Greetings to all,

Attached to this Thread is a picture of my GE Load Center. The Load Center is rated for up to 125Amps; however, I will use it as a 100Amp Subpanel using a #4 Feed Wires that are rated for up to 100Amps.

If you notice I did some Annotations on the picture. The Feeder Cable I will use is a #4 SER Cable consisting of 2 Hot Black Wires, 1 Neutral White Wire and 1 Ground Wire; however, as you may notice this Load Center have not only 4 slots for feeder wires but 5 SLOTS; it appears that the Neutral Feeder Slot in the Panel have Two Slots instead of One; I need to know why is there two slots to connect two Neutrals Feeder Wires, when most Setups only use one Neutral Feeder Wire???

Also, if you notice I did not bonded the Neutral Bus Bar at the left of this panel; the Code requires it that way because this is a Subpanel. However, the Ground Bus Bar at the right of this panel is Bonded with the Green Screw so I will only connect there Ground Bare Wires; I also bought an additional Grounding Kit Bar to have more Grounding spaces available.

Please feel free to make any comments.


Thank you a lot.


Jos

 

The extra lug on the neutral side would be for a GEC from a ground rod or water line or any other electrode. It will remain unused on your panel

 

Hi PJmax,

You wrote: "You have two neutral bars." Well, surely there are two Neutral bus bars BUT because I am using the Green Screw to bonded the Right one it's converted into a Ground bus bar.

You also wrote: "They are connected internally." I have to highly disagree with you about that. I know about Load Centers, Main Breakers, etc. that have the Neutral Bars internally connected, BUT this one is not, as in the right Neutral bus bar plastic base there are Printings from the Manufacturer that reads that there should be installed the Ground Bonding Screw if that side want to be used as a Ground bus bar, but not even the instructions mentioned that doing so will bond the other Neutral bus bar to ground too. So they must be separated in this Load Center, otherwise it will not make any sense to have the possibility of use the Green Screw to convert one of the Neutral bars into a Ground bar if both will be converted into Ground bars and therefore you will have, not even one Neutral bar left.

The 14 Holes additional Ground bus bar that you see attached to the panel metal surface it was not included I just installed it to have more Ground spaces available... yes what I can do is to only use that additional 14 Holes Ground bar as the only ground bar, then remove the Green Screw from the bonded to ground Neutral bus bar, and I will have two Neutral bus bars to connect only White Neutral wires... but NO, they are NOT connected internally in this Load Center model, I'm sure.

Thanks for your reply.

Jos

 

One way to be sure if they are connected to each other would be to check continuity with an Ohm meter.
Geo

 

I had a hard time reading the print in your picture. I was able to grab the model number.
You are correct...... the left bar is neutral only and the right is ground via the bond screw.

With most panels..... those two bars are tied together internally with a separate ground bar added.

 

pcbosss,

Excellent. Thanks for clarifying what that additional lug on the Neutral is for.

However.... This Subpanel is installed in a detached from the main house location separated by a short distance of like 3 feet, but I decided that I will still use a Ground Rod for this Subpanel as the Code requires so for Subpanels located at any detached location from the Main House.

I will use a 8feet Copper Ground Rod at a maximum of 45degrees with a #6 ground wire. But I was thinking to install that #6 ground wire from the ground rod to the additional Ground Bus bar at the Subpanel.

I think I still cannot connect the Ground Rod wire to the additional Neutral Lug because this is a Subpanel; maybe the Ground Rod wire can be connected that way in a Main Breaker Panel where the Neutral and Ground can be bonded. So even that I will use a Ground Rod I will leave that additional Neutral Lug unused.


Thank you a lot.

Jos

 

PJmax,

Correct. Thanks for that specific diagram of this Load Center model. And yes, definitely you are right that most panels have the Neutral bars tied together internally; I have even saw a few panels that have them tied together in a way that you can see them connected at simple sight.

I appreciate your reply.

Jos

 

Correct, use a bar on the right side for the conductor from the rod.

If this was a service panel the two bars would be bonded together and to the enclosure. The extra lug could then be used.

 

pcboss,

Perfect.

And finally, as for the Sizes of the Feeder Wires:

What size should I use if I want this Subpanel to be use as a 100Amp Subpanel?

Can I use #4 in Copper or should I go with #3 or maybe #2 Copper?

Or should I use #2, #1 or 1/0 in Aluminum???

Note: The Main Breaker at the Main Panel consist of 100Amps Main Breaker; Can I use a Feeder Wire with a higher amperage rating as long as the Main Breaker remains below the maximum amperage capacity of the Feeder Wires? Or should I strictly match a 100Amp Main Breaker with #4 Copper that according to my knowledge is rated for up to 100Amps??? Or, Am I wrong about this?

I will greatly appreciate any help about this issue regarding the Sizes of the Feeder Wires for a 100Amp Subpanel.


Thanks.

Jos

 

That is correct, a ground rod is required since the building is detached. The code also requires a disconnect for this panel since the building is detached and the panel is capable of more than 6 circuits.

 

CasualJoe,

You are correct. That's why I will use GE 100Amp Safety Switch as a Main Disconnect for this Subpanel inside the detached place this Subpanel is installed.

Please note that this Load Center can be convertible to a Main Breaker; however, in my case the Subpanel is located in a place that is not the closest point to the outside of the detached building, meaning that the Feeding Wires for this Subpanel will travel like up to 12 feet inside the detached building in order to reach the Subpanel; therefore, converting this panel to a Main Breaker will keep the Feeding Wires all the time Hot, unless the Main Breaker in the Main House is turned off; and I don't want to have all time Hot feeding wires inside the detached building; so I personally prefer to use a Safety Switch located at one corner of the detached building (in the inside) but installed at a closer point to the exterior of the detached building (in an exterior wall), so in the event of that the electricity should be interrupted to the Subpanel, the Feeding Wires that enter the detached building will NOT remain Hot.

That way I ensure even more protection to the detached building in the event of an emergency.

Thanks a lot.

Jos