3/2/2017 Article 250 ­ Grounding and Bonding, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1

Article 250 ­ Grounding and Bonding, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1 February 28, 2017
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By Mike Holt, NEC Consultant

Grounding and Bonding ­ Article 250, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1

Do you understand how to ground and bond your system?

It’s important to understand the difference between grounding and bonding so you correctly apply the provisions of Article 250.

We earth ground systems to the earth to reduce overvoltage (from lightning induced energy and other events) on the conductors and electrical
components (such as transformer and motor windings) of the installation. Grounding metal parts helps drain off static electricity charges before
flashover potential is reached. Static grounding is often used in areas where the discharge (arcing) of the voltage buildup (static) can cause
dangerous or undesirable conditions.

We bond so that metal parts of electrical raceways, cables, enclosures, and equipment are connected to the supply source via an effective
ground­fault current path. To quickly remove dangerous voltage on metal parts from a ground fault, the effective ground­fault current path
must have sufficiently low impedance to the source so fault current will quickly rise to a level that will open the circuit overcurrent protection
device.

System grounding

Systems operating below 50V aren’t required to be grounded or bonded per 250.30 unless the transformer’s primary supply is from a 277V or
480V system or an ungrounded system [250.20(A)].

Systems over 50V are a different story. The following systems must be grounded (connected to the earth) if the neutral conductor is used as a
circuit conductor:
(1) Single­phase systems.

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3/2/2017 Article 250 ­ Grounding and Bonding, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1
(2) Three­phase, wye­connected systems.
(3) Three­phase, high­leg delta­connected systems.

Ungrounded systems

Ungrounded systems must:

• Have ground detectors installed as close as practicable to where the system receives its supply [250.21(B)].
• Be legibly marked “Caution Ungrounded System Operating—_____ Volts Between Conductors” at the source or first disconnect of the
system, with sufficient durability to withstand the environment involved [250.21(C)].

Service equipment, grounded systems

A grounding electrode conductor must connect the service neutral conductor to the grounding electrode at any accessible location, from the
load end of the overhead service conductors, service drop, underground service conductors, or service lateral, up to and including the service
disconnect [250.24(A)].

When the service neutral conductor is connected to the service disconnect [250.24(B)] by a wire or busbar [250.28], the grounding electrode
conductor can terminate to either the neutral terminal or the equipment grounding terminal within the service disconnect.

You can’t have a neutral­to­case connection on the load side of service equipment, except as permitted by 250.142(B).

A main bonding jumper [250.28] is required to connect the neutral conductor to the equipment grounding conductor within the service
disconnect [250.24(B)].

A service neutral conductor must be run from the electric utility power supply with the ungrounded conductors and terminate to the service
disconnect neutral terminal [250.24(C)]. A main bonding jumper [250.24(B)] must be installed between the service neutral terminal and the
service disconnect enclosure [250.28].

Dangerous voltage from a ground fault won’t be removed from metal parts, metal piping, and structural steel if the service disconnect
enclosure isn’t connected to the service neutral conductor. This is because the contact resistance of a grounding electrode to the earth is so
great that insufficient fault current returns to the power supply if the earth is the only fault current return path to open the circuit overcurrent
protection device.

Neutral sizing

The 2017 NEC brought clarification that the sizing requirements for service neutral conductors apply to cable­type wiring methods.

Try to visualize the utility neutral conductor as a white wire with green stripes on it. That’s really what it is; the service neutral wire carries the
unbalanced return (white) and it’s the fault­clearing conductor on the supply side of the service (green stripe).

Because the service neutral conductor serves the role of carrying unbalanced current and is intended to provide a low­impedance fault return
path to the utility secondary winding, it must be sized to carry the neutral load and the fault current back to the source in the event of a ground
fault.

If we have a 400A three­phase service supplying only three­phase motors and one 20A line­to­neutral lighting circuit, what size neutral wire do
we need?

A 12 AWG conductor will certainly carry the lighting circuit neutral load, but what about the fault current? Have you ever seen a 500 kcmil
phase conductor collide with a 12 AWG equipment grounding conductor? If not, you can guess that there wouldn’t be anything left of the 12
AWG conductor, other than copper vapor floating around in the air.

To ensure a safe installation, the Code requires the service neutral conductor to be sized per Table 250.102(C)(1). In our 500 kcmil example,
this would be a 1/0 AWG copper neutral. That kind of mass can carry the fault carry current without any problem.

Since none of this is actually new to the NEC, what changed? The 2014 Code was clear when it came to sizing the neutral conductor in a
raceway, but it was dead silent when it came to sizing the neutral conductor in a cable assembly. It’s now clear that the service neutral
conductor must be sized per 250.24(C) and 250.102(C)(1), whether the installation is a raceway or a cable.

Main and system bonding jumpers

At service equipment, a main bonding jumper must be installed to electrically connect the neutral conductor to the service disconnect enclosure
[250.24(B)].

