You also did not check for shared neutrals with the 12's coming in. That is a big problem with electricians not putting the hot wires on the proper leg of the bus bar. Overall you did a good job, for about 10 or 15 years ago. Im not cutting you, just next time you post a video, cross your t's and dot your i's, or go back to class. They update codes many times each year.
to be continued: Ok, the 14 guage wire can only be used in panel replacement when you dont touch the rest of the circuit. And... when accepted by the county code you are working in. Also certain codes that require 12 guage wire and above, will allow 14 guage for smoke detector infrastructure wiring only. That is the only case my county will allow 14 guage wire, because it is so brittle and garbage, and a fire hazard. We don't allow that crap here for new construction. Only to replace old work.
OOPS, shame on him. Toward the end of this he says that occasionally you will see the neutral wire doubled up on the same lug on the neutral bar and that is OK......that is a code violation. Ground wires can be double lugged but neutral wires cannot. This is a common violation and depending on your jurisdiction you may not be required to remedy this in existing installations if there is not any free lugs to accommodate the doubled up neutral wires.
Question: If the ground wire is doing the EXACT same thing, going to the EXACT same bus as the neutral wire, what is the point of it? I'm sure it must be important, if it's worth running twice as much copper along every circuit. What am I not understanding?
@rmcdaniel423 they are not the same thing. The neutral wire carries the unbalanced load back to the source. The ground wire or (equipment grounding conductor) is for the protection of personal or lightning strikes. They are bonded at the service of a building (and ONLY THE SERVICE) because it helps minimize the potential difference between earth and neutral.(basically it gets complicated to understand, so its best just to do it right and not ask questions haha)
@rmcdaniel423 Very few people - even a lot of technicians - understand neutral VS ground (or earth). Bottom line is that ground is never a path for current in a proper installation. They're together in the panel but ONLY at the panel. You must have good ground at all equipment to avoid a chance that YOU could become the path to ground. Google it!
I personally (not sure what code says mind you) would NOT connect ground and neutral from the same circuit to the same screw, if it came loose, the 'ground' for that circuit would go to line voltage, which wouldn't be a good thing!
Biggest thing to remember is to keep the out of work union hack electricians OUT of residential wiring. These morons dont know jack about residential. There are some exceptions but generally speaking the union thug is best suited with his "brothers", standing around thinking of ways to get hurt and paid.
@ConePuncher420 I would tell you that it is not a good idea no matter what code says. It would be best to just buy a twin as long as the panel doesn't have more than 42 handles(breakers already installed) and as long as the panel is listed for twin breakers.
You people need to read the NFP70 book before you get your ass blown away by 50K PSI explosion and have your face filled with copper particles for life or get electrocuted. The damn aluminum wire lugs need to be checked for tightness just because it has Noalox does not mean it is tight or safe.
You need to turn off the unused breaker because the load side is now hot.
Ive been trying to understand all this but i'm getting stuck in one point. I keep reading that the gound on an oulet must never, ever, connect to the neutral, yet both the gound and neutral connect at the pannel. I'm confused. If they both connect (and in this case may even be on the same screw) at the panel, why can't the ground touch the neutral a few inches or feel away from the neutral bus, or then at the oulet, if they will both come together anyway?
@zer0dahero The neutral is a "Current Carrying" conductor the ground is not. That is why its called A.C. alternating current. At the main service panel you have it bonded to the ground cause there is no load side for you to connect anything. One reason the second you put a load on it, the circuit breaker trips or the main. You have to remember any short will try to go back to the source "transformer", as long as it is wired correct.
@zer0dahero One other thing, Never ever disconnect the neutral and touch any ground. You will complete the circuit if it comes under load you could die. The proper way to work on any thing is turn the power off and lock it out. Disconnect the hot-neutral-ground when you put it back it is ground-neutral-hot. That way if something goes wrong you always have a ground connected.
safety glasses at a minimum should have been worn. While checking for loose wires that are connected to circuit breakers that are turned on, electrical safety gloves should have been used. Remember...your checking a unknown panel. The minute you open and remove that panel cover, you could be in for a surprise. As far as the spare breaker, if not in use, it should have been left in the off position and labeled as such on the panel legend .
what was the electrician thinking when he wired this panel?
there is no confusion here. i dont see any inconsistancies. its all neat and orderly.
why, someone could actually look at this panel and figure it out! clearly, this was not done by union labor. there is no job-security weaved into ball of lunacy. why would the homeowner ever need to call this electrician back?
