Advice for my first big job

[OldandWorn]

I added an extra sweep for another possible home location and did the same as the other one. Small t-post about 6" under grade and took a pic of the tape measure. This pad is at grade in the front and about 15" high in the rear. The sweep on the left is the starting point for this project that was installed back in June 2011.

Nice ground rod driving weather Saturday morning, 36*F, so I installed the second rod. No drama at all for this one as it moved every time it was hit. Funny thing though, once I got it 4" below grade, which is where I wanted it, the rod hit what felt like a very big rock that wasn't going to give.

 

[OldandWorn]

When I was building this pad I remembered something that might not have been very smart. I ran my phone conduit through this pad. Even though this is just a pull point for the high voltage primary they still might drive a ground rod at this location and definitely if a transformer is ever placed here. I'm planning on being here when they do the install but if I miss it for some reason I need to let them know about this conduit. I will spray an orange line on the gravel and maybe attach this pic to one of the sweeps. I will know more tomorrow when I talk to the engineer.

 

[ijoker]

Hi oldandworn. Been a while since I posted here. I have been keeping current on your progress though. Everybody gives you top notch advice. And they beat me to it. Any way I was looking at your meter base and the chase that goes through between them. If that is plastic, you have to have a ground wire between them. If it was metal then your ok. If you know that already then forget I said anything ok? It is a main panel and you don't need an equipment ground but you do need to carry your earth ground through. If that nipple through the wall was metal it would have to be bonded. That is the advantage to using plastic. No bonding.:cool2 Just wanted to throw that out there, and say hi!:drinkup

 

[ijoker]

Oh. something else I was going to mention....... I don't know about where you are at, but our authorities here allows us to lay the ground rods in the trench, attach the wire with the acorn, and run it to your service as long as the trench is 2ft. deep. ointhead I am pretty sure that is in the NEC. Maybe it is too late for you to do that. They also can be driven at almost a 45 degree angle. This helps in rocky ground.

 

[OldandWorn]

Hello ijoker, it’s great to hear from you again and I hope life and work is being good to you. I spend a lot of time on an electrical forum and I’m seeing that grounding of the meter base is a regional thing depending on what the POCO wants. Here, we just run #6 copper from the load center to the ground rods which I should be installing this weekend. Actually I’m going to use #4 because I have some leftover from a project I did 25 years ago and it’s time to use it up…..just like my 30 year old insulation.

I don’t think we can lay the rods in the trench here but I imagine it boils down to how much common sense the inspector has. Do you have an NEC code section I can look for? I was thinking of driving the second rod at an angle but chose straight and it turned out to be a winner as you probably saw.

 

[norite]

You would have to check with your local electrical authority to see if they allow this but up here we often use what is called a "ground plate". It is just a piece of approx. 3/8 plate about 16" by 18" with a 6" stub of 3/4" steel round bar welded to one of the long sides, all hot dip galvanized. The ground cable is attached to the rod part with a ground rod clamp and the whole thing gets buried about 18" deep. Just one is required and is a lot easier than driving ground rods in rocky soil or where solid rock is near grade.

 

[OldandWorn]

Hi norite. The Canadian electricians mention these often and they seem popular in New England, or like you say, anywhere the rock is close to the surface.

I have just a few more hours of work before I'm ready for the inspection so I will try to schedule it for Monday and stay over an extra night so I don't have to make an extra 5 hour trip just to meet the inspector.

 

[norite]

Good luck with your inspection, looks like a first class job to me. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Andre242]

Did you ever had a hydraulic problem? I have a problem with my hydraulic the front bucket will work perfect for about a hour then it start to move very slow. I've change my filters and it still do the same thing. Do you know what the problem could be?

 

[OldandWorn]

Did you ever had a hydraulic problem? I have a problem with my hydraulic the front bucket will work perfect for about a hour then it start to move very slow. I've change my filters and it still do the same thing. Do you know what the problem could be?

