Bond neutral @ panel

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JDB3

Senior Member
With all the changes & all, a question comes to mind!
Power company mounts a combination meter/breaker enclosure on their pedestal (that has a driven ground rod inside of it) [this enclosure has no provision for a fourth wire {ground}].
The customer is then responsible to run power (conduit underground w/cable) to the house. I have bonded to the re-bar in the slab, connected to a ground rod outside of the slab, ran this #6 bare copper into the inside panel, & then terminated it to a ground bar kit. Should the neutral bar be bonded to the panel (the ground bar is attached to the panel)?

Feel free to ask any questions, if my wording is not clear!
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Where is the service point?

Service Point. The point of connection between the facilities
of the serving utility and the premises wiring.


Informational Note: The service point can be described as
the point of demarcation between where the serving utility
ends and the premises wiring begins. The serving utility
generally specifies the location of the service point based
on the conditions of service.
 

JDB3

Senior Member
Where is the service point?

In the above area, once the power company sets their enclosure & connects their power to it, it is anybody's game. They do not look at it again, there is no inspection, unless the owner hires an independent inspector or if the state would send someone out (upon request) no one looks at anything !!

A 3-wire system is what is installed with this set up. So, I reckon that bonding of the neutral bars to the panel, to which the grounding (ground) bar kit are attached is the method to be used. As stated before, I have a #6 bare attached to a ground rod, then going to the re-bar in the slab, then going to the panel, where it is attached to to the ground bar kit.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
With all the changes & all, a question comes to mind!
Power company mounts a combination meter/breaker enclosure on their pedestal (that has a driven ground rod inside of it) [this enclosure has no provision for a fourth wire {ground}].
The customer is then responsible to run power (conduit underground w/cable) to the house. I have bonded to the re-bar in the slab, connected to a ground rod outside of the slab, ran this #6 bare copper into the inside panel, & then terminated it to a ground bar kit. Should the neutral bar be bonded to the panel (the ground bar is attached to the panel)?

Feel free to ask any questions, if my wording is not clear!

Around here the combo is considered the first means of disconnect. Neutral and ground bonded at that point. 4 wire to the house.Neutral and Ground kept seperate in the panel at the house but its may be different depending on what area your in.

JAP>
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
My first thought is "When in Rome..............."
Sometimes local precedent rules.

but.. as far as the NEC is concerned....

With all the changes & all, a question comes to mind!
Power company mounts a combination meter/breaker enclosure on their pedestal (that has a driven ground rod inside of it)
[this enclosure has no provision for a fourth wire {ground}].
THe 4th wire (equipment ground) is allowed to be connected to the bonded enclosure so the only "provision" could be a hole for you to attach a lug.

The customer is then responsible to run power (conduit underground w/cable) to the house.
In most cases, this makes the pedestal the "service point" as Iwire questioned and means you need the "4th wire" to meet NEC

I have bonded to the re-bar in the slab, connected to a ground rod outside of the slab, ran this #6 bare copper into the inside panel, & then terminated it to a ground bar kit. Should the neutral bar be bonded to the panel (the ground bar is attached to the panel)?

Feel free to ask any questions, if my wording is not clear!
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
At one time, years ago, some of the POCOs would provide a meter/main combination but as the these mains failed, they were removed by the POCO because parts were not readily available anymore. Some of the Public Power Districts have opted to include a non-fused transfer switch below the meter at a minimal cost. Some have center Off, others do not. IMO, if I do not have control and access to the equipment for replacement or repair as I see fit, then it does not exist.

I have been around long enough now that I would hate to have change the way every farm site is wired just because the POCO has decided that they have changed policy.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Sounds like the service point is at the pedestal and a 4 wire is required back to the building. The grounded conductor and equipment grounding conductor will be bonding at the pedestal however at the building they will be separated and all your grounding electrode conductor's will be tied to the equipment grounding conductor- not the grounded conductor.

What size service. If you have a 200 amp then the #6 to the concrete encased electrode is not properly size. Perhaps you have a smaller service
 
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