terminal block ques ?

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wireman1

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can you mount blocks in a juction box for all your neturals and grounds which is seperate from the main panel?example above a 200 amp panel you mount a 12x 12 6 in. juction box mount a netural and a gronding block.from the service panel the run the proper size pipeto the juction box.in the juction box you bring in your different feeds from the branch ciruits .all feeds are mc cable number 12 wire.connect the grounds and neturals to the proper blocks.the terminal blocks are fed with anumber 6 wire from the service panel run the hot wires from the circuit breakers and wire nut them to the branch ciruits .purpose is for deratingthe wires in the conduit .since there would be no neturals to count you could more hot conductors.i have heard of this being done is it ok by the code?ques. is there any time when the netural does not have to be counted as a current carring conductor such as in a 3 wire circuit
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
can you mount blocks in a juction box for all your neturals and grounds which is seperate from the main panel?example above a 200 amp panel you mount a 12x 12 6 in. juction box mount a netural and a gronding block.from the service panel the run the proper size pipeto the juction box.in the juction box you bring in your different feeds from the branch ciruits .all feeds are mc cable number 12 wire.connect the grounds and neturals to the proper blocks.the terminal blocks are fed with anumber 6 wire from the service panel run the hot wires from the circuit breakers and wire nut them to the branch ciruits .purpose is for deratingthe wires in the conduit .since there would be no neturals to count you could more hot conductors.i have heard of this being done is it ok by the code?ques. is there any time when the netural does not have to be counted as a current carring conductor such as in a 3 wire circuit
No you can't do that with neutrals. You don't need to do it with grounds since they are not current carrying conductors. The neutral doesn't have to be counted as a CCC if it is only carrying the unbalanced current of a multiwire branch circuit.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
can you mount blocks in a juction box for all your neturals and grounds which is seperate from the main panel?example above a 200 amp panel you mount a 12x 12 6 in. juction box mount a netural and a gronding block.from the service panel the run the proper size pipeto the juction box.in the juction box you bring in your different feeds from the branch ciruits .all feeds are mc cable number 12 wire.connect the grounds and neturals to the proper blocks.the terminal blocks are fed with anumber 6 wire from the service panel run the hot wires from the circuit breakers and wire nut them to the branch ciruits .purpose is for deratingthe wires in the conduit .since there would be no neturals to count you could more hot conductors.i have heard of this being done is it ok by the code?ques. is there any time when the netural does not have to be counted as a current carring conductor such as in a 3 wire circuit

By doing this you have effectively made all of the circuits connected to that neutral bus "one multwire branch circuit" that does not meet the requirements for multiwire branch circuits.

Equipment grounding conductors is fine and even required to do this if the box contains other splices. I guess the grounding bar may not be required but a connection from all equipment grounding conductors to the box is and the easiest way to do that if there are very many is with a multiple conductor bar attached to the box.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
can you mount blocks in a juction box for all your neturals and grounds which is seperate from the main panel?example above a 200 amp panel you mount a 12x 12 6 in. juction box mount a netural and a gronding block.from the service panel the run the proper size pipeto the juction box.in the juction box you bring in your different feeds from the branch ciruits .all feeds are mc cable number 12 wire.connect the grounds and neturals to the proper blocks.the terminal blocks are fed with anumber 6 wire from the service panel run the hot wires from the circuit breakers and wire nut them to the branch ciruits .purpose is for deratingthe wires in the conduit .since there would be no neturals to count you could more hot conductors.i have heard of this being done is it ok by the code?ques. is there any time when the netural does not have to be counted as a current carring conductor such as in a 3 wire circuit

Even if you could do this, the #6 for the neutral probably wouldn't be large enough. Why do you need to do this if you're running MC cable?
Depending on how many circuits you have, it could take a huge conduit to hold many MC cables.

There are many times in a 3-wire (MWBC) that the neutral would not be counted. If for example, you didn't have a lot of fluorescent lighting or computers, or other non linear loads.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Even if you could do this, the #6 for the neutral probably wouldn't be large enough. Why do you need to do this if you're running MC cable?
Depending on how many circuits you have, it could take a huge conduit to hold many MC cables.

There are many times in a 3-wire (MWBC) that the neutral would not be counted. If for example, you didn't have a lot of fluorescent lighting or computers, or other non linear loads.

He is trying to find a way to limit the number of current carrying conductors. Instead of 1 conductor for the neutral for every two wire circuit he will have 1 neutral period if he could do what he is proposing.

He did not say how much distance there was between this junction box and the panelboard. If he has 2 foot nipple or less he doesn't need to apply deration for number of conductors and he can also fill his raceways to 60%. If more than 2 feet then maybe the next best option is to put in terminal strips (wire nuts if you are too cheap) and increase conductor size to panel of all conductors if needed instead of increasing conductor size of the cables when only the drop to the panel is all that needs derated.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
He is trying to find a way to limit the number of current carrying conductors. Instead of 1 conductor for the neutral for every two wire circuit he will have 1 neutral period if he could do what he is proposing.

He did not say how much distance there was between this junction box and the panelboard. If he has 2 foot nipple or less he doesn't need to apply deration for number of conductors and he can also fill his raceways to 60%. If more than 2 feet then maybe the next best option is to put in terminal strips (wire nuts if you are too cheap) and increase conductor size to panel of all conductors if needed instead of increasing conductor size of the cables when only the drop to the panel is all that needs derated.

I know what he was wanting to do, I just ask why he needed a raceway when he was using MC cable. My guess was for looks or he didn't want to put in all those box connectors.


Edit: After reading the OP's profile, he probably isn't doing this, but is inspecting someone that has or wants to.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I know what he was wanting to do, I just ask why he needed a raceway when he was using MC cable. My guess was for looks or he didn't want to put in all those box connectors.


Edit: After reading the OP's profile, he probably isn't doing this, but is inspecting someone that has or wants to.

You still need a box connector for each cable - problem may be getting all of them into one end of a panelboard
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
...i have heard of this being done is it ok by the code?
Used to be permitted. Not certain in which NEC edition it changed.

PS: it is still allowed for feeders (with limitations).


ques. is there any time when the netural does not have to be counted as a current carring conductor such as in a 3 wire circuit
120/240 3-wire mwbc neutrals and 120/208 4-wire mwbc neutrals are typically not counted as CCC's. 2008 and 2011 require handle-tied breakers for these circuits.
 
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