Here in Canada, we don't put the ground (bond actually) wires with the neutrals, the neutral is grounded only at the service entrance point, and the neutral bar is isolated
Thanks for the video. I also give the conductors a little "tug" however I wear gloves and safety glasses when removing the cover. I've got one of these CH panels in my home.
Not a bad video, but I'd never grab any wire inside the box without proper protection, you're going to get zapped eventually. If there is a loose connection the wire insulation will have melted. Also in a main you have to check for service neutral bonded to the box, grounding electrode and/or cold water ground, hubs, etc. I'd like to see some problem main and subs you inspect on youtube (cause there are a lot of them out there).
You also did not check for shared neutrals with the 12's coming in. That is a big problem with electricians not putting the hot wires on the proper leg of the bus bar. Overall you did a good job, for about 10 or 15 years ago. Im not cutting you, just next time you post a video, cross your t's and dot your i's, or go back to class. They update codes many times each year.
electech36 2 days ago
to be continued: Ok, the 14 guage wire can only be used in panel replacement when you dont touch the rest of the circuit. And... when accepted by the county code you are working in. Also certain codes that require 12 guage wire and above, will allow 14 guage for smoke detector infrastructure wiring only. That is the only case my county will allow 14 guage wire, because it is so brittle and garbage, and a fire hazard. We don't allow that crap here for new construction. Only to replace old work.
electech36 2 days ago
First off, what really gets me is you are avoiding the fact that now there is an arc blast
regulation in affect. Second, there is combustible material mated right up to the panel.
Third, all hot water heaters are not 30 amps, and you need to regulate the breaker size
for the appliances if they are on a circuit by themselves to 80% when needed.
Then the 14 guage wire... is only acceptable in very miniscule circumstances. This is about to cut me off, I will have to repost.... thanks!
electech36 2 days ago
gloves + safety glasses = common sense
hystat 1 week ago
OOPS, shame on him. Toward the end of this he says that occasionally you will see the neutral wire doubled up on the same lug on the neutral bar and that is OK......that is a code violation. Ground wires can be double lugged but neutral wires cannot. This is a common violation and depending on your jurisdiction you may not be required to remedy this in existing installations if there is not any free lugs to accommodate the doubled up neutral wires.
norancho 1 week ago
Ch-Series good stuff
Wayfarer515 3 weeks ago
6ft 6in. Ya thats right.But what if your alittle old lady cant get to it?Wonder why they came up with that hieght?
albduke1 3 weeks ago
It is only ok to double up on a ground wire, not a neutral
weticeman 2 months ago
installed by : "white space "
khaled6100 3 months ago
The panel seems high.what is the handle hight code.six feet?i forget I guess I should look it up.what would you guys say?
albduke1 3 months ago
@albduke1 6' 6" to the highest breaker
DiveOregon 1 month ago
Question: If the ground wire is doing the EXACT same thing, going to the EXACT same bus as the neutral wire, what is the point of it? I'm sure it must be important, if it's worth running twice as much copper along every circuit. What am I not understanding?
rmcdaniel423 3 months ago
@rmcdaniel423 they are not the same thing. The neutral wire carries the unbalanced load back to the source. The ground wire or (equipment grounding conductor) is for the protection of personal or lightning strikes. They are bonded at the service of a building (and ONLY THE SERVICE) because it helps minimize the potential difference between earth and neutral.(basically it gets complicated to understand, so its best just to do it right and not ask questions haha)
DiveOregon 1 month ago
@rmcdaniel423 Very few people - even a lot of technicians - understand neutral VS ground (or earth). Bottom line is that ground is never a path for current in a proper installation. They're together in the panel but ONLY at the panel. You must have good ground at all equipment to avoid a chance that YOU could become the path to ground. Google it!
