I am inspecting a townhome and I am unsure if I am looking at a main panel or sub-panel. Wouldn’t the main disconnect be the box located just below the meter In the second photo?
If this is a sub panel shouldn’t it have a separate ground bar? I’m a new home inspector and electrical tends to trip me up (no pun intended) Any advice is appreciated.
It’s wired as a service panel. Need pics of the panel below the meter.
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The enclosure below the meterbase appears to be an enclosed circuit breaker or outdoor panel. I do not think they are fusible disconnect switches as there is no visible handle on the right. As Simon suggested that’s the next piece of the puzzle you need to see the whole picture.
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When was it installed? It looks like a subpanel with a bonded neutral in a separate structure which was permitted in the 2008 and earlier editions of the NEC.
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Panel was installed in 2008.
Then it is highly probable that it’s code compliant with the bonded neutral since there should be no parallel paths for the neutral current between the service disconnect at the meter and the sub-panel.
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Shelby, The sub panel is fed with a back-fed breaker, (the 100 amp at the top left is what is feeding the panel)
However, Robert, there appears to be an EGC coming from the back of the panel, while the feeders are coming from the bottom… Not sure what that conductor would be for.
If it is coming from the service disconnect, than the neutrals and grounds should be separated…
Would need to know where that is coming from.
Shelby, did you happen to access the main disconnect, and inspect the interior? That would tell you if it is being fed with 3 or 4 conductors, which then would tell you how the sub should be wired.
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Is it possible that’s a GEC going to a ground rod or a metallic water pipe?
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Most likely the required GEC connecting the required grounding electrode of a separate structure. Robert is likely correct.
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Yes, so if that is a GEC, then the subpanel is wired incorrectly
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Why? are you confusing GEC with EGC 
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The GEC should be at the service, not a distribution panel.
It looks like someone forgot to remove the jumper tie between the two bars.
Someone also may not have installed the required hold down on the backfed main.
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Are you saying 250.32(A) does not apply?
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Just curious. Isn’t this technically a “separate structure” though than where the main disconnect is located?
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Got it, i was forgetting about the fact that it was a separate structure.
I was assuming the panel under the meter is the main disconnect. In which case the subpanel would need them separated, IF this was an EGC.
But if a GEC, than it likely goes to a ground rod… i have never seen it set up this way around here. Usually they just keep the 3 wire feed or the 4 wire feed
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If it was an EGC, it would run together with the feeder and come up from the bottom of the panel. I cannot see this, however.
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A separate structure requires its own GES so the the GEC in a sub-panel is correct. In the 2008 NEC and earlier code editions a neutral was permitted to be be bonded to the enclosure to provide the equipment grounding. A separate EGC would not be run with the feeder. I believe that is what is shown here.
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Right, hence my first question. Looks like it comes in from the back
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And if this is the case it has to be GEC, not EGC.
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I do come across town homes/ apartments occasionally that only have the 3 wire feed, with no additional GEC.
Should it be called out every time?
I do make a note of it, but i know it will likely never be corrected… it would be difficult to add at that point.
It doesn’t seem like adding a GES would make that much of a difference, if the neutral is bonded at the panel anyways. Seems like a power surge would just follow the neutral back to the service, and to that ground rod? Or would it essentially be split between the two?
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