ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Grounding w/o a water pipe

the service is as such:
residential 200A overhead, seu drop to meter pan, pvc nip to nema 3r breaker enc, 4 cond seu to main lug panel in house.
there is a well with plastic piping into house, and since this is my first install where city water piping doesn't exist i'm not sure how to ground the system. I drove 2 g/r w/ the usual #6 but i'm don't think that is enough. Please shed some insite

You're done!! You must bond the water pipe to the service. If you like, you can catch the water pipe on the way to the ground rods, or run a separate conductor out of the service to catch it.

Suggest - bond around fiberglass collar on ductwork at unit.

Here in Oregon, if this was new construction, a ufer ground would also be required.

Might want to check your GEC w/ 250.66. Think you'll need a #4 copper for the 200A service.

[This message has been edited by arseegee (edited 09-28-2002).]

arseegee,
As long as the GEC is only going to a rod, #6 is the largest that the code requires. See 250.66(A).
Don

Don, has this changed for 2002, I was taught that if a driven rod is your only GE then you size the GEC from the table. I thought you only used #6 if the rod was a supplemental electrode... guess I'm confused.

arseegee,
No change in the code rule, however in the '96 and earlier codes this rule was Exception #1(a) to 250-94. The rod really isn't a very good electrode and it will never carry very much current into the earth. A #6 is more than enough copper to carry the current that the rod can put into the earth and that is why the rule exists. There is no electrical advantage to installing a larger GEC to the rod.
Don

[This message has been edited by resqcapt19 (edited 09-28-2002).]

thanks for the replys, i had all the same thoughts but wasn't sure which way to go. i wish i had gotten a rod under the basement floor