Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
This is an old install (about late 1960's early 70's) that is getting some major work done but no service changes yet, HO says that is on phase 2 of his renovation (doesn't make sense but). Meter/disconnect combo 200amp, about 200ft from house (and has a Kohler 50kw gen up by disconnect both added later not necessarily pertinent), bonding and ground rods is evident at meter disconnect. Main panel at house also has neutral/ground bonded. Is this a violation and creating parallel paths? Could this be one reason of seeing evidence of heating of the breakers and wires in the main panel as well as one of the subpanel run from this main panel? (Old Westinghouse main panel 200A and old Murray subpanel 100A) (There is also a newer SD 60A sub.) Did measurement of temperature on a couple of occasions during partial deservicing for renovations being done showed 20-25oF above ambient of nearby breakers on breakers showing heat degradation.
2nd question is on the subpanel that is there, beyond issue that most of all the grounds have been terminated under a single terminal lug bolted to the EGC no bus, I have several 240V circuits run with 10/2 NM that the bare ground conductor is terminated on the nuetral bus, (appears to be the water heater, sewage grinder pump, and an electric heater a couple of other yet to be identified) is this right or wrong?
Side note: All wiring the old NM, no NM-B (other than from newer SD sub). Did load calculations for house as every panel loaded except the SD 8 space that still had 3 slots. Calculations were done because HO wants to add a Tesla charger. I came up with it requiring 258 Amps based on sqft and some of the known loads. My recommendation has been do the upgrades now, money doesn't seem to be issue, seems more of timing, he wanted to be in for the holidays. But now his current "appearances upgrades" are going to take him out past that timeline anyway, and are opening walls, so going to push for the upgrades now rather than "phase 2". Is there, from my post, sufficient justification to push for the upgrades now rather than later other than convenience of walls being opened? And there does not seem to have sufficient capacity for the addition of the 50A Tesla charger. Any code reasons? (Please specify) Recommendations?
2nd question is on the subpanel that is there, beyond issue that most of all the grounds have been terminated under a single terminal lug bolted to the EGC no bus, I have several 240V circuits run with 10/2 NM that the bare ground conductor is terminated on the nuetral bus, (appears to be the water heater, sewage grinder pump, and an electric heater a couple of other yet to be identified) is this right or wrong?
Side note: All wiring the old NM, no NM-B (other than from newer SD sub). Did load calculations for house as every panel loaded except the SD 8 space that still had 3 slots. Calculations were done because HO wants to add a Tesla charger. I came up with it requiring 258 Amps based on sqft and some of the known loads. My recommendation has been do the upgrades now, money doesn't seem to be issue, seems more of timing, he wanted to be in for the holidays. But now his current "appearances upgrades" are going to take him out past that timeline anyway, and are opening walls, so going to push for the upgrades now rather than "phase 2". Is there, from my post, sufficient justification to push for the upgrades now rather than later other than convenience of walls being opened? And there does not seem to have sufficient capacity for the addition of the 50A Tesla charger. Any code reasons? (Please specify) Recommendations?