Ecmweb 4715 Computerroomgroundern
Ecmweb 4715 Computerroomgroundern
Ecmweb 4715 Computerroomgroundern
Ecmweb 4715 Computerroomgroundern
Ecmweb 4715 Computerroomgroundern

Whats Wrong Here?

Sept. 4, 2008
Hint: Politics in the electrical system

How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else's work from the safety of your living room or office. Joe Tedesco, who has a knack for finding shoddy electrical work, did the dirty work and found this mess. Now it's your turn to identify the violation.

Find the Answer

"We are installing a new UPS and PDU for the Florida Legislature," says Trey Morgan, P.E., Morgan Electric Co., Inc., Tallahassee, Fla. "We were requested to terminate our new ground bar to the existing grounding system. Then, we found this under the computer room floor. The copper water pipe has been crimped at both ends to a 3/0 grounding conductor and water pipe clamps were used to terminate the miscellaneous bonding conductors."

If the installer would have followed the requirements set forth in 250.64(C)(2), Morgan's team wouldn't have to deal with this mess.

As per 250.64(C), "Grounding electrode conductor(s) shall be installed in one continuous length without a splice or joint except as permitted in (1) and (2): "(1) Splicing shall be permitted only by irreversible compression-type connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment or by the exothermic welding process. "(2) Sections of busbars shall be permitted to be connected together to form a grounding electrode conductor."

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About the Author

Joe Tedesco

Tedesco served the industry in many roles during his career. He was a director, senior electrical code instructor for National Technology Transfer, Inc. and American Trainco, Inc.. He was also a codes, standards and seminar specialist for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and an electrical field service specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He ran his own business as an NEC consultant and is a Massachusetts licensed master electrician and journeyman electrician and certified electrical inspector (one and two family 2A; General 2B, and Plan Review, 2C). Tedesco also wrote articles for CEE News and EC&M (Code Violations Illustrated and What's Wrong Here?) for more than 15 years and helped launched the Moving Violations video series.

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