![]() Going from 60 to 200 greatly increases what u can add down the line assuming ur main is not loaded to high. (This information is based on the 2020 National Electrical Code Book.)Ī lot of these guys r either half right or all wrong. A ground wire from the Main Panel to the Sub Panel may be used instead If the Sub Panel is in the same building as the Main Panel, then a grounding rod isn't required. If there is no second ground source available for the sub-panel, then a ground wire may be run from the Main Panel to the Sub Panel and used as a second source of grounding. Sub Panel requires the same configuration as Main Panel, with the exception of one thing: in a sub-panel the neutral bar is NOT grounded it is to be attached to the sub-panel case with spacers to prevent grounding. The second source can be metal water line, metal conduit, metal well head, etc. Electrician is also to wire in a second ground source, in case the main ground line gets cut. The ground wire is to be connected to the ground bar, the neutral bar and the case of the service panel. Electrician adds a ground wire, which is connected to a grounding source, such as a ground rod. Main Panel has two hot wires and a neutral wire supplied from the meter. All vary based upon the panel's opinion, but as long as the wiring safely gets the job done, then that's all that counts. There's National Code, State Code and Local Code. ![]() By the way, the reason we require wired ground and ground rods (for outbuildings) is that 25 ohms isn't nearly good enough. Otherwise you need 2, however they can both be off the main panel. You only need 1 ground rod if it passes the magic 25-ohm test. The fact that the route is outside is irrelevant. You do not need a separate ground rod for this subpanel since it's in the same building. I maintain four buildings, all in metal conduit, and there's not a ground wire in any of them. However that does not explain the lack of ground wires on the ground bar in the subpanel, unless all branch circuits are also in metal conduit. However, if the conduit is made of metal, that actually is a perfectly allowable grounding path, and that means you are grounded. The good news is that ground wires can be retrofitted, as of NEC 2014 (and a bit earlier for some applications). ![]() It's possible the relationship between electrician and inspector has gotten corrupt, and the inspector and electrician have convinced each other that this is OK. Your subpanel required a 4-wire feed, with separate ground wire, unless you have a local ordinance that makes an exception. Is he correct? I've read that ground and neutral bars should not be bonded in a subpanel, but in this case there isn't even a ground wire - neutral and ground share the same wire. When I asked the electrician about this after the fact, he said that the neutral wire also serves as the ground, and that it is ok to do this in a subpanel. ![]() There is a ground bar installed in the panel, but no wires connect to it. There are only 3 conductors between the main and sub. Only one ground rod was driven for the 200A panel. The new 60A subpanel in the master suite is fed by wires in a buried conduit run through the backyard from the garage. The majority of circuits enter the house through a covered breezeway between the garage and house. The main panel is in an separate-attached garage. I'm just now noticing some things about the work that I'm not so sure about. All work passed city inspection, for whatever that's worth. I recently had my main service professionally upgraded to 200A and had a 60A subpanel installed in my master suite to support future additions.
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