How is the lug attached to the panel?
Customer's Self-Wiring - should I change it?
Dear Electrician Community:
I am a local electrician in the city of Madison, MS - recently started working. One customer has hired me to look at their wiring that they performed on their own - they wired an electric box leading to the outside shed. The image I am attaching is of the main box that attaches straight to the electric meter (does not go through the house's main electric panel), thus it will be considered service entrance (main service disconnect to the shed). The customer utilized a #8 insulated cable to bridge the enclosure with the neutral/ground bus bar and the same cable that goes straight into the earth ground by connecting to the ground rod. Take a look at this image. I am not very comfortable with this method, but in theory it sounds right. Please let me know if I should change anything. Here is the link:
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Thank you. Eugene.
I am a local electrician in the city of Madison, MS - recently started working. One customer has hired me to look at their wiring that they performed on their own - they wired an electric box leading to the outside shed. The image I am attaching is of the main box that attaches straight to the electric meter (does not go through the house's main electric panel), thus it will be considered service entrance (main service disconnect to the shed). The customer utilized a #8 insulated cable to bridge the enclosure with the neutral/ground bus bar and the same cable that goes straight into the earth ground by connecting to the ground rod. Take a look at this image. I am not very comfortable with this method, but in theory it sounds right. Please let me know if I should change anything. Here is the link:
Thank you. Eugene.
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The customer drilled a hole in the panel and scraped the coating off where the lug is attached. He used a bolt and a nut to secure the lug to the box. The boxes I have worked with normally have a bonding screw, but this box does not have one - it seems this method makes good sense: in place of bonding screw the customer simply used a jumper wire to connect the box to the bus bar. What do you think?
I prefer a tapped hole but a nut and bolt is okay but the paint should be scraped. I would not lose sleep over it.
Art. 250.8(A)(5)
Art. 250.8(A)(5)
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Thanks a lot, Dennis! I guess I will be leaving it as is. The customer was also asking me this, and for the life of me, I do not know the answer to this question - why does the electricity prefer to keep on going through the neutral wire rather than choosing their insulated ground wire that runs to the ground rod to find its path to the ground, since ground and neutral are connected at the bus bar? I just know this is the way it is done, but it certainly is very peculiar. Thanks for your help.
Electricity will take every path to ground but it will also use the least resistant path for a greater portion of the load. A ground rod would have so much resistance that virtually no current will travel there.
This post will be short lived. Are you an apprentice?
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Yes, I am. I have been doing it for a few years now, but am still learning new things every day. I think it will take me a few more years working as a part of a team before I can work autonomously. I appreciate everyone's help - this forum will help me get to my goal much more quickly.
I make all the electrons line up for their Flu shots
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With that kind of organized note labeling on you photo (which by the way Sunny Boy, us near deads are unable to actually read....) you show me that you are going to probably get along really well in the trade. Thats the stuff right there. Be like that in all your work, organized and very detailed.
Go to his link and you can enlarge the picture and read it better. I said better, not perfect.
I make all the electrons line up for their Flu shots
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His link wanted me to join or sign in. One place is enough.......
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ARTICLE 352— RIGID POLYVINYL CHLORIDE CONDUIT: TYPE PVC
352.46 Bushings. Where a conduit enters a box, fitting, or
other enclosure, a bushing or adapter shall be provided to
protect the wire from abrasion unless the box, fitting, or
enclosure design provides equivalent protection.
352.46 Bushings. Where a conduit enters a box, fitting, or
other enclosure, a bushing or adapter shall be provided to
protect the wire from abrasion unless the box, fitting, or
enclosure design provides equivalent protection.
I make all the electrons line up for their Flu shots
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If that is a service extension, why the breaker or disconnect? Would the addition of a breaker make it a feeder requiring four conductors? I am asking.
If the HO had used double lug adapters he should have just left the meter enclosure and landed the 3 service conductors into another service panel (shed) with main breaker. But the addition of the breaker should make this a 4 wire feeder? I am asking.
If the HO had used double lug adapters he should have just left the meter enclosure and landed the 3 service conductors into another service panel (shed) with main breaker. But the addition of the breaker should make this a 4 wire feeder? I am asking.
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John .,
The OP did have 4 wire feeder after the service disconnect posted in the photo I know it was pretty hard for me to read the prints on my monitor but manged to blow it up what the OP was writing on the service disconnect box.
So therefore he did have full 4 wire feeder but IMO if I did not see it correct without glasses he is missing a bonding screw which it is a mantory requirement for service disconnect.
Merci.
Marc
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