grounding and bonding trade terms

Grounding electrode

A conducting object through which a direct connection to earth is established.

Grounding conductor

A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode or electrodes.

Grounding electrode conductor (GEC)

A conductor used to connect the system grounded conductor or the equipment to a grounding electrode or to a point on the grounding electrode system.

Grounding clip

A listed spring clip used to secure a bonding conductor to an outlet box.

Ground rod

A metal rod or pipe used as a grounding electrode.

Separately derived system

A premises wiring system whose power is derived from a source of electric energy or equipment other than a service. Such systems have no direct electrical connection, including a solidly connected ground circuit conductor, to supply conductors originating in another system.

Grounded conductor

A system or circuit conductor that is intentionally grounded.

Supplemental electrode

An additional electrode (commonly a driven rod or pipe) required where the primary electrode is an underground metal water pipe in direct contact with the earth.

Effective ground fault path

An intentionally constructed, permanent, low-impedance electrically conductive path designed and intended to carry current under ground-fault conditions from the point of a ground fault on a wiring system to the electrical supply source and that facilitates the operation of the overcurrent protective device or ground-fault detectors on a high-impedance grounded system.

Short circuit

An often unintended low-resistance path through which current flows around, rather than through, a component or circuit.

Ungrounded conductors

Conductors in an electrical system that are not intentionally grounded

Bonding

Connected to establish electrical continuity and conductivity

Grounded

Connected to ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.

Grounding connections

Connections used to establish a ground; they consist of a grounding conductor, a grounding electrode, and the earth surrounding the electrode.

Ground current

Current in the earth or grounding connection.

System grounding

Intentional connection of one of the circuit conductors of an electrical system to ground potential.

Auxiliary electrodes

Metallic electrodes pushed or driven into the earth to provide electrical contact for the purpose of performing measurements on grounding electrodes or ground grid systems.

Resistivity

Resistance between opposite faces of a unit cube. Expressed in ohm-centimeters or ohms per cubic centimeter

Ground mats

System of bare conductors, on or below the surface of the earth, connected to a ground or ground grid to provide protection from dangerous touch voltage.

Ground grids

System of grounding electrodes interconnected by bare cables buried in the earth to provide lower resistance than a single grounding electrode.

Equipment grounding conductor (EGC)

The conductive path(s) that provide a ground-fault current path and connect normally noncurrent-carrying metal parts of equipment together and to the system grounded conductor, or to the grounding electrode conductor, or both.

Neutral conductor

The conductor connected to the neutral point of a system that is intended to carry current under normal conditions.

Main bonding jumper

The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment grounding conductor at the service.

Equipment bonding jumper

The connection between two or more portions of the equipment grounding conductor

Ground

The earth or a conducting connection to the earth.

Ground resistance

The ohmic resistance between a grounding electrode and a remote or reference grounding electrode that are spaced such that their mutual resistance is essentially zero.

Touch voltage

The potential difference between a grounded metallic structure and a point on the earth's surface equal to the normal maximum horizontal reach—approximately 3' (1 m).

Step voltage

The potential difference between two points on the earth's surface separated by a distance of one pace, or about 3' (1 m).