My front bucket also moves slowly but it doesn't sound the same as your problem. The linkage to my control valves is worn to the point that it's not opening the valves fully. If I move the bar right at the valve everything speeds up quite nicely.

I think you can start your own thread after 3 posts....or maybe they changed that and can do it with one post. Anyway, give it a shot as there are plenty of folks here willing to help.

 

[ijoker]

I can see where that would be the acceptable thing to do when you simply cannot drive a ground rod norite. I haven't heard of it being done quite that way though. Very interesting!

 

[ijoker]

Oregon has a lot stiffer standards on grounding. They are called addendums. They require 2 ground rods when you are installing power to existing buildings. On new buildings you are supposed to have a ufer ground. That is a 20 foot at least number 4 rebar run in the foundation of the building. Encased in concrete. If you don't have a ufer you have to run a ground ring. A ground ring is a ground wire run around the building in the ground. And there has to be 2 ground rods. Not a way you want to go around here. :Banghead The ufer ground is in the NEC article 250. States differ on addendums. The NEC is always minimum requirement. On your service Oldandworn, yes! You run your earth ground to your main panel. Then take a short piece of the number 4 bare from your main panel to the meter base, and you got it! Like I said before, it is an advantage using pvc between the meter base and the panel because if it was metal you would have to bond it. But, the bonded metal makes the ground between the meter base and the panel. When you use plastic the ground is not there. The grounding conductor only needs to sized for the grounding electrode, not the size of the service. That is where you save.







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[playindirt]

Our POCO would not be too happy to find a bonding jumper in the meter can, Grounded conductor is bonded to the meter can already, and is boned to earth ground in the main panel. Ground rods get tossed into the ditch, same at the pad sleeve, 2 rods bend them into a 90, tie them together to make a square making sure one has a long tail of wire. Before you fill in the hole for the pad sleeve set the rods into hole and tape the wire tail to your pipes and backfill.

 

[OldandWorn]

No ground electrode conductor to the meter for this POCO ijoker. The small lug is there on the grounded conductor bus for areas that require it but not here. Like playindirt mentioned, the white neutral takes care of the bond and the GEC bond wire would be redundant.

 

[OldandWorn]

I passed my inspection yesterday. :drinkup
Not necessary but a nice touch, I ran the GEC to ground level in some left over conduit from the phone line.

 

[norite]

Congrats on the successful inspection. Nice pics too.

 

[OldandWorn]

Congrats on the successful inspection. Nice pics too.

Thanks norite!

 

[ValleyFirewood]

Your outlet is upside down.

 

[OldandWorn]

Your outlet is upside down.

LOL.....there always seems to be a story behind everything that I do. I originally planned on dual receptacles in the one box installed ground down of course, but then I found out that tamper resistant receptacles are a code requirement now. When I was looking at them in the store I noticed there were also water resistant receptacles as well. Not knowing how picky the inspector was going to be I bought a cheap tamper/water resistant receptacle for under $3. When I got home I noticed that the “WR” printed on the front would be upside down if I installed it ground down. Being OCD I now had a serious dilemma on my hands but since I knew it was coming back out (to be placed under the tracks of my Caterpillar) and being replaced with standard receptacles I got a laugh out of the whole deal and decided to install it ground up.

 

[ijoker]

Congrats on passing your inspection Oldandworn. Yeah grounding differs a little bit from state to state. The lug provided on the neutral bar is for bonding a metal nipple. It has been a while since I have done a split meter and panel. Playindirt is right about the power company wouldn't be happy to find a ground wire in there. After having that said, I am reminded that the grounded conductor from the panel bonds the meter base. The earth ground goes to the main panel. I am getting old and worn myself. I forget a lot of things. :Banghead I want to ask you. You said you got a tamper proof outlet. This is in your shop correct? Or barn? I didn't think they are required in a garage or shop or barn? Only in residences. I know that code keeps changing all the time, and me and my co-workers have been talking that eventually they are going to require them for everything except commercial and industrial installations. I am not up to speed on residential code. Maybe it is like that already for all I know. Did you check and find out it was required? Or did you just assume?