home inspector write ups

mrrblass

Had a home inspection done. Here are 2 things i want to fix. The sub-panel in my garage has the ground and neutral wires both attached to the neutral bus bar. I know the ground wire must be removed but what do i do with it? There is no ground bus bar in the panel.

Next question- The garage sub-panel has fuses. The wire run through the garage is 12/2. Two circuits have 15 amp fuses. The other circuit with two lines running out of it has a 30 amp fuse. What size fuses should i be using.

Speedy Petey

If the feeder run to the garage is only three wires then this is correct. It is untrue that all sub-panels must have the grounds and neutrals isolated.
For a detached structure a 3-wire feeder is legal in some instances.

If you are sure ALL the branch circuits are at least #12 then 20 amp fuses are fine.

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Sometimes I feel like if I answer any more questions it is like someone trying to climb over a fence to jump off a bridge and me giving them a boost.

mrrblass

do i have to go to a 40 amp fuse for the circuit with two lines running out of it?

mrrblass

also, i live in NY. The inspector wrote up the ground being attached to the neutral bus as a problem. So, i am assuming i have to fix it. What other options do i have for the ground wire. Like i said there is no ground bus to attach it to.

jwhite

No single fuse or breaker should have more than one wire connected to it. It is ok to have one short bit of wire on the fuse and use a wirenut to pig tail this to two lines.

The breaker or fuse size is based on the smallest wire connected to it in that circuit. Do Not increase the size of that fuse. If the wires connected to it are number 14 use a 15 amp fuse. If they are number 12 use a 20 amp fuse.

If this causes the fuse to overload and blow, then you will need to add more circuits to what ever that circuit feeds.

Also you did not say if your garage is attached or detached. It matters here in determining if your grounding is done correctly.

mrrblass

It is a detached garage.

jwhite

Check to see that there is a ground rod at the detached gargage. Leave the ground and neutral bonded and run a wire to the ground rod. no 6 wire.

Speedy Petey

You also did not say if there are three or four wires run to the garage.
Like I said, if it is three you are fine and should NOT change anything, except making sure there is a ground rod.

__________________
Sometimes I feel like if I answer any more questions it is like someone trying to climb over a fence to jump off a bridge and me giving them a boost.

joed

The size of the wire feeding the panel determines the size of the fuses not the total of the fuses in the panel. Two 15 amp fuses does not mean use 30 amp fuses for the feeder.
What size and type of wire feeds this panel? If you have no ground wire in the feeder then you can not split the neutral from the ground in the sub panel. If you have a separate ground wire in the feeder then you need to go out and buy a ground bar kit for the panel.