# Oddball GEC setup?



## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Ok. It was 17hrs into the day. We were all loopy. Someone forgot to slide the bonding jumper from main parallel neutral lug to 3 hole lug mounted to gutter. So, we just did this to get out of there. We were all getting the dreaded claw hammer anyhow. 

The main parallel neutral entered a gutter (2-4/0's Al). They go directly into a lug along with 5-#2's to each meter neutral bar. So, we skinned one the meter neutrals 1 ft from main neutral lug and put in the #2Cu water main and #6Cu ground rod gec's. Everything else is bonded throughout. 

Ok or Not ? Why?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Oops pics


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## ptcrtn (Mar 14, 2011)

What happened to these


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Split bolts are only rated for 2 wires. Non compliant


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Why are the neutrals spliced with a(n uncovered!) split bolt?

And some of those URD conductors look like they haven't been stripped!!!


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*?*



Dennis Alwon said:


> Split bolts are only rated for 2 wires. Non compliant


Really, didn't know that. I've seen so many stuffed split bolts over the years I assumbed it wasn't a biggie. Besides, that's poco territory and they really don't give a crap. My inpector wont even look at that. 



480sparky said:


> Why are the neutrals spliced with a(n uncovered!) split bolt?
> 
> That's the way it comes. We have about 1/2 roll of 33 on each at least.
> 
> And some of those URD conductors look like they haven't been stripped!!!


It's optical illusion. They were all stripped around 2" and we made sure as we slowly tightened they were all in there good with plenty of nolox 

?? What about the water main and ground rod wires under split bolt off one of the 4/0 neutrals though? 

I only had six port polaris taps and I needed 7 so I opted out and used the split bolts. It's actually a great connection. Super tight


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> ........ ?? What about the water main and ground rod wires under split bolt off one of the 4/0 neutrals though? ...........


Neutrals normally carry current, bare grounds should not. That's what.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*?*

? I don't understand your point. The GEC is always connected to neutral in main panel or meter anyhow. What's the difference? They are all bonded together anyhow? That was line side of service ?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Better view. Thats main bonding lug in gutter. Scraped paint off and all . #2 goes to water main and with main neutrals


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> ? I don't understand your point. The GEC is always connected to neutral in main panel or meter anyhow. What's the difference? They are all bonded together anyhow? That was line side of service ?



Again: Neutrals are installed to carry current....... grounds are not.

Get it?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Yes and no. Excuse my crudity. This is for demo purposes only. 

Imagine all that in gutter. Those are the 2 main neutrals and the other 2 go to water main and ground rod. 

Whats wrong with dat?


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I would have painted the back board black.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> Yes and no. Excuse my crudity. This is for demo purposes only.
> 
> Imagine all that in gutter. Those are the 2 main neutrals and the other 2 go to water main and ground rod.
> 
> Whats wrong with dat?


Does this gutter contain only the service conductors, or does it contain the branch circuits?


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## Master Apprentice (Jan 25, 2012)

Seems to me to be a creative & acceptable way of bonding the neutral. You might get an oddball look and some questioning from the inspector.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

It will be black.

Only service conductors


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*well*



Master Apprentice said:


> Seems to me to be a creative & acceptable way of bonding the neutral. You might get an oddball look and some questioning from the inspector.


well. basically it was 16 hrs into a shift and we were all loopy. what was supposed to happen was the bare flat lug was supposed to be a 3 hole. The GEC and ground wire were supposed to land on that in gutter then a #2 cu out of that into the huge split bolt with main nuetrals. We had to get things on. It was 2 am. Anyhow, that's basically how every CT cabinet around here is done before the mains with a slight modification on the 150 amp meter line side which i'm not sure about??


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Cletis said:


> Ok. It was 17hrs into the day. We were all loopy. Someone forgot to slide the bonding jumper from main parallel neutral lug to 3 hole lug mounted to gutter. So, we just did this to get out of there. We were all getting the dreaded claw hammer anyhow.
> 
> The main parallel neutral entered a gutter (2-4/0's Al). They go directly into a lug along with 5-#2's to each meter neutral bar. So, we skinned one the meter neutrals 1 ft from main neutral lug and put in the #2Cu water main and #6Cu ground rod gec's. Everything else is bonded throughout.
> 
> Ok or Not ? Why?


