Concrete Encased Electrodes (Ufer Grounds) Washington State.
As a home inspector and instructor I always think it is good to know what is the normal for installation in a given area. Armed with this information you can help your clients with the best information possible on their purchase.
This is where a little code knowledge can help you make an assessment on a particular installation.
Here is an example. By knowing some of the code requirements I was able to help my client collect some very valuable information.
I was inspecting a 2014 build home for a client. I noticed that the builder/electrician had installed ground rods as the grounding electrode system.
Not an issue correct?
Well it may be. In Washington State it was required to use Concrete Encased Electrode (UFER Ground) for any new construction post 3/1/2013. Now you could say maybe the permit was issued prior to the requirement?
But in this case I started digging and found a permit card that actually called for CCE. The actual permit language was- “Provide test wire for ufer ground”
Yet we did have ground rods and I could not find anywhere an access for the UFER/CEE connection.
From Washington State on CEE’s-
New Requirement for Concrete Encased Electrodes (Ufer Grounds)
Beginning March 1 (2013), in accordance with WAC 296-46B-250(2), except for mobile/manufactured homes, a concrete encased grounding electrode must be installed and used at each new building or structure that is built upon a permanent concrete foundation. If the concrete encased grounding electrode is not available for connections, a ground ring must be installed per NEC 250. The concrete encased electrode must comply with NEC 250.52(A)(3).
Inspection of the electrode may be accomplished by the following methods:
a) At the time of inspection of other work on the project, providing the concrete encased electrode is accessible for a visual inspection;
b) At the time of the service inspection providing the installer has provided a method so the inspector can verify the continuity of the electrode conductor along its entire length (e.g. attaching a length of copper wire to one end of the electrode that reaches the location of the grounding electrode conductor that will enable the inspector to measure the resistance with a standard resistance tester). The concrete encased electrode does not have to be accessible for a visual inspection; or
c) Other method when prior approval, on a job site basis, is given by the inspector. If a special inspection trip is required to inspect a grounding electrode conductor, a trip fee will be charged for that inspection in addition to the normal permit fee.
WAC 296-46B-250
Wiring and protection—Grounding and bonding.
052 Grounding electrodes.
(2) Except for mobile/manufactured homes, a concrete encased grounding electrode must be installed and used at each new building or structure that is built upon a permanent concrete foundation. The electrode must comply, with NEC 250.52 (A)(3). Inspection of the electrode may be accomplished by the following methods:
(a) At the time of inspection of other work on the project, providing the concrete encased electrode is accessible for a visual inspection;
(b) At the time of the service inspection providing the installer has provided a method so the inspector can verify the continuity of the electrode conductor along its entire length, with a minimum 20 foot linear span between testing points (e.g., attaching a length of copper wire to one end of the electrode that reaches the location of the grounding electrode conductor that will enable the inspector to measure the resistance with a standard resistance tester). The concrete encased electrode does not have to be accessible for a visual inspection; or
(c) Other method when prior approval, on a job site basis, is given by the inspector.
If a special inspection trip is required to inspect a grounding electrode conductor, a trip fee will be charged for that inspection in addition to the normal permit fee.
Exception:
If the concrete encased grounding electrode is not available for connection, a ground ring must be installed per NEC 250 or other grounding electrode installed per NEC 250 verified to measure 25 ohms or less to ground. Resistance verification testing must be performed by an independent firm having qualified personnel and proper equipment. A copy of the testing procedures used and a written resistance test record signed by the person performing the test must be available at the time of inspection. The resistance test record must include test details including, but not limited to, the type of test equipment used, the last calibration date of the test equipment, and all measurements
A little information on the UFER grounds from the 2001 IAEI News-
Concrete-encased Electrodes and the Grounding Electrode System
“Herbert G. Ufer, in an IEEE Conference Paper, CP-61-978, describes an installation of made ground electrodes on twenty-four buildings in 1942, in Arizona, to meet a 5-ohm maximum value. The resistance values were checked bimonthly over an 18-year period, during which time no servicing was required.
“In 1960, the maximum reading was 4.8 ohms and the minimum, 2.1 ohms. The average value of the twenty-four installations was 3.57 ohms.
“The installations used 1/2-inch steel reinforcing rods set in a concrete footing. There were at two locations in Arizona. The first was near Tucson, Arizona, which is normally hot and dry during most of the year and has an average annual rainfall of 10.91 inches. The soil is sand and gravel. The second location was near Flagstaff, Arizona, where the soil is clay, shale gumbo and loam with small area stratas of soft limestone. The made electrodes were used as no water piping system was available.
“As a result of these installations and the 18-year test period, Mr. Ufer suggested that a No. 4 or larger copper wire be embedded in the concrete footing of a building and that test data be compiled further to verify the effectiveness. Based on this data, CMP-5 accepted a concrete-encased electrode commonly referred to as a “Ufer Ground.” The concrete-encased electrode shall consist of at least 20 feet of bare copper not smaller than No. 4 AWG encased in 2 inches of concrete near the bottom of the footing or foundation.”
This leads us to our next question. Why does this situation exist?
As it turns out the home being inspected never received its final inspection or Certificate of Occupancy(CO) from L&I or the local AHJ.
( Article on Sniffing out the CO- Building permits and more.)
This can be a very big deal if you are the new owner and you want to do some remodeling or an addition. This may create an obstacle for future plans. And, should you have to be the one that absorbs the potential hurdles that may be needed to come into compliance?
In addition to this, when you go to sell the home will the next buyer figure this out and will want this all corrected prior to purchase?
I always recommend every home buyer do a permit search on the home they are potential purchasing. This may provide some valuable information to you as the new owner.
Armed with this information for my inspection I was able to find several other issues pertaining to the construction that was not up to the code for the time of build.
This is why I always recommend having an inspection performed on new construction. If an inspection would have been performed it is most likely these issues would have been found and the first owners could have had the builder correct them prior to purchase.
Now the waters are all muddied since the home has been bought and sold several times.
If you find any errors or have additional information that would expand on any code, building standards or manufacturer requirements please let me know.
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Coordinator & Instructor- Fundamentals of Home Inspection- Bellingham Technical College
Former WA Home Inspector Advisory Licensing Board
www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572
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