Crimping ground wires?

[Jeepskate]

Had my final inspection yesterday and passed, but the inspector made a note that he wants an 'irreversible crimp' installed on the ground wires to my panel. Here's the situation: I have 200A service in a steel sided post-frame building which required 3 grounds...two from the panel (one of which also grounds the siding) and another on the opposite corner of the building to ground the siding again. The electrician was off on his estimate of how much #4 ground wire I would need, so he ended up short on the panel and I had to get some more wire. What he ended up doing is running three wires...one from each ground rod and one from the panel and then securing them with a copper split bolt lug. Works just fine, but the inspector wants a crimp (as if someone is going to go in there and unbolt the ground wires). I haven't got a clue where to get a crimp (or what kind of crimp) and crimping tool for this. Does anyone know? Not a big rush; he did pass me but wants to be notified when the crimp has been installed. I'm used to the small gauge stuff for automotive electronics, but not this big stuff.

 

[tfi racing]

Talk to your electrician-he may have or have access to a hand crimper or hy-press.Around here the better electrical supply places will lend or rent them out to their account holders when you buy the crimps from them.This is likely the type of product he is refering to:

http://portal.fciconnect.com/portal/page/portal/FcicntPublic/BurndyProduct_Type?appname=catDisplayByPath$entryPoint=adirect$categoryPath=Division+catalog%2FBurndy

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Code requires continuous, uninterrupted ground to all the rods. The split bolt is not good enough. Exothermic welding is acceptable, an electrical supply house would be able to help you with a one time use kit for this.

Charles

 

[walrus]

Is this a pole building, wooden frame, steel siding? If so its interesting that he made you ground the siding

 

[Jeepskate]

Yes, it's a pole building; wooden frame, steel siding.

Thanks for the info, guys. I was trying to avoid calling the electrician since it'll take him longer to drive out here than to crimp it, but I guess he's just going to have to make the trip.

 

[Tscott]

Code requires continuous, uninterrupted ground to all the rods. The split bolt is not good enough. Exothermic welding is acceptable, an electrical supply house would be able to help you with a one time use kit for this.

Charles

Charles is correct. Talk to your electrical supply house. They should have a Cadweld kit that will work for you. If not, try google.

http://www.google.com/products?q=ca...esult_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CCoQrQQwAg


Here is a video, that is similer to what you need. Same process, but instead of a reusable mold the one time kits mold is a throw away.

Tom

 

[Aceman]

Code requires continuous, uninterrupted ground to all the rods.

It only has to be continuous to the first rod. You can then jump from the first to second rod with another piece of wire.

I've never needed to run 2 seperate wires to two rods, it doesn't make sense really.

 

[Jeepskate]

I think I'll go for the crimp since that's what the inspector indicated and the cadweld doesn't seem like such a 'hot' idea for doing right next to a 2x4 wooden purlin. Alternately, I can just dig back down to the ground rods and run two new wires back to the panel. That may actually be my cheapest/easiest route since I can do it myself. Supposed to thaw out on Christmas Eve, so that may be the time to do it.

 

[Norcal]

Here is a copy & paste from the 2008 NEC, it is unchanged from the 2005 edition.

250.64 Grounding Electrode Conductor Installation.
Grounding electrode conductors at the service, at each
building or structure where supplied by a feeder(s) or
branch circuit(s), or at a separately derived system shall be
installed as specified in 250.64(A) through (F).
(A) Aluminum or Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors.
Bare aluminum or copper-clad aluminum grounding conductors
shall not be used where in direct contact with masonry
or the earth or where subject to corrosive conditions.
Where used outside, aluminum or copper-clad aluminum
grounding conductors shall not be terminated within
450 mm (18 in.) of the earth.
(B) Securing and Protection Against Physical Damage.
Where exposed, a grounding electrode conductor or its enclosure
shall be securely fastened to the surface on which it
is carried. A 4 AWG or larger copper or aluminum grounding
electrode conductor shall be protected where exposed to
physical damage. A 6 AWG grounding electrode conductor
that is free from exposure to physical damage shall be permitted
to be run along the surface of the building construction
without metal covering or protection where it is securely
fastened to the construction; otherwise, it shall be in
rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic
conduit, electrical metallic tubing, or cable armor.
Grounding electrode conductors smaller than 6 AWG shall be
in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic
conduit, electrical metallic tubing, or cable armor.
(C) Continuous. Grounding electrode conductor(s) shall
be installed in one continuous length without a splice or
joint except as permitted in (1) and (2):
(1) Splicing shall be permitted only by irreversible
compression-type connectors listed as grounding and
bonding equipment or by the exothermic welding process.
(2) Sections of busbars shall be permitted to be connected
together to form a grounding electrode conductor.

Bold text by me.

 

[oleguy]

splices of any kind have to be accessable.and that splice is not code.

 

[Jeepskate]

Thanks...I'm aware that it's not code at this point based upon the previous posts and it will be corrected. Good point about the accessability; I'll be sure to put in an access panel when I finish the walls if I don't run new ground wires.