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This answer is taken from the CEC. Table 17 states minimum size of grounding conductors. For a service conductor drawing 400 amps a #3 copper grounding conductor is needed. Also see rules 10-206, 10-700 and 10-812 if you have access to the code book.
It is a safety measure for devices that have a metal case where a failure in the device could cause the case to be connected to the hot side of the circuit. By grounding the case the breaker will trip instead of you getting a shock.
Notes: 1. Where multiple sets of service-entrance conductors are used as permitted in Section 230-40, Exception No. 2, the equivalent size of the largest service-entrance conductor shall be determined by the largest sum of the areas of the corresponding conductors of each set. 2. Where there are no service-entrance conductors, the grounding electrode conductor size shall be determined by the equivalent size of the largest service-entrance conductor required for the load to be served. 1 This table also applies to the derived conductors of separately derived ac systems. 2 See installation restrictions in Section 250-64(a).
Minimum size grounding conductor for a 200 amp service entrance is #6 bare copper. The conductor connected to a metal water pipe, or whatever your primary grounding electrode is, is required to be #4 copper. This size requirement is often missed. The conductor connected to a ground rod is only required to be #6 regardless of the size of service. Typical installation is #6 bare solid copper.
300 Amps if used for service entrance conductors. Table 310.15
# A ground electrode conductor is a conductor that originates at the neutral or equipment ground buses in the main service entrance panel board or separating derived system (e.g. isolation transformer) # A ground electrode is a item that is in contact with the earth (e.g. Building metal frame, underground continuous metallic water pipe etc...) # A ground conductor is a conductor that is used to keep an electrical system continuous. Ground conductors are required, by code, in all PVC conduit runs. Ground conductors are also used to keep all metallic components of the installation at the same zero potential to overcome mechanical connections that would not carry a fault current back to the supply distribution panel.
grounding material is not a good word but as short as possible is a good answer the entrance panel must be connected to the best possible ground this is called the grounding electrode the grounding electrode conductor connects to the ground bar in the entrance panel if the panel has a a neutral the neutral bar can be bonded to the ground bar Grounding electrodes form best to worse well casing water pipe (NOT plastic) buried plates or wire grid or bonded reinforcing steel driven rod if you are talking about distances to the panel it should be centered about shoulder height doors need to have about 2' of clearance in all directions weather open or shut
This answer is taken from the CEC. Table 17 states minimum size of grounding conductors. For a service conductor drawing 400 amps a #3 copper grounding conductor is needed. Also see rules 10-206, 10-700 and 10-812 if you have access to the code book.
It is a safety measure for devices that have a metal case where a failure in the device could cause the case to be connected to the hot side of the circuit. By grounding the case the breaker will trip instead of you getting a shock.
In residential 120 VAC, single-phase electrical wiring, there are three main types of electrical wires: 1. Ungrounded conductor (Hot, and sometimes called "Line" or "Phase") 2. Grounded conductor (Neutral), and 3. Grounding conductor (Safety Ground or Protective Earth) The groundED conductor is the power return, intended as a current return path from the load back to the source to complete the "circuit." Its insulation is White, gray or a non-green color with white stripes. The National Electric Code requires it be connected to earth ("groundED ") at the service entrance and usually only there. The groundING conductor is usually the safety ground which serves as an emergency current return path in the event of a circuit fault or overvoltage. Like the groundED conductor, it too is grounded at the service entrance, but is also connected to metal surfaces and parts along the circuit, groundING them. It conducts current only if the current "seeks" to return to the service entrance along a path other than the Neutral (like through your chest, should a Hot wire becomes loose and contact metal in the circuit that you may touch). Since the grounding conductor doesn't normally carry current, its cross-section is sometimes smaller than the groundED conductor's. The grounding conductor's insulation is green (no other conductors can have green insulation) though sometimes it is bare copper. Sometimes the steel metal conduit enclosing the Hot and Neutral acts as the grounding conductor.
Notes: 1. Where multiple sets of service-entrance conductors are used as permitted in Section 230-40, Exception No. 2, the equivalent size of the largest service-entrance conductor shall be determined by the largest sum of the areas of the corresponding conductors of each set. 2. Where there are no service-entrance conductors, the grounding electrode conductor size shall be determined by the equivalent size of the largest service-entrance conductor required for the load to be served. 1 This table also applies to the derived conductors of separately derived ac systems. 2 See installation restrictions in Section 250-64(a).
Minimum size grounding conductor for a 200 amp service entrance is #6 bare copper. The conductor connected to a metal water pipe, or whatever your primary grounding electrode is, is required to be #4 copper. This size requirement is often missed. The conductor connected to a ground rod is only required to be #6 regardless of the size of service. Typical installation is #6 bare solid copper.
Service Entrance Conductors.
Liquid tight metal conduit may serve as a grounding means in sizes up to and including what in.
The wire that is used for connecting the ground rod or plate to the electrical distribution is governed by the size of the electriclal distribution. In Canada a #6 bare copper is the minimum size for a 200 amp service.
A #1 copper conductor with an insulation rating of 90 degrees C is rated at 145 amps.
You should not have to crimp the copper grounding electrical wire to the aluminium service neutral. There is only one place where these two wires should meet. In the service distribution panel there is a neutral block where the two wires are connected. There are individual terminal points in the block. Tighten the ground rod wire under one of these points and place the incoming service neutral under another point in the same block. In this same block there will be a machine screw that bonds the neutral block to the distribution panel's enclosure.