MDMesser001 3 weeks ago
I personally (not sure what code says mind you) would NOT connect ground and neutral from the same circuit to the same screw, if it came loose, the 'ground' for that circuit would go to line voltage, which wouldn't be a good thing!
TheChipmunk2008 3 months ago
Biggest thing to remember is to keep the out of work union hack electricians OUT of residential wiring. These morons dont know jack about residential. There are some exceptions but generally speaking the union thug is best suited with his "brothers", standing around thinking of ways to get hurt and paid.
shawnbrennan1 3 months ago
hypothetically, and im assuming this is against ontario code, but its a sin to wire up 2 14's to one breaker right?
ConePuncher420 3 months ago
@ConePuncher420 I would tell you that it is not a good idea no matter what code says. It would be best to just buy a twin as long as the panel doesn't have more than 42 handles(breakers already installed) and as long as the panel is listed for twin breakers.
DiveOregon 1 month ago
You people need to read the NFP70 book before you get your ass blown away by 50K PSI explosion and have your face filled with copper particles for life or get electrocuted. The damn aluminum wire lugs need to be checked for tightness just because it has Noalox does not mean it is tight or safe.
You need to turn off the unused breaker because the load side is now hot.
WizzRacing 4 months ago
Ive been trying to understand all this but i'm getting stuck in one point. I keep reading that the gound on an oulet must never, ever, connect to the neutral, yet both the gound and neutral connect at the pannel. I'm confused. If they both connect (and in this case may even be on the same screw) at the panel, why can't the ground touch the neutral a few inches or feel away from the neutral bus, or then at the oulet, if they will both come together anyway?
zer0dahero 4 months ago
@zer0dahero The neutral is a "Current Carrying" conductor the ground is not. That is why its called A.C. alternating current. At the main service panel you have it bonded to the ground cause there is no load side for you to connect anything. One reason the second you put a load on it, the circuit breaker trips or the main. You have to remember any short will try to go back to the source "transformer", as long as it is wired correct.
WizzRacing 4 months ago
@zer0dahero One other thing, Never ever disconnect the neutral and touch any ground. You will complete the circuit if it comes under load you could die. The proper way to work on any thing is turn the power off and lock it out. Disconnect the hot-neutral-ground when you put it back it is ground-neutral-hot. That way if something goes wrong you always have a ground connected.
WizzRacing 4 months ago
I like how he turns the "spare" breaker back to the on position.
whitechoco100 5 months ago 7
safety glasses at a minimum should have been worn. While checking for loose wires that are connected to circuit breakers that are turned on, electrical safety gloves should have been used. Remember...your checking a unknown panel. The minute you open and remove that panel cover, you could be in for a surprise. As far as the spare breaker, if not in use, it should have been left in the off position and labeled as such on the panel legend .
airboss1955 3 months ago
whoa!
what was the electrician thinking when he wired this panel?
there is no confusion here. i dont see any inconsistancies. its all neat and orderly.
why, someone could actually look at this panel and figure it out! clearly, this was not done by union labor. there is no job-security weaved into ball of lunacy. why would the homeowner ever need to call this electrician back?
good thing they all dont look like this.
JackSchidt01 6 months ago 2
Here in Canada, we don't put the ground (bond actually) wires with the neutrals, the neutral is grounded only at the service entrance point, and the neutral bar is isolated
kawicrash 7 months ago
Don't do this yourself, ........but this is how.
kaepsalot 9 months ago
Thanks for the video. I also give the conductors a little "tug" however I wear gloves and safety glasses when removing the cover. I've got one of these CH panels in my home.
SantosVince 11 months ago
Not a bad video, but I'd never grab any wire inside the box without proper protection, you're going to get zapped eventually. If there is a loose connection the wire insulation will have melted. Also in a main you have to check for service neutral bonded to the box, grounding electrode and/or cold water ground, hubs, etc. I'd like to see some problem main and subs you inspect on youtube (cause there are a lot of them out there).
TexasHomeInspector 1 year ago 6