Originally Posted By: Brettski
I learned something from this, Chris.
Regretfully, it assures me that there are others (like myself) that are very handy and certain that they have hooked things up correctly because everything works and the 3-light plug checker shows "all systems go". Maybe they really aren't...?
For instance, I know that I have a sub-panel out in my garage of my principal residence. I also know that the neutrals and the grounds are all connected to the same buss bar inside the subpanel load center within the garage. This should also be changed to isolate the grounds from the neutrals....right?


It kind of stinks for me, too, b/c sometimes (I just recently had this happen, actually) you go into a remodel and notice that things are not safe or not to code, and it is my responsibility to bring these items up to code (especially if I work on any part of the area) even though I may not have been hired for that specific purpose. And, some people aren't too happy about having to pay for work done when "things were workin' fine before" (their quote) \:\) .

What you did, although it could potentially be dangerous, is not too bad, since the likely hood of the neutral becoming open is not great. However, the potential is there, and that is what most of the codes in the NEC are designed for.

Is the sub-panel in the garage wired like the ones at your property, with two hots, a neutral, and a ground coming from the main to the sub? If so, then yes, the neutral bar should be isolated from the metal enclosure, and a seperate ground bar should be used for the grounds.

-Chris
1 acre pond
Currently managing:
FHM, GSH, GSF, BG, PS, RES, LES, YP, SMB, LMB, HSB, RBT, WE, CC, FHC, and Grass Shrimp