More electical, no booze though.

Beef15

Beef15

B or somesuch
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
3,364
Location
Forsyth
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
So I have a small detached garage which currently has a two circuit fuse box. I'd like to bring it out of the 1800s and put in a breaker box with more space for circuits and a 220 outlet.
What type of box would I need?
My understanding is with three wire (2 hots and a neutral) coming in I'll need to tie the ground and neutral buss together?

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk
 
Does this compute? Grounds to one bar (3) and neutral to another (2).
tWhrYMP.jpg
 
Last edited:
SilvrSRT10 said:
Does this compute? Grounds to one bar (3) and neutral to another (2).
tWhrYMP.jpg
Click to expand...
I get that with four conductors coming from the main panel, I only have three direct buried. I understand it would not meet code to install this system today as you must have four conductors from the main since '05 but since it was installed in '68 or so it's my understanding that the panel can be replaced without running another conductor.

From what I read elsewhere, not necessarily correct, one must tie the ground in such a system to nuetral to keep the ground impedance low enough for GFIs to be functional. Is this incorrect?

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk
 
You'll tie your receptacle/switch grounds to the neutral buss but you'll add a ground wire to the ground buss and drive 2 ground rods to connect it to....or something like that. I'd pay an electrician a trip fee to come out and look/give advice. Don't do a free estimate thing unless you intend to hire them, be upfront and pay them a trip fee and I think you'll get the advice your looking for.
 
Last edited:
Keep ground separate.
Run a #6 solid from inside the panel from the ground bus to a ground rod outside. My suggestion is to drive at least 3 ground rods, no more than 8' between them, and use one continuous run of #6 to connect all 3 together, then up into the panel to the ground bus.

FYI-
ground is like insurance.... the more you have, the better you're protected.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi, what is the distance from the main panel to this new panel?
 
1911gobang said:
Keep ground separate.
Run a #6 solid from inside the panel from the ground bus to a ground rod outside. My suggestion is to drive at least 3 ground rods, no more than 8' between them, and use one continuous run of #6 to connect all 3 together, then up into the panel to the ground bus.
Click to expand...
I read this think it sounds like an RF grounding setup, then I saw who posted :)

That would work, but is more than required for a 220v panel.

Thinking about it some more, the thing to remember is that current flows in a loop, going back to the source. Your secondary panel is not a derived secondary, but rather on a feeder circuit from the main panel. A ground fault will try to return to the main. This is why it should be (ground) bonded back to the main.

A GFCI circuit will help protect you on a non grounded circuit, but may nuisance trip more and won't like inductive loads.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom