I am helping my brother in NE and I work in NV. In NV we typically use a meter combo panel and bond everything in the main breaker panel not in the power company side. My brothers set up has an underground coming into just a meter socket without a breaker then EMT to the main breaker panel with 2 hits and the neutral. His panel had an isolated neutral bar with the neutrals and the EGC’s. The meter socket is bonded from the case to the service side neutral and the load side neutral. My brother only wants to change the interior main breaker panel not the whole setup. I am a little confused where the main bond needs to be. Because if I bond it in the main breaker panel the it will use the EMT and the neutral back to the source, which breaks code 250.6 I believe it is. I don’t have my code book with me and the power company guy wasn’t much help on where the bond goes.
Nebraska main bonding
- Thread starter Jnewell
- Start date
- Status
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
You bond in the first disconnect and yes that makes it a code required violation of 250.6. I call it the unavoidable objectionable current.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
The main bonding jumper is installed at the service. The neutral is bonded at the meter and service disconnect (what you call the main) and with emt there will be parallel path. Most installations today use PVC from meter to service, its just as good as emt, unless not allowed by local rules. The main bonding jumper is the green screw.
texie
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
Gonna need to bond the EMT on the line side to comply with 250.92.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
I do a lot of panel changes and almost all have metal conduit from the meter to panel. I typically just add a bonding bushing to bond the conduit.
@Jnewell As was mentioned, you will have a parallel path, but it is what it is, as it's required. Depending on the panel, you will either have a green screw on the neutral bus that you tighten down to make the bond, or there will be a bonding wire that goes in one of the neutral holes/slots and also a threaded hole w/screw that attaches it to the cabinet.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Add the bonding bushings as stated.
Now which SED district are you working in...
Now which SED district are you working in...
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
The meter socket is not the service disconnecting means, it is just an enclosure containing service conductors. All enclosures on supply side of service disconnect are bonded to the grounded conductor, this allows neutral current to flow on metallic wiring methods between them, yet that is not seen as objectionable current to NEC.
All in one's do eliminate having this situation because they are also the service disconnecting means.
You can have similar situation if you have 2-6 allowed service disconnects and metallic components joining them together.
All in one's do eliminate having this situation because they are also the service disconnecting means.
You can have similar situation if you have 2-6 allowed service disconnects and metallic components joining them together.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Now you sound like an inspector
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
I've only turned one idiot in.
OP has a clue and knows more than enough to ask, but here I am starving to death....wait, OP, are you interested in taking over a moderately well established business?
OP has a clue and knows more than enough to ask, but here I am starving to death....wait, OP, are you interested in taking over a moderately well established business?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Has it been slow for you? Last 4-5 years I seem to have little to do from about December to March, and even took on occasional handyman type things to do just to be doing something at times, this year been pretty busy. Everyone I told to wait til winter for something because that is my slow time is still waiting on me right now.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
No, it has not been too bad. Busier now than usual for this time of year. I lost one of my guys, the office help and wish I had a replacement for both. I am doing service calls again but being an old guy I am physically limited. I handled the fuse replacement yesterday in a mere 2.5 hours.
My brother lives in a district where home owners are able to do their own work in their own home without a permit unless they change the riser/ meter socket out which to me is crazy because then if you sell the house someone else buys your Un permitted Electrical work whatever your profession may be. I kind of figured what you guys said was the case cause there’s no disconnect at the socket and the meter, EMT, and breaker are considered the service but just wanted an opinion from someone who deals w these situations.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
That is statewide rule, it is supposed to be your primary residence, can't do your own work on a rental property or a vacation home - though as long as you don't need to intervene with POCO many get away with it anyway. Cities/counties that have their own local AHJ may not have same rules.
Technically you can't do this work as the laws are written, unless you have a NE license, but if working on something that doesn't require a permit - you likely not going to have any problems.
- Status