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 …
 Path of Current Flow -
Normal Operation

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Through the overcurrent device to

our load …
 Path of Current Flow -
Normal Operation

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Through the load returning to

the service …
 Path of Current Flow -
Normal Operation

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And back to the transformer.

 Path of Current Flow -
Normal Operation

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What determines the amount of current

that will flow in this circuit?
 Path of Current Flow -
Normal Operation

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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 …
• Ohm’s 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 let’s 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
 Ground Fault Condition

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What happens if the hot conductor

comes into contact with our metal box?
 Ground Fault Condition

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And our friend comes along and

touches it?
Is he in jeopardy?
jeopardy
 Ground Fault Condition

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No … not at all … and why not?

 Ground Fault Condition

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Because the transformer we’re looking

at is not grounded so there is no
path through the earth for current to
return to the transformer.
 Ground Fault Condition

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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
 Ground Fault Condition

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So our friend in this situation is

perfectly safe … however …
 Ground Fault Condition

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What do we know about utility

company transformers?
 Ground Fault Condition

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They’re grounded … and, with this

transformer grounded, our friend is in
serious jeopardy.
 Ground Fault Condition

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Because utility transformers are grounded, we

need to do something to our equipment to keep
our friend from being electrocuted.
 Ground Fault Condition

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Can we protect our friend by grounding

our metal equipment? Let’s take a look.
 Ground Fault Condition

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Grounding our equipment provides a

second path for fault current.
 Ground Fault Condition

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The first path is through our friend to

earth and back to the transformer.
 Ground Fault Condition

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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 Ohm’s Law to find out how

much current will flow on our new path
 Ground Fault Condition

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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 Ohm’s 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-to-
metal 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 Ohm’s 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

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.3 ohms

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
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.3 ohms

The total resistance in this path

created by bonding is .714 ohms.
 Fault Current Path
• Therefore, using Ohm’s 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
 Grounding Components
• Grounding Conductors
• Connectors.
• Grounding Electrodes
 Grounding Components
Grounding systems.
 Grounding Types
Grounding systems.

1. Ungrounded
2. Solidly grounded
3. High-resistance grounding

Ungrounded. Electrical power systems that are operated with no intentional

connection to earth ground are described as ungrounded.
The main advantage of this type of grounding system is that it offers a low
value of current flow and reliability during a fault.
One major disadvantage to an ungrounded system is in the difficulty in
locating a line-to-ground fault. Finding the fault is a time consuming process.
 Grounding Components
2. Solidly grounded. This type of grounding system is most
commonly used in industrial and commercial power systems,
where grounding conductors are connected to earth ground with
no intentional added impedance in the circuit. A solidly grounded
system has high values of current ranging between 10kA and
20kA. This current flows through grounding wires, building steel,
conduit, and water pipes, which can cause major damage to
equipment and shut down production processes.
Advantages: Good control of transient over voltage from neutral to
ground. Allows user to easily locate faults. Can supply line-
neutral loads.
Disadvantages: Poses severe arc flash hazards, Requires the
purchase and installation of an expensive main breaker.
Potential for severe equipment damage during a fault. High
values of fault current.
 Grounding Components
3. High-resistance grounding: High-resistance grounding (HRG)
systems are commonly used in plants and mills where
continued operation of processes is paramount in the event of a
fault. High-resistance grounding is normally accomplished by
connecting the high side of a single-phase distribution
transformer between the system neutral and ground, and
connecting a resistor across the low-voltage secondary to
provide the desired lower value of high side ground current.
Advantages: Limits the ground fault current to a low level. Reduces
electric shock hazards. Controls transient over voltages.
Reduces the mechanical stresses in circuits and equipment.
Disadvantages: High frequencies can appear as nuisance alarms.
Ground fault may be left on system for an extended period of
time. Grounding of an electrical system is a decision many of us
face on a daily basis.