I think I got screwed...
Having been a GC and plumber, I thought it would be "fun" to buy a fixer-upper. My house is almost 70 years old and had 60-amp service. I wired the entire house so it now has 3-condutor NM throughout, but once I hit the panel I always call in a master electrician.
I called in a guy with decades of experience, worked with him many times. But this was his last job before retiring and his "helper" did most of the work. I had them put in a new 200 amp service with new wires all the way to the pole, new main panel, 2 sub panels, one 100a one 50a. The sub panels have 6ga copper grounds running back to the main panel. The main panel has 6ga copper (50 ft run) to the 3/4 copper water pipe on the street side of the meter in my basement.
Just had a bad storm knock down a pole down the street, pulled down a bunch of wires. I went back to check the condition of my lines outside, found out I have exactly ZERO ground rods. That is not to code in this area, we don't need two but at least one plus the water pipe.
So, calling in another electrician who will hopefully get it right. I'm a suspenders and a belt guy so I'm thinking two rods even though it's not required by code. What should I look for when it's done? How should the ground rods be bonded to the water pipe? My electric meter and water meter are on opposite sides of the house I'm assuming they don't all have to be bonded with a single uninterrupted wire - can everything just join up in the main panel? Is 6ga sufficient for the 50 ft run from the panel to the water meter? Should the wire from the panel to the rod(s) be in conduit? Etc...
Thanks for any help I just want to make sure it's right after I pay for it the second time...
Having been a GC and plumber, I thought it would be "fun" to buy a fixer-upper. My house is almost 70 years old and had 60-amp service. I wired the entire house so it now has 3-condutor NM throughout, but once I hit the panel I always call in a master electrician.
I called in a guy with decades of experience, worked with him many times. But this was his last job before retiring and his "helper" did most of the work. I had them put in a new 200 amp service with new wires all the way to the pole, new main panel, 2 sub panels, one 100a one 50a. The sub panels have 6ga copper grounds running back to the main panel. The main panel has 6ga copper (50 ft run) to the 3/4 copper water pipe on the street side of the meter in my basement.
Just had a bad storm knock down a pole down the street, pulled down a bunch of wires. I went back to check the condition of my lines outside, found out I have exactly ZERO ground rods. That is not to code in this area, we don't need two but at least one plus the water pipe.
So, calling in another electrician who will hopefully get it right. I'm a suspenders and a belt guy so I'm thinking two rods even though it's not required by code. What should I look for when it's done? How should the ground rods be bonded to the water pipe? My electric meter and water meter are on opposite sides of the house I'm assuming they don't all have to be bonded with a single uninterrupted wire - can everything just join up in the main panel? Is 6ga sufficient for the 50 ft run from the panel to the water meter? Should the wire from the panel to the rod(s) be in conduit? Etc...
Thanks for any help I just want to make sure it's right after I pay for it the second time...
