Ground Wire Required?

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stansrs

Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Contractor
Hello all!

I inherited an interesting job and would like some feedback.

Currently, I have a customer-owned pole with a 200-amp meter main/service entrance that is feeding a 200-amp subpanel in a detached steel garage. The garage is about 10 feet away of the pole. The garage subpanel is feeding a mobile home with a 200-amp main-breaker load center about 60 feet away.

The pole, the garage, and the mobile all have their own grounding rods. And all the runs are underground in SCH 40 PVC and this is all new construction, all done by others.

The run between the garage and mobile is unfinished at the garage. It is just stubbed outside the garage directly behind the garage subpanel on the inside. The builder already pulled the wire and used three, 3/0 copper. They want me to finish the job and hook up to the sub in the garage thus feeding power to the mobile.

I usually use a direct-burial mobile-home-feeder cable that includes the ground for this type of job. My question is, do I need to add a ground wire to their 3-wire run? Thank you!
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Yep, you need four wire all the way from the meter main to the garage, then four wire from the garage to the MH. Ground rods only connect to the ground bar at the garage and the MH, neutral insulated at both. Ground rods at the meter can connect to the neutral bar there.
 

stansrs

Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Contractor
Yep, you need four wire all the way from the meter main to the garage, then four wire from the garage to the MH. Ground rods only connect to the ground bar at the garage and the MH, neutral insulated at both. Ground rods at the meter can connect to the neutral bar there.

I called an inspector from an adjacent county and he told me that it was not needed, said it was "overkill". If I remember right it was around 2008 when the NEC changed and it became a requirement. Thanks
 

stansrs

Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Contractor
The easiest from here would be 4 wire from MM, to Garage and then on to the mobile.

Doesn‘t sound like long distances. Pull it out, reduce the neutral enough to pull in the needed EG.

Simple, from here.
Agreed, I already did it! I wasn't happy without it but the builder was pitching a fit...lol what's new. Just wanted to be sure I wasn't wrong -thanks
 
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