Running main ground wire from panel to rods

[Cmreschke]

Also doesn't have to be solid, can be stranded and insulated if you like.

 

[pattenp]

Can I drill a small hole at the edge of my foundation and run my solid 6 ga ground wire out that way

Yes.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

For ground rods, anything bigger than #6 is just wasting money.

Playing devils advocate here, but, can you cite me the article number that requires the wire to be continuous from rod to rod, for example if I've got 2 pieces of wire that won't be long enough to go panel rod rod then why can't I go panel to rod 1, then panel to rod 2?
Where does it say it has to go panel to rod to rod without a break? And why?

You are introducing two different situations here. First you say panel to rod 1 and panel to rod 2. In this situation, yes, two pieces I think can be used, so long as the run from the rod to the panel is uninterrupted or spliced with irreversible splice/exothermic weld.

In the second situation, you are saying, from panel to rod 1 then to rod 2. In this case, it would need to be one continuous wire, to keep from violating the rule for it being continuous from rod to panel.

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).

(C) Continuous.
Except as provided in 250.30(A)(5) and (A)(6), 250.30(B)(1), and 250.68(C), grounding electrode conductor(s) shall be installed in one continuous length without a splice or joint. If necessary, splices or connections
shall be made as permitted in (1) through (4):
(1) Splicing of the wire-type grounding electrode conductor 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.
(3) Bolted, riveted, or welded connections of structural metal frames of buildings or structures.
(4) Threaded, welded, brazed, soldered or bolted-flange connections of metal water piping

 

[Cmreschke]

I agree panel to rod to rod needs to be continuous, I've been violated in the past before for going panel to rod 1 and then panel to rod 2. It was a shirt pocket rule.
I keep reading 1 piece of wire, but can it be done in two pieces using the panel as your splicing point.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Too late now.....but an Ufer would have solved your problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufer_ground

NEC requires direct earth contact (their words) of the concrete of the slab. Since most slabs have a vapor barrier and aggregate under them, you don't have the required direct earth contact needed for a Ufer ground system.

Charles

 

[Ray Adams]

no one answered about running the ground thew the concrete block next to the footer