[jailbird371]

I had an electrician out to install a 100amp sub-panel. My main breaker had no slots left. The new one will be just for the home theater I'm building. I posted this photo on a home theater forum that I go to. They noticed that the electrician I hired did not run a ground from the main panel. They also stated that he used the wrong type of connectors on the conduit. I questioned him on running the ground and he stated that the conduit acts as a ground in this situation. I thought that a ground wire needed to be run when installing a subpanel. If it does, does the ground need to be housed in conduit? What do you all think?

 

[Plumber101]

I think that if the main panel is bonded then the conduit to the sub panel is acceptable as a ground.

 

[Bigplanz]

Did you get it inspected?

 

[jailbird371]

Did you get it inspected?

No, I didn't.

 

[InPhase277]

Tell the hacks on the home theater forum to stick to home theatering...

That is actually a better looking install than most pics we get here. The conduit is a legal ground when properly installed. I personally always pull a ground, but I'm OCD like that. The type of connectors used is fine, as long as they were tightened by wrench or pliers.

Just judging by the way the setup looks, I'd say the installer cared enough to do it right, and everything is fine. I would have bent my conduit different, but it is still fine.

P.S.: You do need a ground bar in the panel, however. I don't see one in there..

 

[jailbird371]

Tell the hacks on the home theater forum to stick to home theatering...

:laughing:

Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

 

[jailbird371]

Just for the record....it wasn't the home theater forum on this site.

 

[Speedy Petey]

Tell the hacks on the home theater forum to stick to home theatering...

That is actually a better looking install than most pics we get here. The conduit is a legal ground when properly installed. I personally always pull a ground, but I'm OCD like that. The type of connectors used is fine, as long as they were tightened by wrench or pliers.

Just judging by the way the setup looks, I'd say the installer cared enough to do it right, and everything is fine. I would have bent my conduit different, but it is still fine.

P.S.: You do need a ground bar in the panel, however. I don't see one in there..

Agree on all points.

Personally I would have mounted a clean painted plywood board to the foundation and mounted the panel to that.

Does your area require the use of conduit?
Was this a side-job from a union or commercial/industrial electrician? That is the impression I get.

 

[mgarfield]

Just wondering, as I plan on having a sub panel ran into my garage... If conduit can/is being used as the ground does thee 90 to the panel need to be metal too, or is the use of plastic ok? Or is it metal and just looks to be PVC in the pic.

 

[jailbird371]

Was this a side-job from a union or commercial/industrial electrician? That is the impression I get.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Wow! You're good! Exactly! (commercial)

 

[jailbird371]

Just wondering, as I plan on having a sub panel ran into my garage... If conduit can/is being used as the ground does thee 90 to the panel need to be metal too, or is the use of plastic ok? Or is it metal and just looks to be PVC in the pic.

I thought the same thing, but I "think" it is aluminum.

 

[jbfan]

Just wondering, as I plan on having a sub panel ran into my garage... If conduit can/is being used as the ground does thee 90 to the panel need to be metal too, or is the use of plastic ok? Or is it metal and just looks to be PVC in the pic.

If using the conduit as ground, it has to be metal all the way.
The lb is potmetal, and looks like pvc.

Add the extra $$$ and run a ground wire.

 

[jailbird371]

I don't mind having a ground run to be safe, but does it have to be run in a conduit? Can it be a fleible conduit like "smurf tube" I don't think it is feasable to run another one like he did...at least in the same place.

 

[mgarfield]

Ok, cool. And that is some nice wire work.

 

[jailbird371]

The lb is potmetal, and looks like pvc.

That makes a lot of sense!

 

[Jupe Blue]

It's hard to tell from the picture... what size conduit did your electrician run and what size wire did he put in it? Are both sized correctly for a 100a sub-panel?

IMO, I don't think that it's a very pretty conduit installation. I would have tried to set the panel so I could have taken the conduit into the top of panel. Perhaps by bending a 90 with a kick to bump it out from the horizontal beam.

 

[jailbird371]

It's hard to tell from the picture... what size conduit did your electrician run and what size wire did he put in it? Are both sized correctly for a 100a sub-panel?

IMO, I don't think that it's a very pretty conduit installation. I would have tried to set the panel so I could have taken the conduit into the top of panel. Perhaps by bending a 90 with a kick to bump it out from the horizontal beam.

Not sure about the conduit, but the wire is 3 gauge.

 

[220/221]

If conduit can/is being used as the ground does thee 90 to the panel need to be metal too, or is the use of plastic ok?

Think about it for just a minute :jester:


I would have made it more asthetically pleasing but it's NEC compliant. In my area, we must pull a ground. Never a bad idea IMO.

 

[greengoat]

He should of used a bonding bushing at least those look like concentric knockouts to me.

 

[J. V.]

You are good to go. Install a ground terminal asap. Like InPhase said. Before you forget. Keep the grounds and neutrals separated. Make sure the installer did not install the green screw into the neutral bus and enclosure. If he did, remove it.

The conduit looks like a DIY install, but is satisfactory. That LB was not needed. It could have been done better/neater.