grounds

[Chad Fabry]

All the metal boxes and the panel have the grounds attached like in the photo.

I'm recommending a service upgrade anyway but I was curious if this attachment is allowed.

Download Attachment: panel.jpg

36.02 KB

[Richard Moore]

Slow day Chad? I think you already know the answer, but, despite not being an electrician, nor staying at a Holiday Inn Express, let me give it a stab.

With a little luck the grounding conductors are wrapped tight enough around the cable clamps to provide an adequate connection. With a little luck the cable clamps are sufficiently torqued down and enough paint has been scraped away. With a little luck, this unapproved method is providing effective grounding and will be able to handle enough ground fault current to trip the OCPD.

Now you will have to excuse me as I go off and search the NEC for "a little luck" being acceptable. Don't hold your breath.

[hausdok]

Hi Chad,

I just spent some time looking through Douglas' book for that and can't find it. I could have sworn I saw it in there though, so I'll look again later.

Doesn't matter though. It is wrong....period. Equipment grounding conductors are supposed to be spliced with or terminate at a device approved for that purpose. The screws on those clamps are not.

It's probably a case where the electrician was too lazy to add a ground bus in the panel or the existing one was full and he didn't want to add another.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Chad Fabry]

I figured it was wrong, but I have a nagging memory of having read something about this. Thanks for the help you guys..the report's done and the panel will be replaced anyway.

In 1965 they were lucky the electrician made any attempt at a ground.

I don't get the Holiday Inn Express thing.

[Jim Morrison]

Around here,that practice is referred to as "The Boston Backwrap" and its more common than jokes about Derek Jeter's sexual practices in these parts. They ground the circuits properly during a service upgrade, but I don't know of an electrician or HI who makes a big deal of it.

[Richard Moore]

"I don't get the Holiday Inn Express thing."

Sorry Chad...I must be watching too much TV. It's a series of commercials. Too much typing needed to explain a bad joke.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Chad Fabry

I figured it was wrong, but I have a nagging memory of having read something about this. . .

You're probably remembering that old BX cable had a bonding wire that was supposed to be terminated outside the box -- kind of like what your picture shows.

With that method, the bonding wire was only there to ensure continuity of the armor, which itself provided the ground path.

With NM cable, the grounding wires *are* the ground path. I'd recommend fixing the mess in your picture whether they were going to upgrade the panel or not.

- Jim Katen