Bonding, Grounding and The NEC

Bonding, Grounding
and the NEC
Presented by The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
www.NACHI.org
The New Code

The 1999 and 2002 editions of the
NEC* have now clearly defined the
separate and vitally important
purposes of grounding and
bonding in making safe electrical
installations
*The National Electrical Code (NEC) is a registered trademark of the National Fire Protection Association,
www.nfpa.org.
The New Code

Section 250-4 establishes new
performance requirements which
clarify what grounding and
bonding are required to
accomplish
The New Code

Section 250-2 introduces and defines
the new terms:
Ground Fault
Ground Fault Current Path
Effective Ground Fault Current
Path
The New Code

These new definitions are in
addition to the two important
definitions in Article 100 which
apply to Section 250-2
The New Code

These definitions are:
Grounded - Connected to earth
Bonded - The permanent joining of
metallic parts to form an electrically
conductive path that ensures electrical
continuity and the capacity to conduct
safely any current likely to be imposed
The New Code

The importance of grounding
electrical equipment seems to be

well understood
The purpose and intent of bonding
to create a low impedance ground
fault return path seems to be less
understood
The New Code

The importance of bonding is best
described in the following graphics
which review how bonding
performs in a typical circuit
A Typical Circuit
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100 of Overhead Distribution
Line
25 of Service Drop
25 of Service Entrance
Conductor
100 of Branch Circuit Conductors
A Typical Circuit
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Current flows...
Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

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From the transformer to our

service

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Through the overcurrent device to

our load

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Through the load returning to

the service

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And back to the transformer.

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What determines the amount of

current that will flow in this circuit?

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The total resistance or impedance in the

circuit will determine the amount of current
that will flow in the circuit.
Things You Can Count

On
Ohms Law Works
We can change the code, or
Hire a different contractor, or
Use romex instead of EMT, but
E = I x R still works!
Overload and Short

Circuit Conditions
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How is our circuit protected against

overload and short circuit?
Overload and Short

Circuit Conditions
15A Circuit Breaker
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The overcurrent device protects this

circuit from both overload and short
circuit.
Ground Fault Condition

So lets talk about a ground fault
condition
Which certainly sounds like the one
condition where grounding would be
important and decide for ourselves
whether
Grounding provides protection for
equipment or personnel under a ground
fault condition
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What happens if the hot conductor

comes into contact with our metal box?
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And our friend comes along and

touches it?
Is he in jeopardy?
jeopardy
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No not at all and why not?
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Because the transformer were looking

at is not grounded so there is no
path through the earth for current to
return to the transformer.
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Yes, that was a trick question

sorry about that but the intent
was to make a point.
Things You Can Count

On
No circuit no current
Current does not flow unless there is a
continuous path from one side of the
source of supply to the other
Current cannot travel through the earth
to return to a transformer unless the
transformer is grounded
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So our friend in this situation is

perfectly safe however
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What do we know about utility

company transformers?
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Theyre grounded and, with this

transformer grounded, our friend is in
serious jeopardy.
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Because utility transformers are grounded, we

need to do something to our equipment to keep
our friend from being electrocuted.
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Can we protect our friend by grounding

our metal equipment? Lets take a look.
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Grounding our equipment provides a

second path for fault current.
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The first path is through our friend to

earth and back to the transformer.
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The new second path is through our metal

equipment to earth and back to the transformer.
Fault Current Path

We need to open a 15A Circuit Breaker
as quickly as possible. This will require
a fault current of 60A to 75A (four to five
times the rating of the breaker)
We can use Ohms Law to find out how

much current will flow on our new path
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The voltage is 120V. We need to know the

resistance in this circuit to calculate current.
Fault Current Path

Assuming a minimum of 5 ohms
resistance through each grounding
electrode, we know there is at least
10 ohms resistance in the fault path
that we created by grounding our
equipment
Fault Current Path

