Main breaker no neutral till sub and adding another sub

[Osomxl]

My question is regarding the following setup. Keep in mind I live in Mexico and the house is concrete block construction.

main breaker at the meter is two 60 amp breakers and both of these wires are 6 awg black. The ground was wired in red 8awg and leaves the main breaker box and is grounded to a ground rod directly below the meter socket main and follows the two hot conductors and are then bonded inside the house at the breaker panel with all the neutrals and grounds on the busbar.

I am in the process of installing a subpanel outside in preparation for an addition as my current panel is full and have no way to come off the existing panel without knocking a hole in the concrete block wall and running exterior conduit on the side of the house.

I have just installed conduit in the ground and was planning on coming into the side of the meter main.

I now think I should separate the neutral and grounds in the breaker box and bond the ground and add a neutral at the breaker main that goes back to the breaker box and add a neutral bus there as well.

My next predicament is how to add the new sub panel to the meter main which is rated for 100 amps and currently only has the two spaces which are occupied by the current sub panels 60 amp breakers without changing to 100 amp breakers and landing both subs under the same lugs.

I didn't want to change out the meter main, but at this moment it may be my best option.

My house here in mex is nowhere near being code compliant, but I do like to try and do it right as I remodel. Anybody with some oversight or options would've be greatly appreciated.

 

[Osomxl]

Ok, after reading through several more pages of the forum and reading examples where the meter is not attached to the home and located on the street it seems that it is common to bond the neutral and ground at this point where the first disconnect is located immediately after and adjacent to the meter. I guess I need to install a new meter socket and service disconnect and remedy the situation at the breaker box in the house and this will allow me to add another sub panel in the process.

Does this sound correct?

 

[Sierrasparky]

Welcomeo to the forum! :thumbsup:

I am having trouble following What you have for your service.

What is the Voltage that you have. It seems you have 120 /240. THat is Two Hots and One Grounded/ Nuetral

If that is the case. If you add a sub panel on the same structure then you will have 2 hots 1 nuetral and 1 Ground to the new panel.

A picture would be great.

 

[ActionDave]

Any reason not to abandon the old house feed and use your new conduit to pull a new feed? 100A perhaps, to the new outside panel, bond the neutral there, feed the old panel as a sub-panel.

After '05 NEC required four conductors (two hots, neutral, egc) from a remote meter to the house but there is no real reason to in my opinion.

 

[Osomxl]

At the curb on a stand is the 100 amp meter socket which contains two 60 amp breakers that currently feed the house by underground feed to a subpanel which the individual branch circuits feed the outlets and lights. The neutral isn't bonded to the egc until the subpanel inside the house. I would like to install a subpanel outdoors where it is readily accessible for an outdoor convenience outlet to power low volt landscape lighting as well as being ready for a two story addition on the rear of the house.
The current setup makes it extremely difficult to add a subpanel as there is no neutral at the meter and only two 60 amp breakers which are occupied with the existing house load.

the new subpanel would be located some ways away from the existing panel and the fact that this house is concrete block makes modifications very difficult.

 

[kwired]

After '05 NEC required four conductors (two hots, neutral, egc) from a remote meter to the house but there is no real reason to in my opinion.

Not if it was a meter only. It had to also contain the service disconnect, then everything load side is a feeder and needed a separate equipment grounding conductor.