ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

>> Home   >> Electrical-Photos   >> Classifieds   >> Subscribe to Newsletter   >> Store  
 

Photo of the Week:

Old Fused Panel
 Old Fused Panel

Advertisement:-Left
Recent Gallery Topics:
What in Tarnation?
What in Tarnation?
by timmp, September 10
Plumber meets Electrician
Plumber meets Electrician
by timmp, September 10
Who's Online Now
1 members (Scott35), 39 guests, and 32 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
#94229 07/19/05 08:00 AM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Tiger Offline OP
Member
I'm working on an estate with a main house and two outbuildings. The meter is on one of the outbuildings, with lugs for the runs to the house and both outbuildings. There are no disconnects at the meter. The main house has a 200-amp panel with a main disconnect and driven rods. There are 4 wires between the meter and the 200-amp service (3) 200-amp, and (1) 3 or 4 ga., which is labelled white, but is likely the ground wire.

Anyway, I hope this is clear enough. The grounds and neutrals are all terminated in this 200-amp panel. My question is...should they be divided at this point or bonded?

Thanks,
Dave

Horizontal Ad
#94230 07/19/05 08:14 AM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,507
G
Member
Is this a 3ø or a 1ø service?


George Little
#94231 07/19/05 02:58 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Tiger Offline OP
Member
It's single phase, George.

Dave

#94232 07/19/05 06:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,507
G
Member
It appears to me that you have a code violation no matter how you terminate the smaller wire. Until you go through a service disconnect, the grounded conductor (neutral) and the grounding conductor are the same wire. Since you appear to have a large enough neutral, the smaller conductor should not have been run. You would not need it and it would be in parallel with the neutral.

Question- How is the smaller conductor terminated at the meter? and How is the other building being fed?

[This message has been edited by George Little (edited 07-19-2005).]


George Little
#94233 07/19/05 06:36 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Tiger Offline OP
Member
Although I'm not certain, I believe the two (ground and neutral) are terminated together at the meter, and are in parallel (terminated together also at the 200-amp distribution panel). The other outbuilding seems to be wired in a similar manner. I specifically recall multiple wires in the meter socket. One was approx. 3/0, and two under another lug approx. 3 ga. I'm guessing there were more 3/0 on the same bar for the other sevices. The two under the same lug is a violation.

I should complete the problem by adding that this is the place with 5VAC at the pool (water to ladder and rim) which the POCO is attributing to a neutral problem between a sub-panel and the pool. With all the power disconnected (but meter not pulled) there is still voltage at the pool (3V?). My meter is a newly calibrated Fluke. The only way I got the voltage to drop to zero was to pull the neutral feeding the pool house.

Dave


Link Copied to Clipboard
Advertisement:-Right


Tools for Electricians
Tools for Electricians
 

* * * * * * *
2023 National Electrical Code (NEC)
2023 NEC + Exam Prep Study Guides Now Available!
 

Member Spotlight
Potseal
Potseal
Saskatchewan
Posts: 264
Joined: February 2013
Top Posters(30 Days)
BigB 4
Popular Topics(Views)
327,717 Are you busy
252,587 Re: Forum
235,212 Need opinion
New Page 2
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5