Moving House ground...

[mrcaptainbob]

While doing some kitchen repairs...new cabinets, some revised plumbing....I ran across this situation:
The water meter is located under the new cabinet but DIRECTLY where the new cabinet wall will be. There is a ground strap from one side of the meter to the other. What I would like to do is to merely swing the meter 180* to be directly under the cabinet making it accessible and easier to see/read. I will not be disconnecting the meter in any way. My issue is the house ground. I need to separate the plumbing from the meter on the house side. I FINALLY found what I believe to be the house ground. It was fed up from the crawl space through the wall and clamped to the cold water stub as it passes from the wall. In fact that wire is actually coming out of the same hole the stub pipe is. (Wierd, yes...) I would like to pull that ground back to the crawl space, and secure it to a more accessible pipe. So, should the house power (main) be switched off and then I can safely resecure it? Using ground rods is preffered, but I don't think I can manage that in the crawl space. Any suggestions?

[HayZee518]

that ground wire around the meter just bonds your house system to earth through the buried pipe going to the street cock. you can bond the ground wire after the meter to any convenient cold water pipe you wish. it was placed there when the entrance was put in as a visual sign that the electrical system was [is] bonded to the piping system.
if you do move it use the same type and size of cable. 200 amp service needs a #4 bare stranded copper wire.

[mrcaptainbob]

Ground wire...

Okay. That sounds good, HayZee. I plan to use the existing wire and simply move it from the pipe it's on to where the water supply from the city is. And that's located coming from the ground.... It is long enough and I won't have to re-thread wire through walls and such. It will also be easily seen for any future inspections. Since you did not comment on my concern I presume it is a good approach. That being to shut the mains before disconnecting that ground and moving to 'better' location.
Again HayZee, thanks not only for your response, but for the speed too. WIth this job it does help the cause!!

[HayZee518]

IF there are any ground return paths, disconnecting the main would be helpful. Just for ha - has, if you want to prove the ground and if there is anything on it, place a 6 amp fuse in series with the wire to ground. IF there is any leakage it will blow the 6 amp fuse. Don't worry about it. Just shut off the main and connect it as you had planned.

[mrcaptainbob]

Ground path......

Hi, HayZee. The deed is done. Thanks so much....