4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

Assuming it's stranded .. .. .. separate the strands into two smaller
bundles .. .. twist the strands in each bundle together and secure each
one under it's own screw.

sparty wrote:
I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

You get a special item that provides a screw clamp for the wire and a flat
blade with a hole in it to fit under a screw on your neutral bar. They come
in a number of sizes to fit different wires. You may have to go to a
dedicated electrical supplier to find them.

If your neutral bar does not have screws that wires fit under the heads, but
have a bar with holes in it that wires fit into so a screw can clamp down on
it, look for an extra large hole somewhere along the bar, you may have to
move smaller wires out of the large hole and fit them into some of the
smaller holes to make room.

"sparty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

My neutral bar has all the same size holes on the side and a screw that
then goes through a top hole to clamp the wire down. I could try the
seperate technique, that sounds like it would work fine, thanks.


EXT wrote:
You get a special item that provides a screw clamp for the wire and a flat
blade with a hole in it to fit under a screw on your neutral bar. They come
in a number of sizes to fit different wires. You may have to go to a
dedicated electrical supplier to find them.

If your neutral bar does not have screws that wires fit under the heads, but
have a bar with holes in it that wires fit into so a screw can clamp down on
it, look for an extra large hole somewhere along the bar, you may have to
move smaller wires out of the large hole and fit them into some of the
smaller holes to make room.

"sparty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

sparty wrote:
I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James


Go to a supply house and get one of the add on larger lugs for your buss
bar and do the job right. The mounting screw for the add on terminal
takes the place of one of the terminal screws on the buss bar.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

Look at this picture of my new panel. If you look closely just immediately
left of where the neutral service wire hooks up, there is a lug big enough
for a 4ga. Perhaps yours has one of these?

http://www.barkerranch.net/images/farm/Elect016.jpg

--
Steve Barker



"sparty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

On 19 Jul 2006 13:32:26 -0700, "sparty" wrote:

I just put a subpanel in my garage, have a 60amp breaker in it, and ran
4 guage wire to my basement where the main breaker panel is. In the
main panel, I have the 60amp breaker installed with both hot wires in
it, and I have the ground wire in the bus panel as well. However, when
I went to put the neutral wire in the bus panel as well, it's too big
it appears!!

Now what??

Thanks, James

imho:

If you had a Square-D QO I belive the problem would be that you didn't
figure the 'large' screws can handle 4awg wire. This can be found on
the torque label.

You can try use a "neutral lug" like this: http://www.urlbee.com?7336
Home Depot sells them(or did a year ago). If not check with your
friendly local electrical supply shop. ;)

hth,

tom

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

I will swing by Home Depot today and see if they have any bigger lugs
that I could attach to my neutral bar and then put the neutral wire in
that.

Thanks all...

4 gauge neutral wire doesn't fit in my neutral bus panel?
 

Steve Barker LT posted for all of us...
I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

Look at this picture of my new panel. If you look closely just immediately
left of where the neutral service wire hooks up, there is a lug big enough
for a 4ga. Perhaps yours has one of these?

http://www.barkerranch.net/images/farm/Elect016.jpg

Hey Steve, how is this panel being supported? Usually put washers under the
mountings screws...
--
Tekkie