Therefore, using Ohms Law:
E = I x R
Transposed to: I = E / R
Where: I (current) = E (voltage) /
R (resistance)
And so, I = 120 / 10 = 12A
Fault Current Path
Only 12 Amps
Will 12 Amps trip our 15A circuit
breaker?
Absolutely not!
With Equipment
Grounded
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So the overcurrent device does not open

and we have fried our friend!
Conclusion
Grounding does not

protect equipment or
personnel from a
ground fault!
The Bonding
Connection
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The vital connection left out of our

discussion until now is the bonding of
metal equipment to the service neutral.
The Bonding
Connection
Every piece of conductive metal
which is a part of our system or

likely to become energized
Must be connected together by an
electrically continuous metal-tometal contact or by an equipment
grounding conductor
The Bonding
Connection
These connections create an electrically
continuous, low resistance path from

every part of our system back to the
service equipment
At the service, these connections
terminate on the neutral bus creating an:
Effective Ground Fault Current
Path
The Bonding
Connection
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These bonding connections let us use

the neutral as a return path for fault current.
The Bonding
Connection
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Bonding provides a third path for fault

current to return to the source of supply.
Fault Current Path

We need to open a 15A circuit breaker
as quickly as possible. This will require
a fault current of 60A to 75A (four to five
times the rating of the breaker)
We can use Ohms Law to find out how

much current will flow on our new path
Fault Current Path

The resistance in this path includes
100 - #2 AL OH Distribution .032

25 - #4 AL Service Drop
.013
25 - #2 CU Service Entrance
.005
100 - #14 CU Branch Circuit
.307
Resistance to the point of fault
.357 ohms
The Bonding
Connection
.357 ohms
.3 ohms
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The resistance from the point of fault through our

metal equipment back to the neutral is assumed to
be the same as the branch circuit wiring and 100
of #14 cu has a resistance of .3 ohms.
The Bonding
Connection
.357 ohms
.57 ohms
.3 ohms
The total resistance in this path

created by bonding is .714 ohms.
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Fault Current Path

Therefore, using Ohms Law:
E = I x R
Transposed to: I = E / R
Where: I (current) = E (voltage) /
R (resistance)
And so, I = 120 / .714 = 168A
The Bonding
Connection
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The effective ground fault current path

allows 168A of fault current to flow and
forces the overcurrent device to open.
The Bonding
Connection
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This path does not rely on grounding and

works even if our system is not grounded.
Conclusion
The overcurrent device protects against
ground fault conditions provided
that
Our circuits have been installed so that
all conductive metals are bonded
together and to the service neutral
In Review
Grounding is a connection to
earth intended to protect our
electrical system from lightning
and high voltage
In Review
The overcurrent device

protects our electrical system
from overload and short circuit
In Review
The overcurrent device

protects our electrical system
from a ground fault condition
if ..
In Review
Proper bonding
Has created a permanent, electrically
continuous and low impedance path
Which allows fault current to return to

the neutral at the service
Wiring Methods Are

Critical
Clearly, an effective ground-fault current
path must be created throughout our
wiring system
This is accomplished through the

proper installation of a listed wiring
method
Wiring Methods Are

Critical
The safety of our electrical system
relies on
The wiring method selected, and
Its proper installation
Wiring Methods Are

Critical
A wiring method that has been
specifically designed as an equipment
grounding conductor, and
Engineered to assure a low impedance
fault current path, is
Clearly the best choice for a safe
electrical installation

Bonding, Grounding and The NEC

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Bonding, Grounding and The NEC

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Bonding, Grounding

and the NEC

Presented by The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors

The New Code

The New Code

The New Code

The New Code

The New Code

The New Code

electrical equipment seems to be

The New Code

100 of Overhead Distribution

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

From the transformer to our

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

Through the overcurrent device to

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

Through the load returning to

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

And back to the transformer.

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

What determines the amount of

Path of Current Flow Normal Operation

The total resistance or impedance in the

Things You Can Count

Overload and Short

How is our circuit protected against

Overload and Short

The overcurrent device protects this

Ground Fault Condition

Ground Fault Condition

What happens if the hot conductor

Ground Fault Condition

And our friend comes along and

Ground Fault Condition

No not at all and why not?

Ground Fault Condition

Because the transformer were looking

Ground Fault Condition

Yes, that was a trick question

Things You Can Count

Ground Fault Condition

So our friend in this situation is

Ground Fault Condition

What do we know about utility

Ground Fault Condition

Theyre grounded and, with this

Ground Fault Condition

Because utility transformers are grounded, we

Ground Fault Condition

Can we protect our friend by grounding

Ground Fault Condition

Grounding our equipment provides a

Ground Fault Condition

The first path is through our friend to

Ground Fault Condition

The new second path is through our metal

Fault Current Path

We can use Ohms Law to find out how

Ground Fault Condition

The voltage is 120V. We need to know the

Fault Current Path

Fault Current Path