# 3 wire residential panel vs 4 wite



## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

**are they


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Are you sure it was the main panel? Sometimes you see outside a meter and main breaker, with 3 wires between, and from that main breaker to the "main panel" as you call it there are 4 wires.


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## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

Here is what I was talking about
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEZOT8rVW4
I'm in SC , but electrician said in Florida they don't connect the neutral and ground in the panel.
Thanks


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

huckabeecj said:


> I'm a little confused here. I've only seen 3 wire service entrance cables to residential panels. In the main panel I understand the ground and neutral are connected.
> I've seen a 4 wire main residential panel on a site and the neutral and ground were separated. Are the connected somewhere else, such as meter base or transformer?
> Thanks


It depending on the distance it have to bring inside the building.

normally with panel mounted right next to meter is most common useally 3 conductor arrangment.

but if more further than that or special situation then you will see meter main ( main breaker below the meter socket ) then it will be *4* conductor and the netural and ground is seprated after the meter main.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

3 seconds in, watching a homeline be installed on youtube, this should be good...


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## Dark Knight (Jan 6, 2016)

Depends on where you are, but I think most places your system ground goes to your first disconnect, whether thats a switch outside by the meter or your main breaker in your service entrance panel. At that point you bond the system ground to the neutral. From that point the neutral and the ground are isolated from each other. Sometimes you see a second service entrance panel with a main breaker used as a sub panel. That's okay as long as you remove the bond between the neutral and ground.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Yeah, that has to go back somewhere to a main breaker. That panel wouldn't be considered part of the service equipment, and the neutral and ground should remain separate. Based on what we can see.


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## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

lol Matt.
French, I was thrown off but this guys install. So if it's a main and the ground and neutral are not connected in the panel, is it connected at the meter base?


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

huckabeecj said:


> lol Matt.
> French, I was thrown off but this guys install. So if it's a main and the ground and neutral are not connected in the panel, is it connected at the meter base?


There isn't a provision for that in the meter base, unless it has a main breaker installed in it as well. On the other end of that SER should be a breaker, and in that breaker's panel there will be lugs for both the neutral and ground wire separately, and they will be bonded together with a screw or strap.

Being homeline on youtube, he *could* be going back to a basic meter can and jamming both the neutral and ground conductors under the center grounded lug, but this would neither be compliant or safe.


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## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for clearing that up for me everyone.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Think of the service panel as the one outside, and the pool panel as the one you see inside on the youtubes


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## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks Matt! I thought that was a sub panel until someone "electrician " in the comment section said that's how main panels are wired in FL. 
I'm not an electrician but just a drooling HVAC tech


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

huckabeecj said:


> Here is what I was talking about
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YbEZOT8rVW4
> I'm in SC , but electrician said in Florida they don't connect the neutral and ground in the panel.
> Thanks


Only one issue while I was watching the youtube on that one and that youtuber he did not mention very clear if he have main breaker at the meter socket or not but the way I look at the youtube he should have main breaker at the meter socket due the SER cable is a quick clue on that.

but just prepared if you going run inside that far and the state/local codes will tell you the max distance you can bring inside being unfused ( most useally say 6 to 8 feet the tops ) but anything more further than that it have main breaker right below the meter socket.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

here the photo with meter main but the style will varies a bit.

Keep in your mind the photo just give you a general idea what it will be as I mention above it will varies alot depending on set up and service size.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

huckabeecj said:


> Thanks Matt! I thought that was a sub panel until someone "electrician " in the comment section said that's how main panels are wired in FL.
> I'm not an electrician but just a drooling HVAC tech


Every city has it's own thing. A thread on here talks about inside/outside panels, and where they do/don't exist in common practice. It may be common practice where the youtuber is for them to have interior panels with a breakered meter base.

Here the vast majority are in the garage wall back to back, three wires come to an inside main breaker panel from the meter can on the outside.


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## huckabeecj (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks guys!


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