Gounded outlets – fixing plumbing crutch
HealeyBN7
| Posted in General Discussion on
While replumbing the house (to copper) , I discovered that the previous owner installed few grounded outlets (5) by tying into the plumbing system. I would like to correct this by rerunning the grounds to one or more junction boxes that are available in the immediate area that have home run grounds back to the main panel. That will remove the reliance on the plumbing system, but is this the best approach.
Also, the grounds are under the house, and are single THHN Green 12 or 14 gauge wires, should these grounds be in conduit or does it not matter. This seems to have been a common practice, as I have come across it on our last three homes (which were all built about 1960 – California)
Suggestions appreciated.
Replies
Running individual wires is normally not acceptable.
But there is a section in the code just for upgrading receptacles that allows for this.
And you are right, the wire needs to run to the grounding electrode system (commonly at the main pannel). And you can run it to another box and join them and continue to the main.
Or if you have boxes that already have a ground that goes back to the grounding electrode system you can just tie in there.
See http://www.codecheck.com/250_50_commentary.html
Bill - Thank you for your help. - Looks like I am on the right track. I printed out the code reference for myself and just in case the inspector needs a reminder:)
I am correct to assume that if individual ground conductors fall short of their new home, I will have to splice them (wire nuts/or crimps) within the confines of a junction box of only grounds... Seems a little like overkill if this is correct, but heck the boxes are cheap.
"I am correct to assume that if individual ground conductors fall short of their new home, I will have to splice them (wire nuts/or crimps) within the confines of a junction box of only grounds... Seems a little like overkill if this is correct, but heck the boxes are cheap."
That would be my take on it.
But this is probably not a clear cut area.
If you have the opportunity to clearify this with the inspector beforehand it would not hurt.
I'm curious as to how old the house is - every now and again I see some weird grounding circuit work from the late 50's earlyb60's and have been told by some older electricians that when grounding for general lighting circuits was first introduced, there were varying interpretations as to how that was to be done.
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Bob - The house was built in 1961 in what was an unincorporated area of Ventura County, which later became Thousand Oaks. It is a custom home on one acre, which does not mean much, other than there were no copies made or a team of designers/engineers optimizing flow and function...
Fortunately, in our area it is old enough to have copper wiring and some attention to detail (beam ceilings, hardwood floors, etc). Many of the track homes built in the area in the late 60s or early 70s have aluminum wiring, galvinized pipes, tarpaper sewer lines, no insulation and aluminum single glazes windows - not to mention asbestos cottage cheese ceilings and slab on grade foundations with no seismic engineering.
Don't even ask me the median home price.