ground rod question [RE-wrenches]

[Phil Undercuffler]

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Hi Daryl, 

I didn't want to infer that it's acceptable to remove the connection to the
ground rod--just floating a scenario (no pun intended).  You are exactly
correct, its best to have all equipment tied to the grounding system.

Please note new phone extensions
 
---------------------------------------------------------
Phil Undercuffler
Technical Service Manager, ext. 0741
Conergy, Inc.
1730 Camino Carlos Rey Suite 103
Santa Fe NM  87507 USA
Tel 505-473-3800 ext 0741
Fax 505-473-2134
www.conergy.us
---------------------------------------------------------
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Darryl Thayer [mailto:daryl_solar at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 9:52 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: ground rod question [RE-wrenches]


Actually Phil is correct as usual, but having recived
many a shock by being grounded and touching energized
equipment, I prefer to have the equipment connected to
a ground rod ALSO.  A seperate structure does not have
to have a bonding jumper back to the main service. 
However I prefer to use one.  

One thing that is needed in these cases is a grounding
system, i.e. a ground rod and other ground means.  In
the case of a pole mount the foundation (when set up
as a Uffer ground) and a ground rod can fullfill 
these requirments.  Having two ground points will
allow them to be connected and a ground test can be
made on this arraingment.  I have measured less than
0.1 ohms between ground rods, and of course as high as
3000 ohms.   

Thanks Phil for correcting and making these
installations safer.  

darryl   

--- Phil Undercuffler <p.undercuffler at conergy.us>
wrote:

> 
> Darryl Thayer said <snip> 
> As I see it the ground rod on a PV array is for two
> purposes, .... Two to
> protect grounded people from any errant
> voltages/currents that they might
> contact during fault conditons.  (part two is what
> the electrical inspector
> is looking for).....
> 
> Actually, this is one function the ground rod does
> NOT perform.  The bonded
> conductor (neutral or negative, generally) provides
> the return current path
> for any fault current, which trips the fuse or
> breaker thereby clearing the
> fault.  
> 
> If you make a short between hot to ground (Please
> don't attempt this at
> home), the breaker will trip no matter whether the
> ground rod is connected
> or not.  However, if you remove the bond between the
> grounded conductor and
> the equipment ground, the breaker won't trip no
> matter how many ground rods
> you drive, thereby presenting potential voltage
> hazards to your grounded
> people--and we all know how hard it is to find well
> grounded people
> sometimes, so you don't want to waste them ;-)

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