Running Wires from Service Meter Combo Panel to Main House Panel
Hello to all.
Background: I’m rehabbing a house on a rural property in a small (population) county in Washington State which doesn’t have a mechanism to ask the code inspector. I’m looking for clarification on running wires from a service meter combo panel with a main disconnect to a main panel in the house.
The meter / combo panel is about 50 feet from the house on a pole.
The panel has a main disconnect, a area for some breakers, and then two lugs and a lug 0n the ground / neutral bar. These are bonded with grounds running off the pole to double ground rods.
The house has a new 40/80 panel. 6′ from the entrance of underground conduit that runs in a crawl space to the panel.
These two are connected with 2″ PVC conduit, 24 inches in the ground.
I am getting ready to run the feeder / service wire between them. It is sized for 200 amp service. 00 awg copper for the 3 conductors and I have 1 awg for the ground, if I need the ground which comes to the question.
The code has a reference, if the house is the main load, I can run the wires from the combo panel to the house panel with or without a ground.
Do I need to keep the neutral and ground separate in the house main panel, or should I bond that panel? The code just states I can treat this as a main service panel, to me that says it can and should be bonded.
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Replies
This is pretty much a "mobile home" style setup, where you need to keep the ground and neutral seperate in the house, and have the ground/neutral bond at, and only at, that main disconnect on the pole. Since you already have the 4 wire cable, I would just do that and be done with it. No ground/neutral bond in the panel in the house. It wouldn't hurt to add another ground rod at the house, tied into the ground bar in that main panel though (and that's something I would do myself). You also need to remember to ground the water system in the house to that electrical ground, that's something people often forget to do.
BTW, convention is to write the "ought" size wires as 2/0, 4/0, etc., not "00" or "0000". Your cable would then be 3 x 2/0 + #1 gnd cable.
Bill
Bill,
Thanks, I was looking at the other option so I wouldn't need to add another set of ground bars to the new panel. I am using a plug on neutral and that makes it a bit neater in the panel to use the same bars on both sides. I do have plenty of space to add the new bars.
I'll stick to conventions, was just trying to save characters on the wire gage.
Is there any code concern if I do bond this panel. It seems the code would allow it?
Thanks
Ron