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Joined: Oct 2000
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Scott35 Online Happy OP
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This topic has been discussed before, but couldn't find the thread. Also wanted to get more opinions.

Question: What is the Code Compliant way of color coding the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC) at the Main Service, where it lands at the Grounded Conductor's bus?

References to NEC and CEC would be appreciated.

I ask this, due to a couple people finding several various quoted colors in several different areas.

One was to tag it White, another was to tag it Green, the other was to not tag it and make it bare, and the other was to make sure it was any other color than White or Green.

I'll reply after a few opinions are in.

Scott35 S.E.T.


Scott " 35 " Thompson
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Scott35:

Dan Leaf, a person retired from the inspection community for many years, sends in many student generated proposals, and most of them get acccepted, except for one that I can recall.

His 310-12 proposal was to identify the GEC with "green marking" and Code Panel 5 rejected it, and their reason was that the GEC can be any color you want except white, gray, or green.

They also said that if the installer didn't know what it was, that they had no business being in the enclosure.

I think that the proposal goes back to the 1996 cycle?

I see that many do still use green, but green is the color to be used for the EGC, and an electrical inspector has the right to reject that color when used to identify a GEC.


Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant
Joined: Jan 2002
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As Joe said no color marking is neccesary. This one seems to offer some confusion. I have worked with electricians who have insisted it must be marked green. I have had an inspector demand that I mark the entire run of insulated # 4 thhn with green tape every foot. His reasoning was that someone could confuse this wire with coax catv wire. Perhaps the solution is just use bare wire.

Joined: Feb 2003
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This is out of the 2000 Chicago code.

18-27-250.64. Grounding Electrode Conductor Installations.
Grounding electrode conductors shall be installed as specified in (a) through (e) of this section.

Raceways for grounding electrode conductors shall not contain other conductors. The outer finish of an insulated grounding
electrode conductor need not be identified except that it shall not be white or green. Flexible conduit and armored cable shall be
permitted to be used in existing buildings for grounding purposes only where this ground is concealed or a major portion of the ground is concealed. An approved nonferrous metal tag shall be attached to the ground clamp giving warning against its removal.

Russ

Joined: Oct 2000
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per 250.184(C) the noodle could be bare, The GEC could be also, as well as a variety of bonds run to the same MBJ strip.

I've done this myself, having #4 run everywhere as a bond on a 200A service with the same GEC.

So i can see some possible confusion should one wish to do some diagnostics.

Possibly 310.11(D)(optional markings) does not, at first, seem to apply to a GEC, but i see no harm in a 'GEC' tag.

Joined: Feb 2001
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The GEC tags are the one thing every contractor installs in the Chicago area, even though I tell them the NEC doesn't require it. The tag even has the Chicago Code section on it.

Joined: Feb 2001
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Oh yeah,

I say purple.

Black, Red, Blue, and

Brown, Orange, Yellow, although not NEC required are the color code recommended by NECA and used by union contractors, which usually gets adopted by non-union contractors as well.

So since all the other colors are used, purple only makes sense so as not to confuse it with anything else...anywhere.

Joined: Dec 2000
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I've had to drive 100 miles to change a piece of tape that one of the guys put on a GEC for a transformer. And it still makes me mad. The job couldn't stop for me to argue my case.
The inspector had no reason to deny the job.
There's no requirement for a GEC to be any color, but now I just strip 'em bare where exposed so I don't have to deal with it...S

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Scott35 Online Happy OP
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Thanks all, for the replies.

Had a Non-Compliance issue in Fullerton just recently, where I was helping my Father do a Residential Service upgrade.
I left the GEC's Insulation Black, and that was written up as the only correction. AHJ wanted Green, so I taped them Green and all is OK now.

Not something to start an arguement or debate over, but I would have liked to ask for an article quote, just to verify we were all on the same Hz [Linked Image]

Scott35 S.E.T.


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
Joined: Jan 2002
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Scott, I have said it a million times. Any job, anywhere, any inspector. If they feel the need they will come up with something. Even if it is bullbleep. Your inspector has now created a violation as this is NOT and equipment grounding conductor it should not be green. It might have been good to mention this. Even inspectors can learn something new.

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