So I have a home inspector telling me the grounds and neutrals need to be separated in the panel, because panel is away from meter base. The feeders are a 3 wire, ( two hots and bare neutral, no ground), this the s.e.r. 3 wire conductor. The way it was done back than was ,you would have the meter feeding a disconnecting means and the disconnecting means then would feed the panel. So, how do you separate grounds and neutrals without having to new wire ?
3 wire s.e.r. from 200 amp disconnect to 200 distribution panel
- Thread starter nmbme
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
HIs are quite often wrong about issues where an installation was code compliant at the time it was installed but the codes have changed since that time.
If an installation was not compliant when installed there is no grandfathering and in most jurisdictions I believe the AHJ can require correction any time it comes to their attention.
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If an installation was not compliant when installed there is no grandfathering and in most jurisdictions I believe the AHJ can require correction any time it comes to their attention.
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mopowr steve
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Ohio
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
- Is your service panel so far away from where the service wire enters the residence that there is a requirement by your local building/electrical department that a service disconnect is required? Panel distance from meterbase has no bearing.
- Although you have 3 wire cable running to your panel, it was very common before electricians realized it that 3 wire cable was ok to run between service disconnect and panel. So he may be correct.
- You also are sayin 3 wire SER when you mean SEU. SER cable has 2hots, 1neutral, 1bare ground wire within the jacket.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
The connection between the disconnecting means and the panel is as you've stated a feeder and would require 4 conductors (SER not 3 conductor SEU) and the neutrals and EGC's separated in the panel.
Sounds like the HI got this one right.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
As Trevor stated you need 4 wires between the main disconnect and a sub panel. SER is 4 conductor (2 hots, neutral and a bare) while SEU is 3 conductor (2 hots and a bare ). Terminology is important.
If there is only a 3 wire cable going from the main disconnect to the sub panel then you need to rewire it.
If there is only a 3 wire cable going from the main disconnect to the sub panel then you need to rewire it.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
It is not clear in the op, but if the feeder is between two structures then it may have been compliant at the time. I aways forget: did that change in 2005 or 8?
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I believe the 2008 nec
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
Wasn't the neutral required to be insulated back then?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
It would have been and still would be pretty rare to be able to run SE cable to a separate building. The portion attached to either building could easily be SE cable but you very likely transition to a different wiring method for what is between the two buildings.
I guess if you had construction methods between multiple sections of one building that effectively made them separate buildings by code you could see SE cable used.
I guess if you had construction methods between multiple sections of one building that effectively made them separate buildings by code you could see SE cable used.
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