Quetion 1: Why are you doing this? Question 2: Is this something YOU should be doing? Answer to your question: The supplemental GEC can be bonded to the GEC, the grounded service entrance conductor, or any grounded service enclosure. Simple answer to your question: No.

I'm doing this because it is code to have a supplemental ground and I want the increased protection. I bought my current house last October (outside Chicago), and had an electrician swap out the old Wadsworth panel with a new 100A Square-D one.

I replaced all the galvanized pipe with copper, and at that time I rerouted the water line ground (then only a few feet away from the panel) and bonded it to pipe on the street side of the water meter.

I have an older meter (aluminum wires from the street, copper service entry to the panel) with no grounding lugs. Given this situation, is it wrong to run a supplemental ground from the neutral bus through conduit and out to a ground rod?

[This message has been edited by gtillotson (edited April 14, 2003).]

If you had an electrician replace that panel last year what leads you to believe they left out anything required by code?

Was it inspected at the time of the panel swap?

They will be no harm in supplemental grounds but having an untrained person running ground wires into a live main panel is cause for concern.

I understand that safety is a primary concern on this board, but I've rewired most of my house and am used to working in the panel.

Consider the following work (I have a Square-D panel with a big bonding bolt, which was screwed down tight when the panel was installed): I pound in a ground rod and run conduit from the panel out the back of the house and down to a copper strap with an acorn nut. I then shut off the main and run a 6G solid bare ground wire (for 100A service) from the acorn nut to the neutral bus. I turn the main back on.

If there are dangers here that I don't know about, let me know and I will back off. If, however, the connection process is similar to adding a new circuit, then I have the skill. I've overhauled the old wiring and distributed the load from 6 breakers to 14 over the past year.

[This message has been edited by gtillotson (edited April 15, 2003).]