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Outdoor Subpanel with G-N bond

Merry Christmas
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JoeNorm

Senior Member
Location
WA
I got called out to clean up a residential outdoor sub panel that services an RV location. The panel looks like it used to be an old temp panel. The Neutral is bonded to the frame so there is no easy way to separate Grounds and Neutrals. The EGC in this case is #6 bare copper run in the pipe with the feeders. All the N and G's land on the same busbar.

What is the best option here? Just leave everything as is?

Additionally, there are no ground rods but that is a separate issue.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I suggest adding an insulated-from-enclosure neutral bus and leave the bonded neutral for the EGCs.
 

JoeNorm

Senior Member
Location
WA
OK I will look into this.

And can someone remind me......is the issue here that if the neutral was lost there would be current on the EGC? Is that the only concern? Actually now that I think about it there is already current on the EGC in this configuration, right?

thanks
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
OK I will look into this.

And can someone remind me......is the issue here that if the neutral was lost there would be current on the EGC? Is that the only concern? Actually now that I think about it there is already current on the EGC in this configuration, right?

thanks
Yes. The issue with a second N-G bond is that all the current on the neutral past that point will be split between it and the EGC back to the N-G bond at the service entrance. Intentionally putting current through the EGC is a no-no.
 
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