Overhead Feeder Aerial Cable Without Equipment Ground

[3oFElectric]

A client wants me to run a feeder to a 2nd shed from a subpanel in an adjacent outdoor shed. The adjacent shed is being fed from the service panel, and is coming off the house from an aerial cable over to the shed's subpanel. When I opened the panel to check spacing, I found no EGC.

Looking at the aerial cable, I only see 3 wires - two hots and a neutral. No EGC. Is this allowed? To have NO EGC for a feeder running from the service panel to an outdoor shed?

If I pull a feeder from the 1st shed subpanel to power the 2nd shed, how will there be any ground fault path back to the utility service without an EGC from the service panel to the 1st shed subpanel?

Attached are pictures of the current setup.

 

[electrofelon]

Up until 2005 (iirc) you could run 3 wire feeders to detached structures and basically treat it like a service where you Bond the neutral and also use it as your bond/fault path wire at the second structure. That is no longer allowed so you would need to use four wire for a new install. The existing installation can remain.

 

[LarryFine]

The only way to have an effective fault-current pathway is to tie the EGCs to the neutrals like a service.

 

[electrofelon]

Looks like the panel is missing the green bonding screw. This is dangerous as there is no low impedance path back to the source. Dirt will not do it.

 

[marmathsen]

Looks like the panel is missing the green bonding screw. This is dangerous as there is no low impedance path back to the source. Dirt will not do it.

Yikes! Good eye!

So to be clear the only legal way to power the new 2nd shed would be to run from the house with an EGC or refeed the shed in the pictures with a 4-wire feeder and then from there to the new shed with an EGC. You couldn't legally wire from the existing shed as is correct?

Rob G - Seattle

 

[LarryFine]

Actually, I believe the suggestion is to run a new 4-wire feeder from the shed with the 3-wire feeder.

 

[electrofelon]

Actually, I believe the suggestion is to run a new 4-wire feeder from the shed with the 3-wire feeder.

Right. I don't see any issue running a new 4 wire feeder off the existing panel that is fed by a code compliant at the time 3 wire feeder.

 

[3oFElectric]

Right. I don't see any issue running a new 4 wire feeder off the existing panel that is fed by a code compliant at the time 3 wire feeder.

Just to clarify. The shed currently being powered by the 3 wire feeder was all done in 2022 by another electrician.

That's what struck me as strange because the current code would require him to have run an EGC from the house to the shed with the feeder.

As it stands now, the client wants everything to be corrected.

I was just wondering if I was missing something in the code that would have allowed a shed to be fed without an EGC.

 

[ptonsparky]

There should be a main breaker in the panel pictured.

 

[3oFElectric]

There should be a main breaker in the panel pictured.

Yes indeed. And that is also something I mentioned to the client. And they want that corrected as well.

 

[electrofelon]

Just to clarify. The shed currently being powered by the 3 wire feeder was all done in 2022 by another electrician.

That's what struck me as strange because the current code would require him to have run an EGC from the house to the shed with the feeder.

Doesn't sound like an electrician to me

 

[augie47]

Depending on the nature of his load you could convert it to a 120v feeder with EGC using the existing 3 wire.

 

[3oFElectric]

Depending on the nature of his load you could convert it to a 120v feeder with EGC using the existing 3 wire.

True. Only thing is they need 240 for a minisplit.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Looks like the panel is missing the green bonding screw. This is dangerous as there is no low impedance path back to the source. Dirt will not do it.

You must have seen that #6 bare.

 

[ptonsparky]

OMG!! You all is doomed!
That white wire coming off the top left two pole breaker is not reidentified as a hot!

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

The good news is. The green screw is still laying in the bottom of the panel.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Edit, look at the way the messenger is attached to the raceway. In a way it is bonded to the neutral.

 

[ptonsparky]

Edit, look at the way the messenger is attached to the raceway. In a way it is bonded to the neutral.

With a water pipe ground clamp!! Ingenious!

 

[electrofelon]

Looks like water has been getting in. I'd drill some weep holes in the LB and seal up the entry into the panel.