Â* The old panel in my shop is giving up , the old aluminum buss bars
are just getting too bad to continue using it . So Thursday while we
were down in Memphis I picked up a new box - 20 slots/20 ckts/100 amp
in-feed breaker (also gets a 100A feed breaker in the main panel)Â* . It
has 2 neutral/ground connection strips , connected by a link at the
bottom and not bonded to the enclosure . I plan to move the ground strip
from the old box and use both of the ones in the new for neutrals .

Â* Here's where I'm not sure what I want to do - the supply from the
main panel in the house is 3 wire 2/0 aluminum . I'm not sure at this
point how I want to handle the neutral/ground issue . I'm inclined to
let the neutral float and drive a separate ground rod for the shop .
Ground will be bonded to the enclosure . I don't think that will give me
any ground loop issues , but there may be a problem with a difference in
potential between the ground and neutral . I guess I could just let the
neutral act as ground too , they are bonded in the main panel - oops ,
no they're not bonded in the main panel , the only place the neutral is
grounded is up on the pole at the transformer . Main panel ground is a
standard 8' ground rod and it's bonded to the enclosures (meter base
too) . The other issue I have is what to use to connect a copper pigtail
to the end of that 2/0 al wire . The al wire may be too large in
diameter for the in-feed breaker in the new panel .

Â* --

Â* Snag