How to wire up ground and neutral?

[yamaha_1fan]

I am running #1 wire from my sub panel to my main panel. Problem is the #1 wire obviously will not fit into the neutral bar or grounding bar. There is only one lug on each and that is obviously being used for the main feed. At Home Depot they have a lug that has two prongs on it that goes into the bar under two screws. Problem is its for a GE and they dont carry the siemens brand which the prongs are slightly offset.

So how do I get this big ass wire connected to the ground and neutral bar in my main panel?

 

[Guest]

What size is your sub-panel, with #1 wire you must be planning on drawing some serious amperage ????

You might want to go to the following site as I think you are incorrectly sized, there is a ton of info there:

http://homerepair.about.com/od/electricalrepair/ss/anat_elec_panel_4.htm

Ty-Stik

 

[Guest]

Thatsa biga wire.

 

[yamaha_1fan]

yes its big wire. Its running off a 100 AMP breaker into a 125AMP sub panel. I am running 9000 Watts plus an AC, pumps, dehumidifiers, exhaust fans, air pumps, and room fans. With 2 dehumidifiers, and a 10AMP miscellaneous for anything I may have forgotten, my calculated load is about 90 AMPs. I think I will be running closer to 75 as I have tryed to over estimate everything. Plus certain items will be on timers staggered like the pumps.

So where are the resident sparkies?

 

[Guest]

The ground bar should have come seperate but with the panel,the neutral and ground bars cannot be connected electrically in any way or have continuity past the main panel.Your neutral doesnt fit into the main neutral lug on the panel?I don't have a code book handy but I hope you didnt oversize for 125A,it sounds about right.Thats odd.If the panel didn't come with a ground bar for some reason you'll have to pick one up.The ground bar should be bolted to the can while the neutral bar should be up on insulators so as not to have continuity with the ground.

 

[Buzzsmirk!]

The ground bar should have come seperate but with the panel,the neutral and ground bars cannot be connected electrically in any way or have continuity past the main panel.Your neutral doesnt fit into the main neutral lug on the panel?I don't have a code book handy but I hope you didnt oversize for 125A,it sounds about right.Thats odd.If the panel didn't come with a ground bar for some reason you'll have to pick one up.The ground bar should be bolted to the can while the neutral bar should be up on insulators so as not to have continuity with the ground.

let ADD some clarification to my distinguished "EX-sparky" friend who likes to change his name on this site!!

75 amps on a on a 100 amp main constant loadfor (12 hours) is probably gonna be your limit to avoid tripping ur main breaker , if u go much over 75-80 amps constant load u gonna return to a powered down grow cuzz ur main will trip.

BREAKERS TRIP ON HEAT NOT AMPS!!!!!!!!!!
it is the "HEAT" that constant loading creates.

ur ground and neuteral should (shall) be separate all the way back to your METER lugs NOT ur main panel (but if main IS bonded "no biggie")

"american" , good to see u again "SKULL" been very busy with my biz.
and let my "hobby" lapse a bit got some time to mess with it all agian.
PEACE!~!
BUZZ!

 

[yamaha_1fan]

I have 4 wires running from main panel to sub panel (2 hots, 1 ground, 1 neutral)All #1 wire

All the wires fit into the sub panel fine.

The 2 hots will fit into the 100 AMP breaker fine

The ground and neutral will not fit into any place on the MAIN BREAKER PANEL. Theres one lug one the ground and one lug on the neutral. Obviously those lugs are being used by the service coming in from outside. I thought I could just go off the neutral and ground in the main panel. If not, where do I get my neutral and ground from? Theres no where outside to access and I was told that was taboo.

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

OK I got you now man,and my faded memory is returining to my blockhead nnnnnow haha.Just untwist the strands into two or three seperate "conductors" and land them wherever you have an opening.It doesnt have to go under the main lug of the buss,it can go under 1 or more smaller terminals.Just dont land any neutral strands on the ground buss and vice versa haha.

 

[cocktail frank]

ur ground and neuteral should (shall) be separate all the way back to your METER lugs NOT ur main panel (but if main IS bonded "no biggie")

i call bullshit on this remark.
neutral and ground must be seperate after the first means of disconnect.
unless he is in an apartment complex, his main should be in his panel.
if thats the case, both neutral and ground will bond to the same bar.

go to an electrical supply house and ask for a spider lug.
it is essentially the same thing you saw in the home depot, just for the panel you need.

p.s. there was no need to pull a #1 for a ground, you can pull a #6 for a ground w/ 100a.
the 6 will easily fit in the neutral/ground bar in the main.

buzz is correct with what he said about your draw.
anything used for over 3 hours a day is classified as "continuos" load.
which means you can't draw more than 80% of your breaker rating.
80A is 80% of 100a (obviously )
you're really pushing the issue at over 90a.
if you rewire your ballasts to 240v, you'll def make it under the target draw.
1000w ballast @120v= 9.5A
1000w ballast @ 240v=5A

 

[yamaha_1fan]

Already running the lamps at 240. 9 1000 watters is 45amps, 13 amps for ac, 9 for pumps, 3-4 for exhaust fans, then air pumps, circulation fans and maybe 2 dehumidifiers. Like I said I calculated to be on the high side. I have an excel sheet for it. WHat if I put in a 125 Amp breaker? The #1 is supposed to be good for 115-120 amps? Obviously I would know I dont have a true 125 amp circuit but that would give me my 80% wouldnt it?

I just ordered the ballasts, hoods and bulbs. SHould be here wednesday. Cant wait, its all coming together!!!!

I didnt run #1 for ground specifically. I just told the Home Depot guy I needed to run 100 Amps from my main to my sub and I got 15 feet of 4 cables in one. Kind of like romex, just a tad bigger I took a peek and the ground may be a little smaller but i think the hots and neutral are the same size.

 

[Guest]

120 @ 9.5 or 240 @ 5----You are still pulling 9.5 amps. The 240 is a double pole, your panel has three bus bars, 2 are the Hot and the last one is the neutral/ground bus bar. The 240 breaker attaches to both hots, drawing 5 off of each leg.

Ty-Stik

 

[cocktail frank]

ok, i see he sold you sub feeder cable, that works.

you will have to stick with the 100a breaker.
you can't get a 125a breaker that will fit in your main.
anything above 100a will be the molded case type breaker, or you will need to put a seperate disconnect off to the side of your main, with a 125a in there.