Grounding in condos

Hi
I was wondering if someone could help me? I live in condo unit. I know a little about electrical things. I was looking in my panel and I could not locate my ground wire. I do have a main shut off my service is 100 amps I have 8 circiuts. Is my panel being used as a subpanel and grounded by the conduit?

Thanks Bill

Bill,

Post an image of your panel, and we can help you locate your ground cable…

I do not have a digital camera.

Ok…Lets start by following your cables that enter the panel. There should be three.

You stated that you see a main breaker. Two of the cables (that enter the panel) are tapped into the main breaker.

Where does the third cable go?

Neutral bar

There’s your ground…

thanks i just always thought you should have a ground going from the neutral bar to a water pipe or a grounding rod

There should be… at the other end of your service entry.

That would be by the meter right

The meter outside may have a cable (conduit protected) attached to a buried ground rod.

The ground cable you are referring to should be on the inside wall behind your meter.

If you are in a condo unit, there should be a room there with meters for every dwelling in the building.

ok thanks for all your help very much appreciated

That’s where you’ll find your grounding cable.

I believe this info is wrong. There should be 4 wires coming to the sub panel in a condo from the main. 2 hot, 1 neutral, 1 ground. The ground and neutral bus should be isolated at the sub panel so a ground wire is needed to connect the sub panel grounds to the main panel.

It’s wrong now, It wasn’t wrong then. Codes are not retroactive.

I’ll bet the OP has moved since and doesn’t really care anymore.

It helps inspectors coming across this info via google like I did, to see updates on modern code and make the right call today.

Looking for condo building ground requirements or law. Entire building had power surge destroying appliances, phones, cable, TVs etc. Black smoke on wall from electric sockets! Very serious.

No one can say if building is grounded in ADDITION to individual meters, and individual unit electrical panels.

When I say NO ONE I mean VRFA (fire authirity) AUBURN WA FIRE MARSHAL, WA STATE LNI King County Building Elec Engineer Inspections, Auburn City Government etc.

PSE ENGINEER told me that building needed to be grounded in addition to PSE replacing underground lines (stray voltage).

Anyone know who is responsible after initial inspection (1950’s), after EMERGENCY PSE (power co) work done?

Someone should hire a licensed electrician to ensure that the building is properly grounded.

It would help if correct terminology were used too. People calling conductors cables doesn’t help.

I don’t know why some think determining if a panel is grounded is so hard.