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Electrical connection: Need help grounding a wire...

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Is this good enough?

AkBnk05MGEuLhspAOb63sQ2.jpg
 

nixon

Boned
GOLD Site Supporter
Should be conductive ,as it's in a moist environment . Yep , looks A OK !
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Is this good enough?

AkBnk05MGEuLhspAOb63sQ2.jpg

That sort of reminds me of the latest house I purchased. It's a beautiful Victorian home built in 1910 that has only had 2 owners. The basement is dry, the hard maple floors are beautiful now that I've refinished them and all the baseboard and crown molding is large and beautiful/original. Unfortunately, the owners 'upgraded' the house's electrical, plumbing and NG by themselves. I knew this going in and made my offer for the home accordingly, so I'm not complaining; just laughing at some of the stuff I've found.

For example, the 'ground' from the new breaker panel is grounded to the water pipe. Sounds reasonable, huh? The water pipe is PVC! :hammer: They used copper for NG lines (a no go for code) and PVC lines for water look like some sort of maze that you can't get through. At least I can either sell the copper or use it when I re-do all the plumbing. I'm wondering if running NG through them for years has caused them to begin to flake inside (this is supposedly why they are not allowed for carrying NG) and if it would contaminate the water. With scrap as high as it is, I'm leaning towards getting my money for the copper scrap and using PEX for all the pressure side plumbing.

Oh, also in places they used what appears to be 14 gauge extension cord instead of romex for wiring. :doh: I'm running all 12 romex and have to replace all the outlets because the ones there are only 2 plug outlets. I'm disappointed that the original (and still working) light switches in the rooms are push button switches but are not allowed anymore by code. I recall them well in our home when I was a kid. If they've worked since 1910, I wonder why they won't pass code now? Either way, I'm not getting rid of them. I'm certain they have some decent value somewhere.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
That sort of reminds me of the latest house I purchased. It's a beautiful Victorian home built in 1910 that has only had 2 owners. The basement is dry, the hard maple floors are beautiful now that I've refinished them and all the baseboard and crown molding is large and beautiful/original. Unfortunately, the owners 'upgraded' the house's electrical, plumbing and NG by themselves. I knew this going in and made my offer for the home accordingly, so I'm not complaining; just laughing at some of the stuff I've found.

For example, the 'ground' from the new breaker panel is grounded to the water pipe. Sounds reasonable, huh? The water pipe is PVC! :hammer: They used copper for NG lines (a no go for code) and PVC lines for water look like some sort of maze that you can't get through. At least I can either sell the copper or use it when I re-do all the plumbing. I'm wondering if running NG through them for years has caused them to begin to flake inside (this is supposedly why they are not allowed for carrying NG) and if it would contaminate the water. With scrap as high as it is, I'm leaning towards getting my money for the copper scrap and using PEX for all the pressure side plumbing.

Oh, also in places they used what appears to be 14 gauge extension cord instead of romex for wiring. :doh: I'm running all 12 romex and have to replace all the outlets because the ones there are only 2 plug outlets. I'm disappointed that the original (and still working) light switches in the rooms are push button switches but are not allowed anymore by code. I recall them well in our home when I was a kid. If they've worked since 1910, I wonder why they won't pass code now? Either way, I'm not getting rid of them. I'm certain they have some decent value somewhere.


I had that PVC issue when I rebuilt my house from a burn out. Electrcal wold not pass because I did nothave it grounded tothe water pipe system. Everything I did in the house was copper. But the supply ws PVC.

So I set a ground plate just outside some 4 feet away from the main panel and near a downspout so the soil would always be damp. I used a # 2 agw grounding braided wire.

He insisted I use a 12 ga line from the copper line to the panel. "In case the ground plate doesn't work."

I think the fact was that he couldn't find anything wrong with my wiring, so he had to find something. I showed hm all the non code stuff ihad removed (his brother's name was on the original panel as the installer, and he had signed off on the original permits) so this was the compromise.



The inspector insisted I wire to the pipes.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
My ground goes outside to 2 ground rods laid on bed rock about 3 ft. down. There is always water on that bedrock and the clay above it. When you try to drive one up here you won't get through the rock shelf. It measures great when they tested it to try to fix an internet problem.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
My ground goes outside to 2 ground rods laid on bed rock about 3 ft. down. There is always water on that bedrock and the clay above it. When you try to drive one up here you won't get through the rock shelf. It measures great when they tested it to try to fix an internet problem.

Your area has a lotof aluminum in the soil as well. Grounding should be easy. But you also have hard shelf rock. so, it ain't
My OZARK ranch has an amalgumation of rock and clays. It is imposible to drive a stake much more than a few inches without hitting a small immovable boulder. So we use a Back Hoe

Melensdad's OP may have a usable alternative after all.:whistling:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
For example, the 'ground' from the new breaker panel is grounded to the water pipe. Sounds reasonable, huh? The water pipe is PVC! :hammer: They used copper for NG lines (a no go for code) and PVC lines for water look like some sort of maze that you can't get through. At least I can either sell the copper or use it when I re-do all the plumbing. I'm wondering if running NG through them for years has caused them to begin to flake inside (this is supposedly why they are not allowed for carrying NG) and if it would contaminate the water. With scrap as high as it is, I'm leaning towards getting my money for the copper scrap and using PEX for all the pressure side plumbing.

Oh, also in places they used what appears to be 14 gauge extension cord instead of romex for wiring. :doh: . . .

Those were students of my MAKE MONEY IN HOME IMPROVENTS course :hammer:
 
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