What's right?

[Charlie Bob]

I ran into this one last week.
Customer wants disconnect outside.( I've posted previusly about same job)
The panel box inside is 200 amp, Ground and neutral needs to be separated at panelbox. Everything fine.
Here's the thing: This panel box feeds 2 different 60 amp fuse boxes with 3 wire ( 2Hots and 1Neutral ).
-Would you advice the customer to replace this boxes too?
-This would mean a big job plus very expensive?
-Would these boxes be granfather in?

I know the neutral being bonded at these boxes would offer a parallel path for neutral current, but tho HO just want a disconnet outside.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Aa per code the sub panels must have the neutral isolated from the eqipment ground.

 

[TOOL_5150]

Like i said in the other forum:

I would not bond the neutral to the boxes.

I would either a) hook them back up in the main panel as they were.
or b) replace the 2 boxes and feeds with smaller panels and a 4 wire feed.

~Matt

 

[hurk27]

I ran into this one last week.
Customer wants disconnect outside.( I've posted previously about same job)
The panel box inside is 200 amp, Ground and neutral needs to be separated at panel box. Everything fine.
Here's the thing: This panel box feeds 2 different 60 amp fuse boxes with 3 wire ( 2Hots and 1Neutral ).
-Would you advice the customer to replace this boxes too?
-This would mean a big job plus very expensive?
-Would these boxes be grandfather in?

I know the neutral being bonded at these boxes would offer a parallel path for neutral current, but tho HO just want a disconnect outside.

No they are not covered by any grandfathering.

Here is why, you can not change or upgrade something if it causes anything else to become a code violation that might not have been to begin with, very common situation is a 3-wire range or dryer feed, where someone relocates a service using the old panel as a sub panel, the exception for the 3-wire only allows it if fed from the main service panel. Violation 1, and the sub panels would now have to have the grounding and neutrals separated violation 2 installing a disconnect outside can now even cause the main panel become a violation if the grounding and neutrals are not separated or if there is any old 3-wire range/dryer feeds from it. and now the GECs all have to terminate at this disconnect, not in the old main panel.

No grandfather laws cover any existing violation if they were always a violation even back when they were installed.

 

[hurk27]

Just explain to the HO that in doing this creates several code violations that you will have to correct, and it would not be cost effective to install a disconnect outside.