I am looking to see if my home has proper Bonding and Grounding. What are the specifications/ key points to look for when a Contractor does inspection or upgrade

Many Thanks

 

The bond is normally a screw or strap in the service panel.

Common grounding means are ground rods and metallic water lines in direct earth contact for 10' or more.

Why would you think you are not bonded or grounded?

 

Not sure as my home is old. Recently I changed the siding. Want to make sure the siding guys did not remove anything..

 

Was the service panel removed to do the siding?

 

No they were not. But I saw some loose wire outside (I thought that should not be loose, should be grounded. Not 100% sure)

 

The bonding is inside your service panel. Post a picture of the wire you saw. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...rt-images.html

 

You will need to identify various components in your electrical system and verify that they are connected together using certain relationships.

Bonded -- Having an essentially resistance free electrical connection between them in the sense that if A is bonded to B and B is bonded to C then A is bonded to C.

The network of neutrals is properly bonded to an "equipment grounding network" (the grounding electrode system together with the equipment grounding conductors in branch circuits) in only one place, where the first master disconnect switch (or breaker) for the whole house is. Usually the neutral-ground bonding is in the primary breaker panel. It may take the form of a screw holding the neutral terminal strip (bus bar) to the (metal) panel back, or sometimes just digging into the panel back. It might take the form of a wire or strap connected between the neutral bus bar and the panel back.

You should find a fat ground wire running from the neutral bus bar or other neutral connection point at the first main disconnect location running to a (current code usually requires two) ground rod(s) outside. You should find another (or the aforementioned, daisy chained) ground wire running to the cold water pipe (if metal) within 5' of where that pipe exits the house underground. The latter wire bonds the house electrical ground to the water pipe acting as a grounding electrode and incidentally also bonds the contiguous metal parts of the plumbing system to the electrical ground. From the neutral bus bar to the ground rod(s) and water pipe make up the grounding electrode system.

The neutral coming in from the meter, connected to the neutral bus bar, is all important. But all of the other parts I mentioned are still needed unless clearly electrically useless such as being attached to a plastic pipe..

The actual grounding is accomplished by metal in contact with the ground (dirt; soil; earth), namely the buried ground rods, water pipe, and certain other qualifying objects that for brevity's sake I won't name here.

A gas pipe does not qualify as a grounding electrode although one method of properly bonding the gas plumbing to the electrical ground is a fat ground wire that resembles the grounding electrode conductor to a water pipe.

 

Thank you again for helping me out. I have enclosed two pictures. The loose wire you see is coming from the Electric Meter/main box. While doing the siding the crew simply pulled it from the siding, I think. Sorry for the wrong photo orientation.

 

Looks like ground for the telephone. Does it actually go in to the meter can? Does it have gray insulation on it?

 

It is actually Black Color. See Picture enclosed. The Siding painters painted the wire, so looks beige.
I just checked, it is going in to the Meter Can box, but could not check if it is connected inside or simply passing through

 

It wouldn't just go through. That may be a ground wire. You need to call the siding company and have them send out an electrician to fix it. Be sure it is really an electrician they send out.

Please post a picture of where it enters the meter can.

 

Ray - Thanks. My First picture above shows where the wire enters the Meter Box. Do you want me to open up the box and take pictures and post?

 

NO, that would violate power company rules.

I can't see how it enters the box from the photo. Is there just a hole or what. Is there a fitting? If a hole how big?

Do you see a rod sticking out of the ground under the meter?