Grounding vs. Grounded

[jbeech]

Jerry,

Transformer on the pole feeds my house and the barn. Each has its own meter.

1. Regarding the panel on the side of the house - the one with the meter and the disconnect mounted within - is this the service-panel?

2. Regarding the panel inside the house - the one, which is full of breakers for all the various circuits - is this called the load-panel? And is this called a sub-panel of the service-panel, or is it understood and sub-panels of the load-panel are the ones called a sub-panel?

3. Some further questions;

a. Is the service panel the 'only' place where the G-bar (grounding-bar) physically join the grounded-bar (neutral)?

b. Is the grounded-bar supposed to be electrically isolated from the metal box of all panels except the service-panel itself? I wonder because my house (built in 1982) when I take a meter to the load-panel in the garage (the one in the garage which is full of breakers) I get continuity between grounded-bar (white-neutral) and the grounding bar (all the green/bare wires).

4. So I wonder, is this continuity OK?

a. Or should this panel have an isolated neutral-bar, e.g. not electrical continuous with the metal panel or the grounding bar?

b. Does this mean the green/bare wires go to ground but white wires don't because the grounded-bar is supposed to be isolated from the metal case of the load-panel? Sorry if I sound confused but the fact is I am!

5. As with the service-panel at the house, my detached barn's service-panel (with its own meter), has a grounding-rod driven into the ground nearby. From there underground wire goes to the load-panel inside. My plan is to run a 20hp RPC (rotary phase converter) off a 100A breaker within the load-panel. Next, I want to run the 3-phase output of the RPC to a separate 3-phase panel (and take Black, Red, Blue, White plus Green to power several 3-phase machines - each through their own breakers in the 3-phase sub-panel).

a. Does the 3-phase sub-panel require a separate grounding rod?

b. Also, do I need disconnects at the individual machines, or is just having the breaker be the disconnect, OK?

Lots of questions we could probably nail down in two minutes of conversation.
--
John Beech

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

[jbeech]

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]