Electrical Questions again

[fullsizeaggie]

I am having a new line dropped at our land in East Tx for the RV etc. I use this handy site to calc wire size http://www.paigewire.com/pumpWireCalc.aspx

I will be using a 200 amp mobile home pole with 200 amp service line.

Directly on the pole I will have a 240v 50a welder outlet and a some 120 plugs coming from individual breakers on the pole. This should not be a problem.

First Question:

I will be running a line with subpanel about 40-60ft to power the RV. The subpanel I am looking at is 70amp with a 50a RV plug and double 110 plugs, both plugs have a breaker on the subpanel. How do I provide power to subpanel? Do I need to have a 240 line and a 120 line to the panel? Or just a 240 line to the subpanel? If it's just one line then I would need a 70a breaker on the pole? If 2 lines then obviously a 50amp breaker and 20 amp breaker on the pole. I haven't handled the box in person so that might answer my own questions.

Second Question:

Aluminum or Copper for the main 240v lines? The provider recommended a 2awg aluminum wire for any 240v loads regardless of length. The cost of pvc is irrevelant and really the cost of either copper or aluminum is a toss up for what I have looked at on Home Depot. The soil is very sandy and obviously east tx gets lots of rain, I would probably put either in pvc. For the 120 loads, I have plenty of outdoor copper line.

Thanks.

[JTBean]

You can use a 70 amp breaker in the main panel to protect the feeder to the sub panel. You will need a four wire circuit (two energized circuits, one neutral and one ground) to power the sub panel. Power will distribute from the sub panel into the 240V loads and the 120V loads. Do not bond the neutral bus to the ground in the sub panel; it should be bonded in the main panel only.

I would use copper conductors. Aluminum will expand and contract causing problems over time.

I would use number 4 AWG copper to the sub panel with 8 AWG ground. 1-1/4" conduit would be easy to pull in.

[kruppa24]

agree with JTBean

[FLASH_OUTDOORS]

You can use a 70 amp breaker in the main panel to protect the feeder to the sub panel. You will need a four wire circuit (two energized circuits, one neutral and one ground) to power the sub panel. Power will distribute from the sub panel into the 240V loads and the 120V loads. Do not bond the neutral bus to the ground in the sub panel; it should be bonded in the main panel only.

I would use copper conductors. Aluminum will expand and contract causing problems over time.

I would use number 4 AWG copper to the sub panel with 8 AWG ground. 1-1/4" conduit would be easy to pull in.

Yes this!


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[fullsizeaggie]

That's what I was thinking on the single 240 line. When I buy the subpanel it will probably make more sense.

I would prefer copper as well. Not too concerned with the flexibility either especially in bigger pvc.

Thanks.

[fullsizeaggie]

So this is what I'm working on:

70 amp panel with RV and 120 plugs. I have #4 wire to use. I understand the hots go into the breaker. Do I need to hook the white into the bus bar with the other whites? Do I hook the ground from the wire into the ground on the far right?

Still questioning what "bonding" means. The wire to rv panel will just hook up to the main panel the same. Hots to 70 amp breaker, white to white bar and ground to ground bar. I don't have a pic of the panel because I haven't bought the pole yet. How do you bond the bars together in the main panel? What size wires do I need to do this with?

[IMG][/IMG]

[fullsizeaggie]

Welder Plug question

I bought #6 3 wire for a welder plug 3 prong. I understand on the plug end, hots into top, ground into round hole. On the panel end, both hots into breaker and ground into ground bar? No neutral necessary? Only bought 8 feet because I want the plug on the pole.

[Kurdawg]

Go to your electrical company's website and download and print their meter and pole specs. If you do not follow their specs on height, wire size, meter box etc. they won't hook it up.

[fullsizeaggie]

That's all taken care of. Already in contact with the field guy. Just waiting on me to do the install. Thanks.

[splitbeam145]

You can use a 70 amp breaker in the main panel to protect the feeder to the sub panel. You will need a four wire circuit (two energized circuits, one neutral and one ground) to power the sub panel. Power will distribute from the sub panel into the 240V loads and the 120V loads. Do not bond the neutral bus to the ground in the sub panel; it should be bonded in the main panel only.

I would use copper conductors. Aluminum will expand and contract causing problems over time.

I would use number 4 AWG copper to the sub panel with 8 AWG ground. 1-1/4" conduit would be easy to pull in.

x2

[Tony Pic]

You can use a 70 amp breaker in the main panel to protect the feeder to the sub panel. You will need a four wire circuit (two energized circuits, one neutral and one ground) to power the sub panel. Power will distribute from the sub panel into the 240V loads and the 120V loads. Do not bond the neutral bus to the ground in the sub panel; it should be bonded in the main panel only.

I would use copper conductors. Aluminum will expand and contract causing problems over time.

I would use number 4 AWG copper to the sub panel with 8 AWG ground. 1-1/4" conduit would be easy to pull in.

X3

[fullsizeaggie]

Still questioning what bonding means. I'm confident in the regular wiring part.

[RR 314]

Still questioning what bonding means. I'm confident in the regular wiring part.

Try this. . .

“Grounding” and “bonding” get thrown around casually sometimes as if there was no difference between the two. In Residences “grounding” of the electrical system happens at the Service Panel and consists of the grounding conductor being connected to the Neutral/Ground bar. The grounding conductor will be connected to one or more of several options: Ground Rods, Metal Water Service Pipes, and/or Concrete Encased Electrodes (Sometimes called a UFER ground and consisting of the rebar in the foundation footings/foundation).

Other metallic systems in the home will be “bonded” (connected) to the grounding electrode system. So if you have metal water pipes, metal heating system pipes, gas supply pipes, or cable/telephone systems in the home, these systems will all be connected mechanically (bonded) to the grounding conductor of the home.

The critical thing to keep in mind about bonding and grounding is that at the Service Panel, the Neutral Wires (white wires) and the Equipment Ground Wires (bare copper—sometimes green coated wires) join together on the Neutral/Ground bar. So in the Service Panel you will find all of these white and bare copper wires connected to the same termination bar.