[justplumducky]

There's a bare copper wire dropping down from the service panel I believe -- couldn't see it exactly, but see now reason for the same to be going any where else. This wire was parallel and close to the big gray pvc(?) conduit housing the wires coming in from the pole.

So I google briefly for "mobile home grounding" and learn grounding for the home could be done at the meter pedestal (power pedestal?... a grouping of several home's meters and disconnects below the meters) outside the home, and the wire I saw could be a "bonding" wire.
Where does this bonding wire connect in the panel, and and is it potentially dangerous for equipment and occupants without it connected to the frame under the home?

Gone googling again right now, thx for any help!

 

[Derek83]

That's the ground wire, to ground your service. It should run from your panel to a 8' long ground rod, pounded into the dirt, and attach that bare 6AWG wire using a ground rod clamp.
The reason you just see it dangling is because trailers get moved, and the wire just gets cut when they move it, and it has to be re-done once the trailer is in its new home. You cant splice it, it has to be a continuous run from the panel to the rod.

 

[justplumducky]

Did a little more research and the pic I posted wasn't for a mobile home, according to the article I was reading. The article mentioned that grounding could be done at the meter pedestal (grouping of meters and disconnects for more than one home), and bonding should be accomplished from the grounding terminal bus bar in the home's service panel to the frame under the home. Will have to go back & look again, but reasonably sure there was no grounding rod at this trailer near the panel. I know some in this park are grounded only via a metal water pipe coming from the ground, but in this case don't think so cause the water service line pipe coming into (supplying) the water meter under the home is gray pipe, probably polybutyl. It would have been soft copper originally, but no doubt replaced due to freeze damage (no/or non-functioning heat tape).

However, back to this particular home. I didn't yet go the main service disconnect ( meter grouping at the pedestal) and look for a grounding rod, but I did see a different pedestal (same park) where there was a bare copper wire (#8 or #6 maybe) dropping down into the ground from a couple of the disconnect boxes (if I remember correctly).

If this turns out to be a bonding wire, can it be spliced (you said the ground wire could not....)?

 

[dmxtothemax]

could be a "bonding" wire.

To be correct this wire is not "The bonding wire"
Electricians have to be quite specific
And have specific terms for specific things
This wire is your EARTH (or should be).
The "Bond" is inside your main panel.
it is where your neutral and ground connect together.

:glasses: :vs_coffee:

 

[AllanJ]

Find the first whole-house disconnect switch or breaker, usually this is at the meter pedestal for a mobile home. A #6 copper "grounding electrode conductor" should connect the service neutral there over to a pair of 8' ground rods at least 6 feet apart. This GEC needs to be continuous or have "approved" splices, that is, splices that cannot be unfastened and refastened easily.

An additional #6 wire (this one called a "bonding jumper" in the U.S.) is connected from the mobile home frame to the panel ground or a GEC. So, via this wire, the mobile home frame is bonded to the ground rods. If A is bonded to B and B is bonded to C then A is bonded to C. (Meeting code does require components and wires used for bonding to be of certain sizes and materials and attached in certain locations and there are other requirements such as the kind of splices.)

 

[justplumducky]

Thx much for the replies. I will return next week with more information and pictures. Have a good weekend.