National Electrical Code Top Ten Tips: Article 250, Grounding

Please note, we do quote from copyrighted material. While the NFPA does allow such quotes, it does so only for the purposes of education regarding the National Electrical Code. This article is not a substitute for the NEC.

These are the 10 NEC Article 250 items we deem most important, based on the pervasiveness of confusion and the potential costs of same.

1. NEC Article 250.1 helps you overcome a very common problem. Most folks are so overwhelmed by NEC Article 250 that they immediately get lost when confronted with it. However, it’s divided into 6 logical groupings of information and NEC Article 250.1 tells you what those are.
   
   
2. NEC Article 250.2 clarifies things by defining "Effective round-fault current path," Ground fault," and "Ground-fault current path." These definitions, if understood, are not enough for proper application of grounding. You also need to understand the grounding-related definitions in NEC Article 100. Those are bonding (and variations) and grounding (and variations).
   
   
3. NEC Article 250.3. Another source of panic and confusion when dealing with NEC Article 250 is that many other NEC Articles apply. The discussions on this issue during the NEC 2002 revision process was on how to address the concern that the NEC is "too complicated" (as if electricity is simple?) and "all of the related information should be in one place (which would be fine if every application were identical). NEC Table 250.3 handles this issue quite nicely, by providing an substantial cross-reference.
   
   
4. NEC Article 250.4. This details the general requirements for grounding and bonding. It begins by distinguishing between, and giving requirements for, five categories of grounding: Electrical system grounding, Grounding of electrical equipment, Bonding of electrical equipment, Bonding of electrically conductive materials and other equipment, and Effective ground-fault current path. It also identifies and gives requirements for four categories of ungrounded systems. Figure 250.4 is a great visual for seeing which Parts of NEC Article 250 apply to various aspects of grounding.
   
   
5. NEC Article 250.6 addresses another fundamental concept of grounding. That is, the prevention of "objectionable current flow over the grounding conductors or grounding paths."
   
   
6. NEC Article 250.24(A) says, "A premises wiring system supplied by a grounded ac service shall have a grounding electrode conductor connected to the grounded service conductor, at each service…." Electrons are always trying to get back to the source. The rest of NEC Article 250.24 details requirements for doing this for different applications.
   
   
7. NEC Article 250.28. You need a main bonding jumper. "For a grounded system, an unspliced main bonding jumper shall be used to connect the equipment grounding conductor(s) and the service-disconnect enclosure to the grounded conductor of the system within the enclosure for each service disconnect. There are two exceptions to this, but in no case can you use the earth as your bonding jumper—its resistance is simply too many orders of magnitude too high.
   
   
8. NEC Article 250.34 discusses portable and vehicle-mounted generators. A good reference for understanding why these would differ from stationary systems is IEEE-142.
   
   
9. NEC Article 250.52 gives the requirements for grounding electrodes. This is a more complex topic than most people think. IEEE-142 gives a thorough theoretical treatise of it. The NEC just gives the minimal requirements for safety.
   
   
10. NEC Article 250.58 instructs us to use "the same electrode for grounding conductor enclosures and equipment in or on that same building." The concept of "separate ground" is nonsense. Two good sources for more information on this are Soares Book on Grounding and IEEE-142.

We could easily address 10 more "top tips" for Article 250. For example, Section V on Bonding has plenty of good information. However, the purpose of this article is to cover fundamentals in a quick and easy-to-read manner.

To gain a solid understanding of NEC Article 250, you need to set aside a specific amount of time each week—maybe two 90-minute study sessions each night, or maybe a half hour at lunch each day—and tackle one Section at a time. Supplement that by reading Soares Book on Grounding and IEEE-142.