Broke conduit at concrete floor

[threeputt]

I had damage to two of my conduit pipes in my shop floor. They were broke at floor . I was finally able to find the junction deep in my office block wall. I removed the hot wire feeding the broke wire at slap by pulling it from conduit in both places. They are out of the picture which is now safe. No live wires in floor anymore. I also remove the wire from 200 amp box that supplied 120 volts to them. I only remove this one jumper because I have four more outlets I need and all is working now and nothing live in conduit.
I now want to run from 200 amp box to across and up to top of building and wire into where the wires I removed. I have a friend who is an electrician suggest I use BX wire. I don't want to go the trouble of running conduit for this one circuit.

I got to run it about 75 feet across the top of building and down to outlet box where I disconnected the wire in broke conduit. That will get me back just like before. It will be no longer be under the slab but up top.

I use this building for me working my things now and not a business but I want the five outlets to works again. I will tie back in where I remove the hot wire from breaker number 5 on left that fed these five outlets before, ending on a dead end conduit .

I will connect the white wire to neutral on box.
This building was built in 1962 and no ground wire was installed. Only two, black and white were used back then. White goes to panel neutral connection
My question is it safe to wire back just like before and don't worry about ground? My conduit should serve as ground ?? right/ if not where would I connect the green wire in this BX flex conduit ? or do I just leave it as is.

It has been safe for 57 years using only two wire, hot and neutral . Is BX 12-2 ok on this 20 amp breaker. Tom

 

[Norcal]

What kind of conduit? EMT, Rigid, PVC, other? Just a note, BX (armored cable) does not have a green grounding conductor, MC, Metal Clad does & their installation is covered by code article for each product, because of it's age I am going to guess that it was a metallic conduit & it is a code compliant grounding conductor, or at least it was in the OP's case. MC cable would work, not going to be pretty as long as it's supported properly it will be fine, but it is subject to the same requirements for physical protection from damage as NM cable "Romex®". Boxes from 1962 are not likely to have a tapped 10/32 hole for grounding, but one could be tapped to connect a grounding conductor.

 

[threeputt]

Thanks

 

[threeputt]

The shop has EMT conduit. I decided on your suggestion to install MC Cable and found a shorter route to run it above and down to the wall plug in EMT conduit. I seen no reason to run it overhead to where first outlet was to begin with.

It would have been at least 100 feet . By using the outlet that before was the last one on chain I now use it for the first one and down the line to three more. I was able to save many feet of wire and it serves the same purpose . I now have four live outlets around my shop that work but are they safe ?
Now where do I connect the green ground wire in the MC cable? My shop was wired in 1961 and the conduct served as the ground. Some outlets have three terminals and some just two. Been that way since I remember and that was a long time ago.

Is it safe to connect the green wire to green lug on outlet and the other end to neutral bus or should I buy new outlets for the one connected to first one on chain with purchase an self grounding type outlet ? The new 120 volt feed is run from original 20amp breaker , up and over to metal conduit in concrete slab about 25 feet away.

The outside ground wire coming from inside of meter used to be connected to a water pipe under the slab outside close to building. It broke lose a while back so I just connected it to an 8 foot ground rod which was very hard to drive in the ground but I did finally get it down. No telling how long it was broke but I did find it just before I had my power turned back on.

Would one of these testers tell me if all my outlets are ground protected and if not if is in safe to connect it to neutral bus?

 

[njhoudini]

If your new ground is connected to the first metal junction box, it should test fine as long as the MC is connected to the main. Do all of the remaining outlets have ground? I believe adding another rod is safer and two would be code compliant.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The shop has EMT conduit. I decided on your suggestion to install MC Cable and found a shorter route to run it above and down to the wall plug in EMT conduit. I seen no reason to run it overhead to where first outlet was to begin with.

It would have been at least 100 feet . By using the outlet that before was the last one on chain I now use it for the first one and down the line to three more. I was able to save many feet of wire and it serves the same purpose . I now have four live outlets around my shop that work but are they safe ?
Now where do I connect the green ground wire in the MC cable? My shop was wired in 1961 and the conduct served as the ground. Some outlets have three terminals and some just two. Been that way since I remember and that was a long time ago.

Is it safe to connect the green wire to green lug on outlet and the other end to neutral bus or should I buy new outlets for the one connected to first one on chain with purchase an self grounding type outlet ? The new 120 volt feed is run from original 20amp breaker , up and over to metal conduit in concrete slab about 25 feet away.

The outside ground wire coming from inside of meter used to be connected to a water pipe under the slab outside close to building. It broke lose a while back so I just connected it to an 8 foot ground rod which was very hard to drive in the ground but I did finally get it down. No telling how long it was broke but I did find it just before I had my power turned back on.

Would one of these testers tell me if all my outlets are ground protected and if not if is in safe to connect it to neutral bus?

Unfortunately, what you did here is not gonna fly. People often confuse grounding electrodes and equipment grounding conductors. Theyre different animals and you cant substitute one for the other.

Grounding electrodes main function is to ground lightning.

A ground rod will NOT allow breakers to clear fault current...that is the job of the EGC which is connected to the neutral bar in the main service panel ONLY...The EGC provides a low resistance fault current pathway...

 

[threeputt]

I know a ground rod will not allow breakers to clear fault current. I was just stating that the wire had broke from rusted pipe , the one coming from power company meter. I drove a ground rod 8 foot in the ground to take care of that part instead of connecting it to the broke water pipe. I happen to look down last November and notice this break.


I will connect the green wire that I ran Sunday to the box or building. ?? and I would think I would be safe.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I misunderstood what you were saying about the ground wire.

If metal conduit, is it properly bonded to the panel?

 

[threeputt]

If metal conduit, is it properly bonded to the panel? Yes