Homeownerinburb
Member
OK, here is another one.
House built in the late '30s. Several additions. Pool in the back yard. Garage with rooms below opening out to pool.
The two buildings have four, count them, four panels! Two each! What is the current main panel (and is VERY close to the pole) is a newish 200 amp affair with plenty of spaces. It has one 20 amp single pole breaker, and one 100 amp two pole breaker that feeds a (100 amp!) sub panel on the exact opposite side of the house. There is a suitable ground bond between panel one and two.
Two also is pretty recent. But all the neutrals in this panel are bonded to the case of the panel. So I'll be addressing that. I also don't see any ground on panel two except as it is bonded to one. It certainly would do no HARM if two had a dedicated rod. I need to crack open one and see what is there.
The second panel has a 50 amp two pole breaker that feeds an old pushmatic panel under the garage. That has eight spaces and no main breaker. Also, there is no grounding bond between the pushmatic panel and panel #2. There is not even a metallic path, as there is plastic conduit entering the pushmatic. It is 3/4" flex leaving panel two. I hate to think about it.
The pushmatic has a 50 amp 2 pole breaker that feeds the FOURTH panel (with a bonding conductor), on the side of the building, that feeds all the pool equipment.
I feel I must:
Correct the neutrals bonded to ground in the 2nd panel.
Replace the pushmatic with a modern bit of gear with ample spaces, and then create a proper ground for its main breaker and the branch circuits to see should a fault occur. I would be driving a rod and there is plumbing running underground readily to be tapped into. I appreciate that I have no bond between two and three, but there is no way that the wire is going to pull out and be replaced, and there are acres and acres of brick in the way.
Finally, I have no clue as to what date the pool was built or what bonding requirements were applied to it. There is a jacuzzi and lights, of course. The pool equipment look pretty modern to me, but I don't care to speculate as to how well installed it is, nor if it is the 2nd set of pumps and filters.
Question: Is it wisdom, folly or pointless to feed panel #4 from a 50 amp GFI breaker in panel three?
And please don't beat me up over the lack of bond between two and three. I did not build it that way, and it would cost thousands to correct. I need to find a way to protect all the circuits on the outbuilding and the feed underground is just going to have to take its chances. Hell. I could replace the 50 amp breaker in #2 with a GFI, if that seemed a good bet.
House built in the late '30s. Several additions. Pool in the back yard. Garage with rooms below opening out to pool.
The two buildings have four, count them, four panels! Two each! What is the current main panel (and is VERY close to the pole) is a newish 200 amp affair with plenty of spaces. It has one 20 amp single pole breaker, and one 100 amp two pole breaker that feeds a (100 amp!) sub panel on the exact opposite side of the house. There is a suitable ground bond between panel one and two.
Two also is pretty recent. But all the neutrals in this panel are bonded to the case of the panel. So I'll be addressing that. I also don't see any ground on panel two except as it is bonded to one. It certainly would do no HARM if two had a dedicated rod. I need to crack open one and see what is there.
The second panel has a 50 amp two pole breaker that feeds an old pushmatic panel under the garage. That has eight spaces and no main breaker. Also, there is no grounding bond between the pushmatic panel and panel #2. There is not even a metallic path, as there is plastic conduit entering the pushmatic. It is 3/4" flex leaving panel two. I hate to think about it.
The pushmatic has a 50 amp 2 pole breaker that feeds the FOURTH panel (with a bonding conductor), on the side of the building, that feeds all the pool equipment.
I feel I must:
Correct the neutrals bonded to ground in the 2nd panel.
Replace the pushmatic with a modern bit of gear with ample spaces, and then create a proper ground for its main breaker and the branch circuits to see should a fault occur. I would be driving a rod and there is plumbing running underground readily to be tapped into. I appreciate that I have no bond between two and three, but there is no way that the wire is going to pull out and be replaced, and there are acres and acres of brick in the way.
Finally, I have no clue as to what date the pool was built or what bonding requirements were applied to it. There is a jacuzzi and lights, of course. The pool equipment look pretty modern to me, but I don't care to speculate as to how well installed it is, nor if it is the 2nd set of pumps and filters.
Question: Is it wisdom, folly or pointless to feed panel #4 from a 50 amp GFI breaker in panel three?
And please don't beat me up over the lack of bond between two and three. I did not build it that way, and it would cost thousands to correct. I need to find a way to protect all the circuits on the outbuilding and the feed underground is just going to have to take its chances. Hell. I could replace the 50 amp breaker in #2 with a GFI, if that seemed a good bet.