Is it possible my electrical system isn't grounded?

[rslaback]

My wife and I just bought a house in a rural subdivision with a private well.

While researching and installing a TV antenna I learned that proper NEC is to ground both the antenna mast and the coax (via antenna discharge unit) separately to the electrical ground lug in the house via #6 solid copper.

The panel is grounded via #6 copper to the copper water pipes in the house. However, as you might have guessed, the pipe from the well to the house system is plastic. I looked under the meter at the service drop and there is no apparent ground rod.

Is it possible that my home's electrical system is isolated and not properly grounded? If so how would I check that? I'd hate to call an electrician if the system is grounded another way. Can the ground just come over from the transformer via the service cable or something?

 

[Alchymist]

Possible. Is the ground wire from the panel to the copper pipe the only ground wire on the panel? If so, you can add a #6 copper wire to an 8' ground rod. Where the rod is located is dictated by where the panel is. A quick call to your electric company might elicit some help.

 

[BillK]

I think I would call the electric company first. They will usually come out and check safety related things like that without charge. Do the copper pipes go into a slab ? If so that might be how the ground was done.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Look at your service entry/meter box. If you have a 1/2" conduit running to the foundation (or a bare #6 or larger copper wire) you are most likely grounded. You can confirm this by digging around a bit. You should rind the grounding rod just under the dirt.

Your well should be fed by three wires, black, red, and green. The green ground wire should be bonded to the well casing.

 

[big.jim]

if you know someone with an earth loop impedance tester that you can borrow that will prove one way or other

 

[Mustang51js]

Just look at your panel and see if there's more than one #6 coming out of it. How old is the house, you may have a rigid pipe in the ground with wire attached to that or if it's somewhat newer it may be grounded to the rebarb. If you only have that one ground wire then you don't have the proper grounds.

 

[justsam]

The wire to the copper pipe will give you some level of ground. The question is how good of a ground is it. I suspect at some point the copper is either in the ground directly, or perhaps is embedded in concrete which conducts to ground.

The pipe to the pump does not need to be metallic to provide the ground for the pump. That is provided by the 3 wire run to the pump, with green being the ground wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My wife and I just bought a house in a rural subdivision with a private well.

While researching and installing a TV antenna I learned that proper NEC is to ground both the antenna mast and the coax (via antenna discharge unit) separately to the electrical ground lug in the house via #6 solid copper.

The panel is grounded via #6 copper to the copper water pipes in the house. However, as you might have guessed, the pipe from the well to the house system is plastic. I looked under the meter at the service drop and there is no apparent ground rod.

Is it possible that my home's electrical system is isolated and not properly grounded? If so how would I check that? I'd hate to call an electrician if the system is grounded another way. Can the ground just come over from the transformer via the service cable or something?

Be aware that there is 2 types of grounding in an electrical system. the first is an EGC/ aka the grounds on outlets. the second type is a grounding electrode which is for grounding lightning strikes. Each type of ground serves a different purpose.

There several different types of grounding electrodes- rods, plates, ufer, and water pipe. Code for using a water pipe as a grounding electrode requires a minimum of 10' of metalic pipe in contact with soil.

And the service drop to your house DOES NOT have a ground wire. PoCos DO NOT provide a EGC grounding path. And even if they did it wouldnt be the type u need.

If u do discover that u dont have a grounding electrode, then currnt code requires 2 8' rods spaced 6' apart. Connect them together with bare #6 cu or u can use #8 cu but it will need to be in conduit so #6 is easier. The other end of this wire connects to the neutral bar in your main service panel!

 

[sberry]

Also thee ground wire to the well motor is not the same thing as a ground to the casing.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Look at your service entry/meter box. If you have a 1/2" conduit running to the foundation (or a bare #6 or larger copper wire) you are most likely grounded. You can confirm this by digging around a bit. You should rind the grounding rod just under the dirt.

Your well should be fed by three wires, black, red, and green. The green ground wire should be bonded to the well casing.

Odds are his well casing is PVC. Very few metal casings installed nowdays.

Charles

 

[mikegt4]

Many years ago the "ground" wire from the panel to the copper pipe could be and was used as a system ground because the incoming water supply line was copper or iron and could serve as a ground rod. My former house built in the early 1950's was like that. For the last few decades plastic has been used for incoming supply lines (my newer house included) so the copper wire from the water line to the panel is just used to keep the water pipes in the house from becoming energized by electric wiring and a dedicated grounding rod(s) is needed. Not hard or expensive to upgrade.