Another genuis home inspector

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Smash

Senior Member
I'm actually not sure who this guy is I believe he is a friend of the home owner. I installed a 200amp main breaker disconnect directly on the inside wall of the outdoor meter. Then installed a 200amp main lug panel in the basement fed with SER cable at that point I seperated my grounds and neutrals for the first time here. This gentleman tells me I have to have a main breaker in the basement. I explained that it was no longer part of the service equipment but now a sub panel. He's argument was a line of sight issue. I simply asked him to show me the artical.
Please tell me he's not showing me an artical that I've overlooked. The only thing I was questioning was wether my disconnect was ok not being outdoor next to the meter. I concidered putting outside but the old main panel location was directly opposite of the meter and perfect spot for new disconnect. Why subject a main breaker disconnect to weather if you don't have too. This guy had me second guessing myself so like a little girl I'm running to you guys. Also my neutral and ground are on the same bar in the main service disconnect ground rod at that location. Then split in sub panel where I drove another rod and also supplied building structure ground. Any problems ?? Since I'm pretty much done.
I also was trying to save room for the 15 AFCI breakers needed for this buildings rewire. Other times I will install a second main just for home owner convienence but not because it's code either way to have or not to have a second main. Right or am I going back to school after 30yrs ? Thx
 

RichB

Senior Member
Location
Tacoma, Wa
Occupation
Electrician/Electrical Inspector
Ditto--don't see a problem--sounds like someone read code and doesn't understand what he read-or was in the wrong section
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
His argument was a line of sight issue. I simply asked him to show me the article.
There is no such article. So long as you are within the same building, you can use an MLO panel, and provide its protection anywhere within or upstream of the panel. Reference: 408.36.

There are some items that must be "within sight" of other items. This is not one of those items. An example of a "line of sight" rule is in 440.14, for the disconnecting means that must be "within sight from" the HVAC equipment.

 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Also my neutral and ground are on the same bar in the main service disconnect ground rod at that location. Then split in sub panel where I drove another rod and also supplied building structure ground.


Can you further explain what this means?
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
The only time the subpanel should need it's own ground rod (or other electrode) is if it is in a separate building.
You must run a feeder EGC between main and sub.
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
The only time the subpanel should need it's own ground rod (or other electrode) is if it is in a separate building.
You must run a feeder EGC between main and sub.
If he has two ground rods, shouldn't he bond them to each other?
 

rcarroll

Senior Member
By the way, when my mom sold her house a few months ago, I took the HI report wrote things like - Not required, provide code section, neither a code issue nor life, health, safety issue, etc. Signed Master Electrician & ICC certified Inspector.
I then had our realtor send the report back to the HI.
I did fix a couple of items, though.
 

Smash

Senior Member
Can you further explain what this means?

This guy asked about the separating grounds and neutrals shouldn't it be done everywhere including my main service disconnect. It does not, I was just stating what I did in my main disconnect which was the neutral from the meter the ground rod and the ground for my sub panel all were on the same bar. The bar bonded to the panel with the little green screw. The grounds were separated in the distribution main lug now sub panel. What other ground source can I use here. Really old stone mortar residential building 1930's doubt there's a piece of steel anywhere. Water service too far away. Drove another ground rod which are now bonded together.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
This guy asked about the separating grounds and neutrals shouldn't it be done everywhere including my main service disconnect. It does not, I was just stating what I did in my main disconnect which was the neutral from the meter the ground rod and the ground for my sub panel all were on the same bar. The bar bonded to the panel with the little green screw. The grounds were separated in the distribution main lug now sub panel. What other ground source can I use here. Really old stone mortar residential building 1930's doubt there's a piece of steel anywhere. Water service too far away. Drove another ground rod which are now bonded together.
Grounding electrodes that are required part of grounding electrode system need to land at the service equipment or first disconnect where the supply is not a service.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~

There are some items that must be "within sight" of other items. This is not one of those items. An example of a "line of sight" rule is in 440.14, for the disconnecting means that must be "within sight from" the HVAC equipment.

"in sight and within 50 feet" is something that applies to safety disconnects.

you wonder how he got from there, to subpanels.
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
There was no need for the inspector to say a disconnect was required to be in sight of the subpanel in this scenario, and, there was no need for you to drive a ground rod at the subpanel in this scenario so I guess you can both poke each other in the eye. :)

JAP>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
Grounding electrodes that are required part of grounding electrode system need to land at the service equipment or first disconnect where the supply is not a service.

Didn't you mean subpanel in your last word in this sentence ?


JAP>
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I don't think we need to knock the home inspector especially since I am not certain of this install. Sounds like there may be issues on both sides of the fence
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Didn't you mean subpanel in your last word in this sentence ?


JAP>
No, I primarily meant a building supplied by other then a service needs the grounding electrode conductor run to the first disconnecting means, A building supplied from another or one supplied by on site power production would be examples, in those cases there is no service.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
I don't think we need to knock the home inspector especially since I am not certain of this install. Sounds like there may be issues on both sides of the fence
The problem with many home inspectors is that they will tell people that things are required when in fact they are not and they should mark recommended instead. Such as GFCI's in various places. I've saw one tell them that they were required to replace the aluminum wiring yet missed the fact that all of the can lights had been installed without a permit.
 
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