Ground Fault Testing

Visual and Mechanical Inspection

Ground testing services from Vertiv™ are performed according to the Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Electronic Equipment (IEEE Emerald Book). These services determine if your data center’s grounding system is able to provide proper operating conditions for critical equipment and personnel safety. This is accomplished, in part, by inspection of the system’s physical and mechanical condition.

Inspection may uncover easy-to-resolve grounding issues. Our technicians also perform this inspection in compliance with Article 250 of the National Electrical Code (NEC), which covers general grounding and bonding requirements. Our knowledge of industry standards and expertise in electrical testing help you adhere to this complex, often misinterpreted article.

Connections Check

A data center’s grounding system may not do its job if there are loose connections. The first step in verifying a grounding system’s integrity is inspection of the main bonding connection to ensure electrical continuity of all metallic parts in the circuit.

Vertiv technicians will also verify the tightness of all bolted electrical connections that are accessible. This verification is performed via a calibrated torque-wrench method that is in accordance with manufacturer’s published data or NEC Table 100.12. Connections to system anchorage are also checked to ensure proper bonding and system stability.

Point-to-Point Testing

Vertiv performs point-to-point testing to determine the resistance between the main grounding system and all major electrical equipment frames, system neutral, and/or derived neutral points. Technicians follow IEEE testing methods such as the fall-of-potential method used for smaller systems that have a required earth resistance of greater than one ohm.

Comprehensive Report

Findings from the data center ground testing are summarized in a final report. This report also includes any recommendations for repair or infrastructure changes.