Old EKR Archives: Subject - sub panel
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bobbamuzz
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can I gfi protect a sub panel?
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kbsparky
| Sure. WE have used a 50 Amp 2-pole GFI breaker to protect a sub-panel that supplies pool equipment, for example. That can offer a significant cost savings, especially if you have more than one piece of equipment requiring GFI protection.
You may still be required to use additional GFI protection on an underwater light, as GFI feeder protection is not sufficient. 680.23(A)(3) requires the protection to be placed in the branch circuit regardless of whether the feeder is protected or not.
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bobbamuzz
| I was going for the low cost....It is a sub panel for a pool house, the maor loads will consist of a 240v pump ( which I wasn't sure about how to protect), 240v pool heater, gp outlet and lights for the pool house.
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GalwayElectric
| I have another sub panel question. I often heard the neutral in a subpanel refered to as "floating". I know it can not be bonded to the panel. My question is that when you screw the neutral with screws that go through the neutral bar and into the panel, isn't it really bonded to the panel that way? I mean you dont use plastic screws obviously. You may not be using a bonding screw or strap but unless you use insulating cherries it's bonded to the panel isn't it?
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kbsparky
| Unless you have installed the box bonding screw or strap, the neutral is not bonded to the box. Usually, it's mounted on some sort of plastic tabs, or base of the panel guts.
OTOH, a ground bar is mounted on the enclosure, and cannot be used as a neutral terminal unless you are dealing with a service entrance panel, and a suitable jumper wire has been installed from the main neutral to the supplemental bar.
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Thewiredoc
| Bobbamuzz it sounds like to me maybe you under bid the job which is too bad but, you should not try to cut corners when it comes to safety esp. involving pools and get some advice on how to properly wire the pool and protect the equipment.
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greg007
| If you bond the neutral and ground at the sub panel, than stray currents from the neutral return could go through the equipment ground on the devices fed from the sub panel. If you isolate the neutral and ground at the sub panel, than any stray currents would go back to the main panel, and go to the service ground. The main panel is where you should bond the neutral and ground.
Greg
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jwhite
| quote:
Originally posted by greg007
If you bond the neutral and ground at the sub panel, than stray currents from the neutral return could go through the equipment ground
This may be semantics greg, but if you bond the neutral and ground at the sub panel, the ground wire WOULD, not COULD share the neutral load, in effect making it a current carrying conductor. The metal enclosure of the subpanel would also be carrying current.
Electricity does not take the path of least resistance, it takes every possible path.
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greg007
| Yes, JWhite definitely semantics. Don't be a 
Greg 
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