Sub-Panel clarification w/ AC cable

[hillbilly1]

Also, am I correct that this shouldn’t be bonded to the neutral bar in this sub-panel?

Correct, the finger with the green screw will also need to be removed. Looks like a ground bar will have to be installed since all you have is neutral bars. Some panels you can convert one of them to a ground bar, but that panel you cannot. Install a ground bar, and move all of the greens to it.

 

[nyc_terp]

Correct, the finger with the green screw will also need to be removed. Looks like a ground bar will have to be installed since all you have is neutral bars. Some panels you can convert one of them to a ground bar, but that panel you cannot. Install a ground bar, and move all of the greens to it.

Understood. I’ll do a search and see if I can find a ground bar for this particular panel.

Also, once I remove that finger under the ground screw and do as you said, the panel should be wired correctly, right?

i haven’t decided if I’m going to ask my friend to fix this or hire someone else but I’ll post pics once it’s updated.

thanks for everyone’s responses.

 

[hillbilly1]

Yes, nothing particularly dangerous right now, so you don't have to lose sleep over it! LOL! Whats the loose wires at the bottom for?

 

[nyc_terp]

Yes, nothing particularly dangerous right now, so you don't have to lose sleep over it! LOL! Whats the loose wires at the bottom for?

it’s for a 50A circuit for an electrical vehicle charger. That’s what initially prompted me to open up the panel! Luckily, with this whole stay at home order, I haven’t take delivery yet so it’s not a pressing matter at this time.

 

[hillbilly1]

it’s for a 50A circuit for an electrical vehicle charger. That’s what initially prompted me to open up the panel! Luckily, with this whole stay at home order, I haven’t take delivery yet so it’s not a pressing matter at this time.

You might want to check the breaker size feeding the panel, it's a 100 amp main, but that looks like #6 feeding that main. If its a 50, it may put a crimp in your EV plans.

 

[nyc_terp]

You might want to check the breaker size feeding the panel, it's a 100 amp main, but that looks like #6 feeding that main. If its a 50, it may put a crimp in your EV plans.

its a 100A breaker in the sub panel but only a 60a feed coming from the main. That’s okay, right?

 

[hillbilly1]

its a 100A breaker in the sub panel but only a 60a feed coming from the main. That’s okay, right?

Depending on what that panel full of breakers actual load is, you may wake up with a not fully charged EV when the 60 amp trips. Unless its a Tesla, the EV load will probably be around 21 amps or more. Tesla will be more, but I'm not familar with the actual amp draw on those. Most EV chargers are 40 amp ocp. So if your doing 50, I would venture a guess your getting a Tesla!

 

[nyc_terp]

Depending on what that panel full of breakers actual load is, you may wake up with a not fully charged EV when the 60 amp trips. Unless its a Tesla, the EV load will probably be around 21 amps or more. Tesla will be more, but I'm not familar with the actual amp draw on those. Most EV chargers are 40 amp ocp. So if your doing 50, I would venture a guess your getting a Tesla!

You guessed it! Getting a Tesla. It draws 40A. I’m only going to be charging at night since I can schedule the Tesla to charge that way and this panel serves only living room, dining room and bedrooms so the draw at night would be minimum.

 

[hillbilly1]

Your probably ok then, I would also venture a guess that most of your lighting is LED too. Did quite a few EV chargers commercially a few years back, looks like we are getting into them again. Met with a new customer that services them last week. We are doing a fast charger in Oregon right now.

 

[hbiss]

THERE it is! That's the ground, or EGC bus.

I don't think so. Where in the panel is that? It appears to be the neutral bar on the left but whatever the case the bond needs to be removed.

What the heck are all those small wires going nowhere at the top of the panel? They appear to be the bond wires from the AC cables that should have been wrapped back at the connector. That's truly amateur work.

-Hal

 

[LarryFine]

I don't think so. Where in the panel is that? It appears to be the neutral bar on the left but whatever the case the bond needs to be removed.

Being horizontal, I thought we were looking at a third bus attached to the top of the enclosure.

If it's one of the neutral buses, and the picture was rotated, then that is NOT an EGC bus, and one is still needed.

 

[hbiss]

Being horizontal, I thought we were looking at a third bus attached to the top of the enclosure.

If it's one of the neutral buses, and the picture was rotated, then that is NOT an EGC bus, and one is still needed.

I enlarged the first picture and looked at the top, no sign of it. True, you should have a ground bar but if you have nothing needing an EGC why bother? But this case now you apparently do. No way to tell where that single ground goes and judging from the mess, the person who did it had no idea either. Probably doesn't belong there and can be cut off.

You really need a qualified EC to clean it up as well as advise on connecting your EV charger. Why would you want to connect a high amperage item it to a small sub panel instead of the main panel anyway?

I don't know what's going on here. This looks like a DIY project to me.

-Hal

 

[nyc_terp]

I enlarged the first picture and looked at the top, no sign of it. True, you should have a ground bar but if you have nothing needing an EGC why bother? But this case now you apparently do. No way to tell where that single ground goes and judging from the mess, the person who did it had no idea either. Probably doesn't belong there and can be cut off.

You really need a qualified EC to clean it up as well as advise on connecting your EV charger. Why would you want to connect a high amperage item it to a small sub panel instead of the main panel anyway?

I don't know what's going on here. This looks like a DIY project to me.

-Hal

Appreciate it. After seeing what my friend did, I think I’m definitely going to have a licensed electrician take a look at it once this whole pandemic passes.

You’re right, that picture rotated automatically when I uploaded it. That is on the right side of the panel and it’s tied into the neutral bar on the right.

I ran the AC for the EV myself once my friend told me it shouldn’t be a problem to run it to the sub-panel but now I’m worried.

 

[nyc_terp]

I enlarged the first picture and looked at the top, no sign of it. True, you should have a ground bar but if you have nothing needing an EGC why bother? But this case now you apparently do. No way to tell where that single ground goes and judging from the mess, the person who did it had no idea either. Probably doesn't belong there and can be cut off.

You really need a qualified EC to clean it up as well as advise on connecting your EV charger. Why would you want to connect a high amperage item it to a small sub panel instead of the main panel anyway?

I don't know what's going on here. This looks like a DIY project to me.

-Hal

Following up on this, I did some more research on the Tesla charger. My intent is to install a NEMA 14-50 charger. Per this link from Tesla's website (https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector), it looks like the max draw will only be 32AMP. Would that be okay on the 60A panel hbiss?

Haven't been able to get an electrician to come in yet b/c of the stay at home orders FYI.