The question is "Why do you question what you did? If there is a "Question Mark" in your mind, did you shortchange the job?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Look what i just did. Not sure if this will pass. ??


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Cletis said:


> ? I don't understand your point. The GEC is always connected to neutral in main panel or meter anyhow. What's the difference? They are all bonded together anyhow? That was line side of service ?


the MBJ is at _one _point only Cletis

~CS~


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Cletis, how about getting a real camera or at least step back so we can tell what we are seeing. jester:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> the MBJ is at one point only Cletis
> 
> ~CS~


It is one point. 

Getting 4s right now


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

I don't see any problem with the bonding that was done. Remember, current wants to return to the source, not to the ground rod(s), water piping system, or any other "available" grounding electrode. The only issue I see is the split-bolt connector with multiple conductors.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Cletis said:


> It is one point.
> 
> Getting 4s right now


OMG not the iPhone!!!!! Haven't you read on this site that Apple is crap? :whistling2:


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

2nd that

Cletis, next time try and isolate an old piece of buss bar there

~CS~


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*SA*

I thought I would challenge the inspector on this one. Felt kinda smart allicky. If you noticed. The external lug had the GEC and #6 Cu ground rod conductor. The #2 passes through the lug then up into gutter and lands on a similar lug tied with main neutrals inside. So it is at one point somewhat. They are only 1mm apart separated by steel. more pics to come of conclusion.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Ok finale 

Go ahead. Bust me up


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*follow*



Magnettica said:


> I don't see any problem with the bonding that was done. Remember, current wants to return to the source, not to the ground rod(s), water piping system, or any other "available" grounding electrode. The only issue I see is the split-bolt connector with multiple conductors.


I always try to follow these guidelines. It's basically what I did in a round about way


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Magnettica said:


> OMG not the iPhone!!!!! Haven't you read on this site that Apple is crap? :whistling2:


:laughing:

You forgot overpriced.:thumbsup:


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## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

It just seems like you were trying to take care of all of your G&B in the gutter, when it's all service equipment with MBJ's installed already, and you just needed to bond the gutter with one small jumper.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.:thumbsup:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*over*

I did it over and above code. The theory was if I bonded in the gutter and lightening hits and travels down the conductors it would dissipate to earth better taken some load off the meters (and panels) hopefully prevently less damage. 

I didn't make this up. I read it somewhere. 

If I bonded to/through each panel more of the lightening surge would enter panels possibly damaging branch circuits. It was an ECM article I think.


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## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

Marc has told me before, "don't over think it."

It's actually helped me out.:thumbsup:


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## troublemaker1701 (Aug 11, 2011)

Magnettica said:


> OMG not the iPhone!!!!! Haven't you read on this site that Apple is crap? :whistling2:


*In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad*


the workers assembling iPhones, iPads and other devices often labor in harsh conditions, according to employees inside those plants, worker advocates and documents published by companies themselves. Problems are as varied as onerous work environments and serious — sometimes deadly — safety problems. Employees work excessive overtime, in some cases seven days a week, and live in crowded dorms. Some say they stand so long that their legs swell until they can hardly walk. Under-age workers have helped build Apple’s products, and the company’s suppliers have improperly disposed of hazardous waste and falsified records, according to company reports and advocacy groups that, within China, are often considered reliable, independent monitors. 
More troubling, the groups say, is some suppliers’ disregard for workers’ health. Two years ago, 137 workers at an Apple supplier in eastern China were injured after they were ordered to use a poisonous chemical to clean iPhone screens. Within seven months last year, two explosions at iPad factories, including in Chengdu, killed four people and injured 77. Before those blasts, Apple had been alerted to hazardous conditions inside the Chengdu plant, according to a Chinese group that published that warning. 
*1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?*


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## cccp sparky (Nov 5, 2011)

So it received a green tag from inspector YES?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

cccp sparky said:


> So it received a green tag from inspector YES?


Monday


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## EJPHI (May 7, 2008)

Cletis said:


> Oops pics


 Cletis,

Your first picture in the first post looks like a copper rated split bolt used to spilce a copper wire and an aluminum wire. 

Is that white-taped fat boy aluminum??

Even with liberal grey goop, you may want to use a split bolt rated for Cu/AL.

EJPHI


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