A system bonding jumper must be installed between the neutral terminal of a separately derived system and the circuit equipment grounding
conductor [Article 100 Bonding Jumper, System and 250.30(A)(1)].

The bonding jumper can be a wire, bus, or screw [250.28]. If the bonding jumper is a screw, it must be identified with a green finish visible with
the screw installed.

Main and system bonding jumpers must terminate by any of the following means in accordance with 250.8(A):
• Listed pressure connectors
• Terminal bars
• Pressure connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment
• Exothermic welding
• Machine screw­type fasteners that engage not less than two threads or are secured with a nut
• Thread­forming machine screws that engage not less than two threads in the enclosure
• Connections that are part of a listed assembly
• Other listed means.

Main and system bonding jumpers must be sized not smaller than the sizes shown in Table 250.102(C)(1).

Separately derived systems

The grounding and bonding requirements for separately derived systems are in 250.30. What has changed here, with the 2017 NEC?

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3/2/2017 Article 250 ­ Grounding and Bonding, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1
The requirement to use either structural metal or water piping as the preferred grounding electrodes was removed. Metal water piping can now
be used for multiple separately derived systems, and the dimensions of the busbar used to splice grounding electrode conductors were
clarified.

The past few Code cycles have seen many revisions to 250.30 and 250.68 to clarify what items can and can’t be called a grounding electrode.
These revisions have had varying amounts of success. This cycle includes a change that definitely makes things easier.
• Grounding Electrode. When grounding a separately derived system, we must connect the neutral point to the building’s grounding electrode
system. Previous editions of the NEC said the separately derived system had to be connected to the structural metal or water pipe, and if those
weren’t present we could then seek other types of electrodes. Now in 2017, the Code simply requires us to connect the separately derived
system to the building’s grounding electrode system.
• Multiple Separately Derived Systems. When grounding multiple separately derived systems, we’ve had the option of terminating grounding
electrode taps to a common 3/0 AWG copper grounding electrode conductor or to structural metal [250.30(A)(6)]. Why shouldn’t we be allowed
to terminate to interior metal water piping? Now we can.
• Busbar Terminations. The dimensions of the busbar that can be used to splice the common grounding electrode conductor and the taps have
been clarified. The busbar must be ¼ in. thick by 2 in. wide, and whatever length is necessary to accommodate the terminations.

Generators aren’t always separately derived

The requirements for portable and vehicle­mounted generators [250.34] differ from the requirements for permanently installed generators
[250.35]. A generator whose transfer switch does not switch the neutral conductor is not a separately derived system because there is a direct
electrical connection between the generator and supply conductors via the unswitched neutral conductor.

Different purposes

To correctly apply the provisions of Article 250, keep the different purposes of grounding and bonding in mind. Grounding provides a path to
the earth to reduce overvoltage from events such as lightning. Bonding provides for a low­impedance fault current path back to the source of
the electrical supply to facilitate the operation of overcurrent protection devices in the event of a ground fault.

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Copyright© Mike Holt Enterprises of Leesburg, Inc. All Rights Reserved This article is protected by United States copyright laws and may not be published without prior written permission.

Mike Holt Enterprises of Leesburg, Inc. 3604 Parkway Blvd. Suite 3 Leesburg, FL 34748

"... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." [Joshua 24:15]

Comments

Can you expand on grounding a drilling rig generator that is off grid power please

terry mundle March 1 2017, 11:38 am EST

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Can you expand on grounding a generator that is off the grid that is used on Drilling Rig Locations please

Terry Mundle March 1 2017, 10:39 am EST

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A good history and explanation to this Complex section .

Jim Hayes March 1 2017, 8:54 am EST

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A very simple explanation, to a complex subject. That far to many apprentices, journeyman and inspectors fail to understand. A job well done.
Thank you

Morris Applebey March 1 2017, 8:00 am EST

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Thanks Mike

Jerry Freritas March 1 2017, 1:49 am EST

Reply to this comment

Switching devices can create over­current events that the bonding and grounding network will not be able to safely direct to earth.This is why­or­
one of the "whys" surge protective devices are required at all voltage levels for COPS (NEC 708).

L.W. Brittian February 28 2017, 11:37 pm EST

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3/2/2017 Article 250 ­ Grounding and Bonding, based on the 2017 NEC ­ Part 1
Grounding­earthing an electrical system will not totally eliminate "over voltage" events. If it did there would be no no advantage to the installation
of surge protective devices. A over voltage event does not always result in an immediate failure of electrical components. Failure can and has
been classified as being destructive, disruptive and dissipative. Connecting an electrical system to earth helps to dissipate electrical energy to
earth. Current flows over all paths­ not just the equipment grounding conductor in portion to the impedance of each path. Poor grounding­bonding
results in more energy being directed over the facilities distribution system. An aid­­not a cure all.

L.W. Brittian February 28 2017, 11:34 pm EST

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Reply from: Mike Holt March 1 2017, 6:26 am EST
Excellent comment!
Reply to Mike Holt

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