Before I start on the project, I wanted to share this.
So I finally go a photo of one of the Widows that have been invading my trenches. She not very big, just a yearling, barely out of her spots and into her black coat.
Anyway, I finally picked up the right length of 1/0 stranded bare copper wire/cable. The first piece was about 4 or 5 feet short and by code you cannot splice a ground, especially coming off of your main service panel.
The most difficult part of running the bare 1/0 was getting it to thread into the next run of 6 foot conduit that linked the two ground rods together. Because of the ground rod clamps there was some vertical variation. Getting the cable to bend that way was tough.
But it all worked out very nicely in the end. Now the panel is safe and code compliant!
Then I woke up one morning and I heard and felt “DUN DUN DUN!” Jack Frost had arrived! And all I could think was, “O man, I still have so much work to do!”
Thanks again for your interest!
More to Follow…
Nate
-- "With a little bit of faith, and some imagination, you can build anything!" Nate
12 comments so far
lew
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12019 posts in 3725 days
#1 posted 12-15-2013 02:53 PM
Old Jack must have been heading west from here. Yesterday we received about 4” of snow and ice.
The circuits are looking good!!
-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the Universe's finest custom rolling pins.
patron
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13600 posts in 3311 days
#2 posted 12-15-2013 03:14 PM
a serious big step
enjoy the holidays now
and your family
blessings
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
DeLayne Peck
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533 posts in 2171 days
#3 posted 12-15-2013 04:03 PM
My God, Nate, amazing work. Looks like you could run a small town through there. And I feel proud when I rewire an antique lamp?
Thank you for all the kind words.
Wishing you the very best of Christmas and the New Year,
DeLayne
-- DJ Peck, Lincoln Nebraska. Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
grizzman
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7836 posts in 3273 days
#4 posted 12-15-2013 05:04 PM
so im waiting for the part like on christmas vacation where the power plant goes on overtime, horns are blasting, lights are flashing…and there stands nate, with a thousand plugs all in the right place and no lights…now you have to hunt down the bad connection…lol….maybe the spider got it…
-- GRIZZMAN ...[''''']
Grandpa
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3259 posts in 2645 days
#5 posted 12-15-2013 07:17 PM
Frost?? Looks like snow to me….LOL Wiring is coming along. Looking good. Time to get rid of the spiders and maybe put down something to keep them away.
lanwater
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3111 posts in 2904 days
#6 posted 12-16-2013 12:02 AM
Great work Nate. The Panels are looking great.
-- Abbas, Castro Valley, CA
grizzman
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7836 posts in 3273 days
#7 posted 12-16-2013 12:16 AM
nate, i sure want to mention that i hope your dear wife continues to get better each day, is it just a matter of time or is there still a problem she is fighting, i hope not, i know your doing your best to take care of her, when will you be done with this electrical project, it sure seems like it has taken a long time, doing something that is so large of a project and doing it by yourself can be very daunting, i hope its over soon…if you need to take some woodworking classes to retrain yourself, let us know, im sure there are many of us who would take you in and get those skills back into your head…lol…take care brother…
-- GRIZZMAN ...[''''']
gfadvm
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14940 posts in 2660 days
#8 posted 12-16-2013 01:25 AM
Nate, When your wiring job is complete, I fully expect a “brown out” in the entire Western US when you turn your power on!
Carry on.
-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm
stefang
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15881 posts in 3304 days
#9 posted 12-16-2013 10:27 AM
Wow, serious wiring Nate! Good work.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
justoneofme
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639 posts in 2450 days
#10 posted 12-16-2013 04:00 PM
That’s weird, because in my last comment to you, I was wondering how much longer the good weather would hold out! That is some serious frost!!
-- Elaine in Duncan
dschlic1
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421 posts in 1939 days
#11 posted 12-16-2013 06:24 PM
Why are you placing the grounding grid in conduit? Does your local authority require it?
Nate Meadows
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1132 posts in 2176 days
#12 posted 12-17-2013 02:23 PM
Lew, Man are you quick with the key board or what! 4 inches, that would really set me back.
David, thank you, and you as well!
Delayne, Thank you very much for your kindness! Never compare, we all unique. Besides, anyone could do this project. It really is just “grunt” work. Ok, their is some figuring out where everything goes, but once that is good, its all grunt work.:) Have a Merry Christmas!
Grizz, Shh, don’t jinx it! :) I have work way to hard for that!:) As for the power company. Are you kidding, they love me!:) No, really I have no intention of turning everything on at once. That would be over 860Amps. It would blow every circuit and fry all my wire!
Grandpa, ok you got me. It is snow. That night it snowed a little. But that’s what I was meaning. Isn’t Jack Frost in charge of bringing snow? Looks like I need to chose my words more carefully!:). No the spiders don’t bother me to much, in fact I am rather fascinated by them.
Ian, Thank you very much.
Grizz, The surgery Theresa had was a 50/50 chance that it would solve the problem. We see the surgeon next week again so we will know more. As for the electrical, I have not time set, life keeps getting in the way. I roll with the punches. But yes I am itching to get back in the shop! And don’t think I have forgot how to do it just cause I have a brain injury…thats unkind! :) Just Kidding (I know what you meant!) I would love to visit!
gfadvm, O no, they are preparing for me. They come out regularly to check the progress.
Stefang, Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Elaine, Again, I am guilty of misleading, though not intentionally. That night it snowed a little. I always thought JF was the guy to make that happen. :)
dschlic, Yes Sir, the grounding conductor has to be in conduit as per the local code, though I do not think it is just local. It is in the new National Electrical Code Book. Thank you for reading.
Thank you everyone for your long suffering and your support! You are all the greatest of friends!
Nate
-- "With a little bit of faith, and some imagination, you can build anything!" Nate
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