|
Subject - Service Grounding and Bonding
|
|
kp
|
I am installing a service for 3 200 amp panels. The meter socket has the 3 200 amp breakers in the enclosure. Of course we used 4/0 sub feed. I decided to use 500 kcmil copper for the line side of the service. How should I size the water bond for each of the three units. Can I run 3 #4's to each units water meter and the standerd ground rods outside. Or do I need to size the water bond according to the size of the line side of the service?
|
|
Pierre Belarge
| You will need to install a 1/0 copper conductor to the cold water. At the panels then install GEC taps as per 250.64(D) sized by the conductor going to each disconnect.
Pierre
|
|
lctrc789
| Pierre is right you have to size your grounding conductor by the size of your service conductors. (500KCM) 1/0 copper wire to the water ground from each panel, then you can use # 6 for your ground rod.
|
|
kp
| The service outside houses the 3 200 mains, so do I run 1/0 once through each of the 3 water mains. or 1 run for each water main.?
|
|
lctrc789
| If you have 3 seperate 200 amp disconnects or panels you must have each main grounded, but if you have only one main service then it can be grounded as the main.
|
|
kp
| Thanks everyone, I finally got it. I should have been clearer, so here it is. I have one panel outside with the sockets and the main breakers, and 3 main lug panels in doors in 3 different units. Each unit has its own water line from the street. So I ran a 1/0 copper from outside to the closest water meter, and ran #4 from each of the other water meters to there respective subpanels.
|
|
sparkyvolt
| need a ground wire size for a 200 amp panal 3/0 with a #6 wire? not sure thx
|
|
jagerbombme
| I would imagine if you had three separate services inside one meter socket then you have three separate neutral buses requiring 3 separate ground rods for each different neutral bus. I can't imagine the NEC would permit those neutrals to be bonded together sharing a common ground. so i would imagine 3 separate ground rods with three separate #6's outside and then taking a #6 for each service inside to it's respective MLO and grounding to it. And then taking #4's from each MLO to it's respective water main?
i am guessing this is correct, but i am not sure. taking a stab at it
|
|
jagerbombme
| not sure on spacing of ground rods either. depending on how far you have to space them you might want to upsize all the grounding conductors to #4's. even the one's from the meter socket to the MLO's depending on how far they are from the metersocket.
interested to hear the correct answer here. that is what i would do though, although i am here learning myself
|