DIYbanter - View Single Post - Electrical

dpb

On 8/3/2012 4:13 AM, wrote:
Electrical - Is this legal to code?

....

... I realized there is no ground on that one cable. ...

Anyhow, this is what I plan to do. Both cables are on a separate
breaker at the source (garage). In the shed, I will ground the ground
wire to the box from the cable that has a ground. On the second cable
without the ground, I'll run a bare or green wire to the other circuit
that has the ground wire. This will just be a bare copper wire (or
green insulated) across the rafters to a box on the other circuit.

Electrically speaking, this is a completed ground, but I'm wondering if
an inspector would allow such a connection?

My other option, seems to be to run both cables into one box, near where
they enter the shed. That way, there is one ground wire to that box no
matter what. Then run my outlets and lights all to that box, but use
the hot and neutral wires as planned to have two circuits. This might
make more sense but will need more materials to do.

By the way, this will not be inspected. This is rural property and they
dont bother with small things like this. I'm only asking both for
resale value (at which time there could be an inspection), and just to
know how this would be viewed.
....

The answer to the question asked is 'No', it's not Code-compliant to
share the ground between two circuits. In fact, I'm not sure if you're
running a 240V circuit it's legal to run just 3-wire instead of 4 any
longer altho I guess by your second option you only have two 120V circuits.

It's electrically grounded, yes, and in your situation probably not
worth fooling with but if is inspected at some point it will likely be
noted as a deficiency at that point. Whether that's a big problem them
will depend on circumstances at that time, of course.

Had to put a 4-wire cable down the well last week after had to pull pump
owing to in having dropped 'cuz a coupling had been cross-threaded time
before and pipe broke. Fishing ruined the wire unavoidably so had to be
replaced. Now for some absolutely incoherent reason they say a 4-wire
cable is mandated by Code. So there's a fourth wire there w/ nothing to
attach to and no purpose if if there were--it's a 240V load w/ no
neutral current and an existing ground. The fourth wire is fully
redundant. I suggested simply running another 3-wire and just going on
but they apparently aren't even stocking it any longer and wasn't worth
another trip going to town for for the difference for what would cost
from outside supplier.

Just as an aside the small outbuildings here still have only 2-wire
service. The barn and elevator are 3 because they do have some sizable
loads, but never bothered (and never will) go to the trouble to add the
third wire. It's been since REA arrived in '48 and hasn't been a
problem yet; I don't see that it's going to be a problem tomorrow...

There's no question of selling until I'm out of the picture anyway, so
what happens then won't be my worry...we're also outside of direct
jurisdiction and out here folks buying farm property tend to not be too
worried over the trivia of inspections as are the in-town house-buyers.
If the well is good pretty much anything else is fixable.

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