..@... wrote:
On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:51:04 -0700, John Ross
wrote:


.@... wrote:
On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 05:17:10 -0700, John Ross
wrote:

I had an electrician over and asked about grounding an outlet (early
'60s house with grounded wire only to baths and kitchen).

This was an outside wall with a water pipe faucet near. He said he
could just poke a hole through the wall and run the ground wire to the
pipe and attach it there. So he does this and I end up with a green
ground wire coming out of the wall about a foot up. He then said he
could just have it go straight down to the ground and then over to the
pipe, which is about 6 feet away. I was surprised when he offered to
just make a very shallow impression in the dirt and then just cover
directly with dirt. So basically it is just put on the ground with a
little dirt thrown on it. I did ask if this was code and he said
"sure" (just so you know, he is licensed and has been around for
years).

Well now I don't feel so comfortable with this. Is it ok to have a
wire like that in/on dirt with no hard weatherproof casing? Is this
considered normal practice for a ground wire?

Interested in opinions on this and what problem(s), if any, would you
be concerned about. Note: to be clear, this is not bare copper, it
does have the green sleeve.
That's not an electrician, it's a nutcase.
DONT PAY THE ****ER.
Tell him if he wants to be paid to come and do it right.
If he refuses, and if you already paid him, call your local building
inspector and show them the job and your receipt from this asshole.
His license will be revoked.
Again, I want to be clear and point out that the wire DOES end up on a
clamp on a water pipe (I didn't mean to suggest he was grounding it by
just putting the wire in the dirt). Did you understand that or are you
saying the laying the ground wire on the dirt would "get his license
revoked?"

It has to be grounded to the grounding bond IN THE MAIN PANEL. The
pipe may or may not be a "usable" ground. If it connects to plastic
pipe or has a dialectric union, you have no ground. If this is a gas
pipe, this is even worse. Either way, this is NOT legal according to
the code. His license should be revoked for violating the code. No
other reasons are needed. I am not an electrician, but even "I" know
more than the asshole that claims to be your electrician. How do you
know he is even a licensed electrician? Did you see his license? If
he really has one, it should be revoked.

It's not even legal to run a green wire alongside of a non-grounded
romex to the breaker box grounding bond. However, that is at least
safe and to be honest, I think it should be legal. But the code is
the code and you got an "electrician" who is an idiot. Sounds to me
like he's be better working as a garbage man or paperboy.


You are wrong on just about every point.

Bob