So far.
the equipment grounding conductor
Unshielded or non insulated, non color code panel ground wire showing erosion.
SUSPECT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR DEFICIENCY;
To small for 200 amp.
8awg.
Deficiencies; Erosion, galvanized metal contact ( metal staple ) out side the panel.
Uninsulated ground panel wire.
Corrosion .
Electrical panel ground wire are designed to provide a path that will trip a breaker in the event of a shortage. This path is made possible through the main bonding jumper.
Galvanized metallic staples on copper strand-wire grounding conductor into plywood base.
Signs of open exterior access into the plastic conduit. Dead wasps.
Unused breaker fuses at the panels inclosure’s bottom.
Not sure about in Canada but under the NEC that would likely be a GEC (or grounding electrode conductor) not an EGC. It would be permitted to be bare, and if it were going to a ground rod the maximum size required would be a #6. Also there is nothing wrong with spare breakers in the panel. One other note the GEC’s purpose is not for the opening of an OCPD during a fault condition.
grounding electrode conductor My mistake.
Taken from side notes.
Yes #6 awg.
I thought the panel was to be void of excess components or conductive materials.
Did you see the corrosion?
Ground strand wire corrosion over 30% corroded. Electrical tape except where it comes out the panel.
Copper in contact withgalvanized staples.
Electrolysis is not spontaneous. It requires an external source of energy. Galvanic corrosion?
12 dead wasps in the bottom of the panel. Noted.
Drip loop fine and masthead weather proof.
It is not required to be insulated and it is not required to be color coded
It is larger than 8 and looks like it is plenty large enough
again it is not required to be insulated and the use of metal staples if fine. The corrosion in no way makes it deficient
This is not true. The grounding electrode plays no role in the operation of the overcurrent devices. The grounding electrode system is installed for four reasons and four reasons only. 1- lightning. 2- power surges. 3- unintentional contact with higher voltage lines. 4- to keep everything stable
This is true. During a fault the faulted current travels on the equipment grounding conductor back to the service equipment, through the main bonding conductor, to the neutral and back to the source which causes a high current draw that opens the overcurrent device
there is nothing wrong with the staples holding the conductor
Can’t see any plastic conduit in the picture so can’t comment but as to the bugs that is going to happen. I have even found rats and snakes in the panel.
For a typical 200 amp service the GEC, sized according to T250.66, is #4 Cu. However as I stated in post #2 the largest GEC required to a ground rod is #6 Cu. If the conductor in question is going to a water pipe then a #6 would be too small.
Originally Posted by **ryoung7** [http://nachi.cachefly.net/forum/images/2006/buttons/viewpost.gif](http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/non-insulated-ground-wire-68048/#post861892)
*Electrical panel ground wire are designed to provide a path that will trip a breaker in the event of a shortage.*
This is not true. The grounding electrode plays no role in the operation of the overcurrent devices. The grounding electrode system is installed for four reasons and four reasons only. 1- lightning. 2- power surges. 3- unintentional contact with higher voltage lines. 4- to keep everything stable
Off a website dedicated to residential electrical educational information.
They quote and link to NEC material.
Will not go there agin.
A*Uninsulated ground panel wire.
**Corrosion *.
again it is not required ( I understand ) to be insulated and the use of metal staples if fine. The corrosion in no way makes it deficient.
The ground is corroded, by 1/3 its thickness in areas between the staples.
Signs of corrosion ( various degrees ) throughout the exposed viable wiring.
Copper in contact with **Ferrous **alloy
Did not test ground for current. Should have.
Hypotheses: Electrolysis is not spontaneous. It requires an external source of energy.The screws triggered my tickers at a low setting.
** Galvanic corrosion?** moisture, temperature, and the level of pollution.
There is no sacrificial anode. The weakest metal will degrade.
Couples of copper and aluminum or copper and steel can lead to severe galvanic corrosion (see also Galvanic Series of Metals in Seawater or Galvanic Corrosion Chart).
**Non-Ferrous **They are not magnetic and are usually more resistant to corrosion
So leave out the **Ferrous **alloy contact.
Any recommendations or hypotheses to the corrosion.
A ground rod is required to be 8 feet long and the entire length of the rod is required to be in contact with earth. Think about what is taking place at this connection.
What you see on the conductor in the picture has to do with what it is exposed to not the fact that metal staples is coming in contact with the copper. I have saw solid copper stapled to the bottom of floor joist that had a green color but once outside looked brand new. It all depends on the chemicals that it is exposed to. Forget about all this hype concerning galvanic reaction.
Look at my signature line. My Mom called me by my middle name “Micheal” or “mike” for short.
If you feel in your heart that it needs pointing out then by all means please call it out but don’t be upset should an electrician come along and say that nothing is wrong with the conductor.
The first thing we should think about is just what the job of that conductor is. It is not a current carrying conductor. Its sole purpose is to allow lightning a path to travel or in the event of a power surge (not a spike) or should a high voltage line come in contact with the service drop and to keep the level of the service at the same point to earth at the building as it is at the transformer.
The electrical system will work just as well without that conductor as it will with it in place. Its sole purpose is those four outlined above.
When the NEC is addressing line surges it is addressing the switching of grids which can cause a surge of voltage of several thousand volts that have been known to last for several sine waves. Lightning striking a substation or transmission lines can cause surges on our services that last as long as the visible flash that surge protectors such as the plug-in strip type cannot stop. This type of surge will need a surge arrester installed at the service in order to be of benefit to the user although the plug-in type will afford some protection
Smaller surges such as motors in AC units, air handlers, well pumps and the like is not what is being addressed by the NEC. These surges will be very short lived, in the nanosecond time period and the voltage level will be less than a thousand volts. These surges are similar to spikes and the plug-in surge strips are designed to stop these.
It is high voltage types of line surges that have someone using uncategorized testing equipment getting hurt. All voltage testers used at a service should be a category IV at 600 volts. Meters that have no category rating should never be used for anything larger than electronic circuits. This information can be found in NFPA 70E.
