[sweiss17]

Hi Folks,
Below the meter is a fused cutoff. I'm confused as to whether the main panel is technically to be wired like a sub-panel with neutrals and grounds separate leaving the grounds and neutrals connected in some manor in the bottom half of the meter cabinet where the fused cutoff is.
Thanks for your comments,
Seth

 

[hlopez77]

What type of home is it?

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[joed]

The first point of disconnect is where the neutral and ground are bonded. All other points are four wire feed with separate neutral grounds. The fused disconnect at the meter is the only point where the neutral and ground should be bonded.

 

[sweiss17]

Joed, thanks for your answer, I suspected something like that but I couldn't find it in the nec. This home is a 1950s split with a mix of wiring; cloth, romex, bx, etc. It had two meters, the second was an off-peak meter for electric hot water. I had that removed leaving me with meter, disconnect, then two branches into two small panels: a CB panel and a fuse panel. I would like to replace the two panels with one 100-amp CB panel...hence the question about main vs. sub-panel and grounding.

 

[chetwisner]

Hi Folks,
Below the meter is a fused cutoff. I'm confused as to whether the main panel is technically to be wired like a sub-panel with neutrals and grounds separate leaving the grounds and neutrals connected in some manor in the bottom half of the meter cabinet where the fused cutoff is.
Thanks for your comments,
Seth

No, the main is the only place where the neutrals and grounds are to be bonded. Subpanels keep their neutrals and grounds separate.

 

[seharper]

Yup, the neutral-ground bond is a very specific thing, called the Neutral-Ground Equipotential Bond. It has several jobs that it can only do properly if there is one of them in the entire service (utility meter). Code specifies that be at the first "main" circuit breaker past the meter.

 

[rjniles]

My house was built in 1988 (several owners ago) with a 200 amp service. Next to the meter is the 200 amp service disconnect; the GEC and ground rod are bonded to the service neutral at that disconnect. From the load side of the disconnect a 4-0 aluminum SE cable (2 hots and concentric neutral) runs to the panel in the house. All the branch circuit neutrals and grounds are connected to the neutral bar in this panel.

Under today's NEC this is wrong and there should have been a 4 wire feed run from the service disconnect to this panel and grounds and neutral separated. 1 don't know if this was compliant when it was done but it obviously passed inspection. I really don't see an issue with it. All the neutral current from a branch circuit is returned on the neutral and in the event of a ground fault the neutral provides the path back to the transformer to clear the fault.

I have seen many houses locally that are wired exactly the same way and I have no plans to change mine.

 

[AllanJ]

The house may have had a service cable from the meter box directly to the inside panel. At a later date a service disconnect was added at the meter, possibly with a new meter box or new meter location. Meanwhile the original panel was not modified or updated for better or worse.

I would be surprised if an entire neighborhood had meters replaced or updated in this manner and grounds and neutrals not separated in the respective former main panels.

 

[jbfan]

My house was built in 1988 (several owners ago) with a 200 amp service. Next to the meter is the 200 amp service disconnect; the GEC and ground rod are bonded to the service neutral at that disconnect. From the load side of the disconnect a 4-0 aluminum SE cable (2 hots and concentric neutral) runs to the panel in the house. All the branch circuit neutrals and grounds are connected to the neutral bar in this panel.

Under today's NEC this is wrong and there should have been a 4 wire feed run from the service disconnect to this panel and grounds and neutral separated. 1 don't know if this was compliant when it was done but it obviously passed inspection. I really don't see an issue with it. All the neutral current from a branch circuit is returned on the neutral and in the event of a ground fault the neutral provides the path back to the transformer to clear the fault.

I have seen many houses locally that are wired exactly the same way and I have no plans to change mine.

The same with my house, built about the same time frame.

 

[sweiss17]

This all clarifies and not only that, it makes sense when you think about it. Thanks to all. Carry on....
Seth