Including the following
Electrical wiring system
Telephone system
Phone system
Burgular alarm system
Cable or satellite system
Grounding
The process of making a planned,
continuous, connection between NON-
CURRENT CARRYING parts of the
electrical wiring installation and the earth
and some other conducting body
Grounded
Describes the act of being connected to
the earth or some other conduction body
that serves in place of the earth
Bonding
Process in which all NON-CURRENT
CARRYING METALLIC parts of the
electrical wiring system are permanently
joined together to form a CONTINUOUS
grounding path
Bonding
Reduces the differences in potential
between each electrical system
May be caused by power surges, lightning
strikes or other types of ground fault type
occurences

Parts of the Electrical System
Circuits
Service Entrance Panel
Metal Water Pipe
Metal Gas pipe
Materials in Grounding System

Must be approved by NEC
The Grounding Electrode System
All materials must be grounded using
approved bonding and grounding
electrode systems
Check with local building code

Metallic Pipe
Water pipe must always be bonded to the
service entrance panel, grounding
electrode conductor, or grounding
electrode
Other metal pipe, such as gas pipe, which
may become energized accidentally must
be bonded to the electrical system
grounded system

Use of Bonding Jumper
To provide CONTINUOUS grounding path
around devices such as water meters
installed in metallic water pipe system

Types of Grounding Electrodes

Metal Underground Water Pipe
Must be bonded to the supplemental
grounding system electrode and to the
neutral bus bar in the SEP
Connection must be made within 5 feet of
entering structure
Water pipe must be in direct contact with
the earth for at least 10 feet
Concrete Encased Electrode
Electrode encased in foundation footing
covered with at least 2 inches of concrete
Electrodes must be at least 20 feet in
length and consist of one or more
steel reinforcement bars
Ground Ring
Bare Copper
At Least #2 AWG or larger
Encircling residence for a length of 20 feet
Buried at least 2
Metal Framework

Supplemental Electrodes
Typically made of metal rods, pipes, or
plates
Rod and Pipe Electrodes
Iron or steel rod electrodes
Must be 5/8 in diameter
Pipe must be in diameter
Galvanized or metal coated for corrosion
resistance
8 feet in length
Installed to a depth of 8 in direct contact
with earth
Nonferrous rods must be listed at no less
than
Stainless Steel- diamter
Must be at or below ground level
Must be protected from physical damage

Exceptions

If electrode can not be driven more than
4 into the earth b/c of rock or other
obstruction
May be driven at an oblique and of no
more than 45 from vertical
At least 8 of the electrode must be in
contact with earth
Multiple grounding rods
When more than one electrode grounding
rod is used:
Must be installed not less than 6 feet apart
Must be bonded together with an approved
bonding jumper to form single grounding
electrode system
Plate Electrode
May be used in areas where it is not
possible to use a grounding rod or ring
Steel/Iron Plate electrode must be
thick
Non-ferrous metal plate must be 0.06
thick
2 feet square
Buried at least 2 1/2
Grounding Electrode Conductor
NEC permits
Copper
Aluminium
Copper-clad
AL and AL-CU may not be used in contact with
masonry, corrosive, or in direct contact with
the earth