Thank you all, I really mean it. The not knowing of it bothers me more than anything and I'll explain what's going on here as quick as possible. First, I didn't mean that the EGC would be connected to the same terminal as the Neutral, rather that electrically they are the same inside the meter enclosure.
I have what's called a Farm Loop around here. POCO installs meter, 200 amp breaker, secured for their sake, and below that enough lugs to run power to the house and other buildings. Of course they charge for this and it's the normal way for them to provide service.
I ran 200 amp service to house and 100 amp to my barn. All cable is hot, hot, neutral. When in the planning stage I contacted the POCO to ask who, what, when, were, and why (5 W's, military term). I did this to ensure that I met their requirements. All cable was purchased right from them and ran just as they told me except for the fact that I not only buried it but I put in in PVC for safety reasons and longevity. Barn works fine, hot, hot, neutral, ground rod at entrance panel bonded to neutral and ran seperate ground and neutrals from that point. No problems. Flash forward three years, purchase double wide, pad with footings complete with hot, hot, neutral already installed three years earlier. Set up home and one breaker trips. Their electrician and helper ended up cutting out a branch line and running another cable, didn't really repair, just limped it along.
Well it's about this point when they tell me that I'm supposed to have 4 wire, no bond at house panel. It doesn't add up to me so I bond it anyway and later we did overload a circuit in the kitchen and the breaker tripped. Anyway, I keep calling and telling them that ever time the furnace or the frig kicks on the lights blink. Here comes their electrician again and tells me that it's because of the long distance from the meter pole, 120', causing a momentary drop in voltage, 10+Volts, and the fact that the furnace is drawing nearly 90 amps. This doesn't add up to me, I installed lateral per POCO rules. I then called POCO, they came out and put in a new transformer, the old one was only three years old, and I still have the problem. Furnace man checked furnace and says there's nothing wrong there.
This entire time I'm thinking that there just has to be a problem with the neutral somewere and I suspect that there's at least one branch circuit in the home with a loose or open neutral. I tell the company we bought the home from my suspicions and the fact that they should have my wiring troubleshot properly. I might as well have been telling the trees out back.
A couple of months go by and the microwave quits. Just to make sure I checked fuses and such inside the oven and all was good, outlet checked good as well, so I buy a new one.
Almost there everyone. I keep on about the flickering lights and tell them that the home should be bonded, they say that if I bond it they won't warrant it. They also tell me not to do anything until they talk to the POCO about the installation. I'm mad, like to do things right one time, not over and over. I told them that I want it right and will just install the EGC. Then they said, no, just wait until we get back with you.
Now it's three weeks later. Power went out Thursday morning a couple of times and the wife and I are setting around, she's home sick, waiting for power to come back on when all of a sudden the smoke detectors start screaming. I naturally ran to the breaker box to see if one tripped and she headed out looking for smoke. Next thing she's screaming the TV in the bedroom is on fire, I run in, jerk the power cord and carry it outside, smoking like Indian Talk. Come to find out DVR and TV are blown on that outlet. Another outlet in the bedroom blew a cordless phone. Further investigation found another cordless blown in room next to kitchen, a nearly brand new microwave in the kitchen, yeap again, and computer in yet another bedroom blown. All this time and not one breaker in the entrance panel tripped, the only one was a GFI in the kitchen, not to the microwave, and it has two additional outlets connected to it downstream in the kitchen.
I know, run, get out, save yourself and your loved ones. My heart is still racing worried about fire inside the wall. Anyway, all outlets still work and unless I said something most people wouldn't even know. I've worked it for years and can still smell it. Wife says it's just in my nose but I know better.
Rules say mobile, 4 wire. I say it should be bonded in the house but, I had to take that out for warranty purposes.
Now what do you all think? Don't hold back, just let me have it. I think EGC would create parallel paths, not good, should bond it but, rules are rules.
Thanks again for everything.
