So how important is it?

XJsavage

XJsavage

CounterCulture
Joined
Aug 15, 2009
Location
Lyle's Ford SC
Back story: Had my power lines broke loose from the side of my house about two weeks ago from a fallen tree. It was snatched down with enough force to rip the house knob, weather head, meter base and all clean off of the house. Immediately had the power company come disconnect it and called a guy to come out and fix it. Power was back on by midday Saturday. The guy that came to rebuild the outside electrical did so for a very reasonable price but also did not notice or hook up the earth ground coming from down below to inside the box. Power company inspected it before they hooked up the triplex and got it live. It's been a week and a half and no issues. If I absolutely need to I can clip the tag, pull the meter and hook the ground in but is it worth getting heat from the power company? I know having the electrician to come back out wouldn't be cheap either.

What say you?
 
If I paid an electrician to do the work and he did not connect the ground I would be pissed and he would come back on his own dime. You do not want to risk the possibility of what problems this will cause and possibly burn your house down with you in it. Just my .02 but proper grounding and bonding is something to not worry about.
 
obullfish said:
Was there a permit pulled? If so the county or city's inspection dept would definitely hear about it.
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No permit. It was a favor from an old friend of a friend that does it on the side. Wasn't my first choice but because the amount of outages and the urgency, he was the first one available for days.

I'll be giving him a call.
 
XJsavage said:
but also did not notice or hook up the earth ground coming from down below to inside the box. Power company inspected it before they hooked up the triplex and got it live.
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So... the power company inspected it and also didn't notice there was no ground bonding? That seems pretty shady too.
I'd def. call the electrician back, but I'd also call the elec. company and tell them what happened. You have 2 guys that f%cked up.
 
I should also mention that the inspector was also the lineman that hooked up the primary power. He showed up and took a glance at it and said ok cool go flip your breakers now. :eek: I've never had to deal with this situation but thought it went oddly smooth.
 
rockcity said:
Exactly. And... I'm surprised the power company hooked power back up without proof of passed inspection.
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Depends. Pretty solidly in a gray area there as far as requiring a permit. Depends on the AHJ and the electrician.
 
Well the electrician is coming back to fix it. Hope everything goes well until then. Usually, with like anything else, I'll inspect myself but I did what I usually don't do and that's take a word for it. Actually two. :shaking:
 
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RatLabGuy said:
So... the power company inspected it and also didn't notice there was no ground bonding?
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Why would they? Their stuff is grounded at the transformer. The lineman is just reconnecting at the weatherhead.
 
Here's why you want a ground. And this is just a cable box that became energized at the pole and would have run into the house. Don't mind the commentary, I was trying to kill my friend as a joke!
 
Sounds like 2 of us got Lucky! I had my work truck snatch my low hanging wire, which was feed to me & my Neighbor, by a pole between our yards. Pole was rotten, & it fell. My line only pulled off the hanger. My neighbor has his box & meter ripped off. He told me later, the electrician came within a 1/4" of Not being able to tie back into the House wire. That would have meant opening up the wall, I guess. Duke agreed the pole was rotten, so waived the fees for the Pole & reconnecting. Company Ins., paid the neighbors bill. Later I got My line Raised WAY up! :shaking:
 
shawn said:
Why would they? Their stuff is grounded at the transformer. The lineman is just reconnecting at the weatherhead.
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Not always the case here in Durham... 6-7 (#1 copper) power pole ground wires will about buy a pack of smokes!:smokin:

Or a pint of mad dog 20/20 whichever...
 
Are you Duke or Mid Carolina or...?

Either way, given the circumstances a call to the Utility and I bet they will re seal that meter base for no fee.
 
Ron said:
Are you Duke or Mid Carolina or...?

Either way, given the circumstances a call to the Utility and I bet they will re seal that meter base for no fee.
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SCE&G unfortunately. And the phone conversation is in the works.
 
I had Duke red tag my meter base because I had the meter base bonded to my ground. Removed the bond to the meter base, County passed it, Duke set the meter.

Is your ground still connected to the breaker panel?
 
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