# 2013 NEC Main Service Grounding Requirements Now In Effect In Los Angeles



## acustom (Aug 8, 2011)

Just a heads up for anyone looking for information on grounding requirements for new main electrical services and electrical panel upgrades in Los Angeles on existing (and new) buildings: 
Los Angeles City is now requiring the use of two ground rods, in conjunction with the cold water grounding electrode.
This requirement went into effect (officially) in January 2015.
And if you really want to make your inspector happy, regardless if you connected your cold water grounding electrode in front of the water regulator, use a bonding jumper. 
We performed a main electrical panel upgrade in Los Angeles a couple of months ago and as it has always been, only one ground rod was required
I installed another main panel upgrade in Los Angeles a month later and got called for the second ground rod as a new requirement.

There always seems to be some confusion as to what an inspector will require for grounding.
The previous head inspector at LADBS only required one rod and you could connect to the nearest cold water pipe, provided that the panel was an upgrade on an existing home.
And I received that information, because I called code verification for clarification after one inspector told me that he would have accepted the cold water connection at the nearest cold water pipe, while on another job the inspector wanted it within 3' of the main water valve. 
But now change comes with the new head inspector... (wants the cold water ground clamp has to be within 5 feet of the main water valve) and a bonding jumper across the the water regulator, even if you're connected in front of it.

Mj


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

acustom said:


> Just a heads up for anyone looking for information on grounding requirements for new main electrical services and electrical panel upgrades in Los Angeles on existing (and new) buildings:
> Los Angeles City is now requiring the use of two ground rods, in conjunction with the cold water grounding electrode.
> This requirement went into effect (officially) in January 2015.
> And if you really want to make your inspector happy, regardless if you connected your cold water grounding electrode in front of the water regulator, use a bonding jumper.
> ...


There is no 2013 NEC, and it's been in the NEC for a while. Here in MN, we've been on 2014 NEC since 7-1-14


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

I honestly cannot remember when I installed one ground rod, except for downcomers on poles. If the cost of a ground rod and 12' of #6 and an extra acorn breaks the bank, it ain't workin out. Please post a link to the 2013 tho, I would really like to see that. thx


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## Mouser (May 4, 2011)

The NEC the OP is referring too is the California Electrical Code which is based on the 2011 NEC.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Mouser said:


> The NEC the OP is referring too is the California Electrical Code which is based on the 2011 NEC.


How do you get National Electric Code from that? He said 2013 NEC. Anyone know when the second rod was added. And of course you only need one rod if you can prove 25 ohms or less.


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

backstay said:


> How do you get National Electric Code from that? He said 2013 NEC. Anyone know when the second rod was added. And of course you only need one rod if you can prove 25 ohms or less.


The oldest NEC I have at hand is the '78 and the 25 ohm requirement is there in 250-84.

Pete


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

acustom said:


> Just a heads up for anyone looking for information on grounding requirements for new main electrical services and electrical panel upgrades in Los Angeles on existing (and new) buildings:
> Los Angeles City is now requiring the use of two ground rods, in conjunction with the cold water grounding electrode.
> This requirement went into effect (officially) in January 2015.
> And if you really want to make your inspector happy, regardless if you connected your cold water grounding electrode in front of the water regulator, use a bonding jumper.
> ...


 Sounds like nobody in LA has a clue as far as the NEC is concerned.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

backstay said:


> How do you get National Electric Code from that? He said 2013 NEC. Anyone know when the second rod was added. And of course you only need one rod if you can prove 25 ohms or less.


1993 NEC I seem to remember, I will look it up later on.

Here we've always had to jump the water meter out in case the meter had to be removed.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

The requirement for 2 rods has been around for awhile but many jurisdictions never enforced it. I think it goes back into the 1980's at least. Of course if you have 25 ohms then only one rod is needed. 

I believe even the 1937 NEC talked about 25 ohms


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## acustom (Aug 8, 2011)

The requirement has been there for sometime, but LADBS didn't enforce it (even though L.A. county did) until this year.

The meter to measure ohms is really expensive.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2013)

So how do you test for the 25 ohm requirement. I put one lead of my wiggy in the ground and the other lead on the rod and got nothing. 


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> So how do you test for the 25 ohm requirement. I put one lead of my wiggy in the ground and the other lead on the rod and got nothing.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



that's now how you do it. search for it in nfpa, there's a specific test procedure.


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> So how do you test for the 25 ohm requirement. I put one lead of my wiggy in the ground and the other lead on the rod and got nothing.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 You will need to invest a bit more in the proper equipment than the price of a wiggy but, the good news is your wiggy appears to be working. :thumbup:


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> So how do you test for the 25 ohm requirement. I put one lead of my wiggy in the ground and the other lead on the rod and got nothing.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You buy a $1000+ clamp on tester or you spend a few hours using a cheaper 3 or 4 point tester...either way, it is more cost effective to just put in the second rod.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2013)

I was actually trying to see how many wireman use a wiggy. I'm old school. 


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