Legal panel conversion?

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RichyL

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Siemans makes a 100 amp panel loadcenter that is designed for a main I believe, with insulated ground/neutral bars on both sides. I'm wondering if it is legal to convert it to a sub. I'm wondering if you can put the feeder ground on the side with the bonding screw tighten it, remove the jumper bar and put a lug on the opposite bar and put the neutral on it to seperate the two. Theoretically it should work, was just curious to if it was legal or not without having to add a seperate ground bar attached directly to the panel frame
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
RichyL said:
I'm wondering if you can put the feeder ground on the side with the bonding screw tighten it, remove the jumper bar and put a lug on the opposite bar and put the neutral on it to seperate the two.
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I've done it, but I can't speak for the manufacturer, who would have the final word.
 
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hillbilly

Senior Member
LarryFine said:
I've done it, but I can't speak for the manufacturer, who would have the final word.
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Me too.
I seem to remember the panel instructions refer to this exact thing....that it's OK.

Siemens does make a plastic bar to replace the metal jumper.
I know because I got red tagged one time because I didn't install one on a particular installation, seemed kind of useless to me, but the inspector didn't think so.

Any way, as LarryFine said, the manufacturer would have the final word.

steve
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
RichyL said:
Theoretically it should work, was just curious to if it was legal or not without having to add a seperate ground bar attached directly to the panel frame
Click to expand...

Whenever I wire a main panel with a split neutral I always wire the grounding conductors on one side and the grounded conductor on the other. This facilitates the change over if someone wants to convert it to a sub. On the smaller 125 amp main lug panels I have always removed the jumper bar. Works like a charm. If they didn't want it to be converted they should fasten the bars to the can like the older panels. I believe they are designed for this exact purpose (multiuse)
 
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