I am in the process of feeding a main house panel from a 400amp split with two 200amp breakers. The Main house panel is 60' away from the main meter section. The main meter section has a 200amp breaker feeding distribution & the feeders are going to be connected to the separate 200amp breaker. Do I need an isolated neutral conductor/ buss bar at this point or can I bond to the ground and can & isolate after this point? Thanks for your help.
Main service
- Thread starter rjlahr
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Massachusetts
If the service disconnect is at the meter than yes you must use isolated neutrals.
I do see a bigger problem, in general a building can only be supplied by one feeder.
Thanks for your reply,
The service does have one feeder to two 200Amp breakers. One is for distribution at meter panel the other 200A is going to feed a Main house panel 60 feet away. I myself consider it a sub panel & instinct tells me to run a neutral wire like I always have but the Contractor/ owner is telling me its a main panel and he doesn't want to buy the extra wire if he doesn't have to, therefore he wants to use the grounding conductor for the grounded circuit conductor. I have gone through 230 and up to 250-142 in my code book looking, my brain is okay but my eyes hurt.
The service does have one feeder to two 200Amp breakers. One is for distribution at meter panel the other 200A is going to feed a Main house panel 60 feet away. I myself consider it a sub panel & instinct tells me to run a neutral wire like I always have but the Contractor/ owner is telling me its a main panel and he doesn't want to buy the extra wire if he doesn't have to, therefore he wants to use the grounding conductor for the grounded circuit conductor. I have gone through 230 and up to 250-142 in my code book looking, my brain is okay but my eyes hurt.
- Location
- Massachusetts
What the owner suggests used to be allowed, that was changed a few code cycles ago.
The code section to look at is 250.32
Thanks!
Thanks!
The project is a single family residence, I found it in 250-142 specifically (b). Its a little twisted terminology, I understand why they do it but now I need to take some Advil. I will forward this to him & buy a new code book.
An old timer years ago told me if anybody is standing over your shoulder, watching you, stop working, turn around & start talking until they leave. Job security 101.
Thanks for all your help.
Thanks!
The project is a single family residence, I found it in 250-142 specifically (b). Its a little twisted terminology, I understand why they do it but now I need to take some Advil. I will forward this to him & buy a new code book.
An old timer years ago told me if anybody is standing over your shoulder, watching you, stop working, turn around & start talking until they leave. Job security 101.
Thanks for all your help.
- Location
- Massachusetts
What year code book are you using? 2002?
- Location
- Massachusetts
david
Senior Member
- Location
- Pennsylvania
If he doesn’t want to use a four wire feeder than he would have to run a service entrance cable from the load side of the meter. The service entrance cable could be three wire. As already said if he runs a feeder it will have to be 4 wire.
IV. Service-Entrance Conductors
230.40 Number of Service-Entrance Conductor Sets.
Each service drop or lateral shall supply only one set of service-entrance conductors.
Exception No. 3: A single-family dwelling unit and a separate structure shall be permitted to have one set of service-entrance conductors run to each from a single service drop or lateral.
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