ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion Canadian Electrical Code Topics Grounding

I recently dug a hole 3 feet deep for a ground plate...the inspector rejected it because there was water in the hole.I informed him that no matter where i dig, i will hit the water table, and that the plate was plenty far down..since when have we had a problem with water on a groung plate?? what am i missing?

You're supposed to put dirt in the hole?

Make him write the defect so he has to quote a rule. I wonder if he came from Sask.

I would be greatful to hit water when placing a grounding plate. The inspector may be concerned that if the plate is in water above the frost line, when things freeze you loose conductivity. But you guys are in Canada and the frostline may be somewhere below permafrost where the earthcore warms things up. Then the above would be silly.

The other possible concern would be over how fast the ground plate will frostheave to the surface. There may be no getting around this either. Talk to him and see and get it in writing with the code section.

Finally here are some extra spaces, this laptops space bar is not always working. I think I got them all in, but justincase.

with the water in the hole was he able to confirm the ground clamp was suitable for direct burial and was he able to confirm it was at proper depth? he may have rejected the install because he could'nt confirm these things.

If he rejected it because there was water I think he made a mistake. If he rejected it for the reason Jay8 offered I might buy that. Ask him what rule he used to reject the plate? The plate and connector are both required to be approved for wet location and wet ground is better than dry for grounding.