3 ms·

I have been studying Grounding vs Bonding these past few weeks, great timing to see this HN discussion. Some training videos for pro electricians and US Nation

I have been studying Grounding vs Bonding these past few weeks, great timing to see this HN discussion. Some training videos for pro electricians and US National Electric Code compliance helped me. https://youtu.be/qNZC782SzAQ https://youtu.be/qNZC782SzAQ Basically, bond everything together if it can carry a charge. Ground that bond at only one place in an electrical service. More than one "ground" sets up a situation where a potential difference can develop between the various "grounds". Ground Fault detection may no longer work in that case. Which is not good. (The presentation is weirdly sexist in offhand comments, which I often encounter in trade work of this kind, but I do believe that's changing. Slowly. The USA needs more people who know how to build things.)

simonebrunozzi 7y ago
> The USA needs more people who know how to build things. USA? The WORLD needs more people who know how to build things.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
mindslight 7y ago
Watching this video (myth #3) brings up a bit of a semantic peeve. And that peeve begins with how the NEC narrowly defines the term "grounding" as only applying to the electrical system itself. Then electricians apply that narrow definition to every use of the term, acting like someone is wrong because they say they're "grounding" something by hooking up it up to an EGC. But don't worry, they'll teach you this special term "bonding" that refers to the latter. Except it doesn't. I already used a synonym of "bonding" - "hooking up". You "bond" the black wire to the gold terminal on a receptacle by tightening the screw. > Basically, bond everything together if it can carry a charge It is perfectly fine to say that you are grounding those things together. Connecting something to an EGC is indeed "grounding it" - just not in NEC land which is focused on getting the EGC grounded. If you say "this washing machine needs to be better grounded", that doesn't mean it needs an immediate connection to earth, but is rather talking about its path to earth via the building's electrical system.
devwastaken 7y ago
I thought multiple ground rods are code in many u.s. places.

simonebrunozzi 7y ago

> The USA needs more people who know how to build things. USA? The WORLD needs more people who know how to build things.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

mindslight 7y ago

Watching this video (myth #3) brings up a bit of a semantic peeve. And that peeve begins with how the NEC narrowly defines the term "grounding" as only applying to the electrical system itself. Then electricians apply that narrow definition to every use of the term, acting like someone is wrong because they say they're "grounding" something by hooking up it up to an EGC. But don't worry, they'll teach you this special term "bonding" that refers to the latter. Except it doesn't. I already used a synonym of "bonding" - "hooking up". You "bond" the black wire to the gold terminal on a receptacle by tightening the screw. > Basically, bond everything together if it can carry a charge It is perfectly fine to say that you are grounding those things together. Connecting something to an EGC is indeed "grounding it" - just not in NEC land which is focused on getting the EGC grounded. If you say "this washing machine needs to be better grounded", that doesn't mean it needs an immediate connection to earth, but is rather talking about its path to earth via the building's electrical system.

devwastaken 7y ago

I thought multiple ground rods are code in many u.s. places.