Does a 3 phase sub panel need a neutral?

Summary. Neutral wires are always necessary to complete 120-volt circuits such as those in a residential or receptacle/lighting circuit. In the case of 240-volt circuits and 3-phase circuits, the neutral conductor is not necessary as long as the sum of the currents on the energized lines is a total of 0 amps.

Does a 60 amp sub panel need a main breaker?





Your subpanel does not need a main breaker if it’s in the same building. If it is in an outbuilding, you need a disconnect switch, and the breaker will suffice but its size doen’t matter.

How do I run a subpanel from the main panel?

Run the feeder cable from the main panel to the subpanel.

  1. You may need to remove a knockout slug to insert the wires into the main panel.
  2. There should be a black wire, red wire, white wire, and bare metal wire.
  3. If you’re installing a subpanel in a separate room from the main panel, use a longer feeder cable to reach it.

Can you wire a subpanel with 3 wires?

Another way to wire a subpanel was with a three-wire feed; two hots and a neutral, with grounds and neutrals connected together at the subpanel. In this case, the grounds and neutrals have to be connected together.

How many breakers can I run off a 60 amp sub panel?





Modern 60-amp electrical panels are purpose-built as sub-panels and generally only have 8 to 10 slots available for circuit breakers.

Can a 60 amp breaker feed a 60 amp sub panel?

Probably not. While the 60A breaker’s primary job is to protect the wiring between the panel and the subpanel, you can have breakers totaling more than 60A in the subpanel.

Does a subpanel need a neutral?

The neutral and ground MUST NOT be bonded at a sub-panel. They should only be bonded at the main service panel. If you bond them anywhere other than the main service, the neutral return current now has multiple paths, including though your ground wire.

Do you bond neutral and ground in subpanel?

When Should Grounds & Neutrals Be Connected in a SubPanel? The answer is never. Grounds and neutrals should only be connected at the last point of disconnect. This would be at main panels only.

Does a 240v sub panel need a neutral?



A 240v only panel has no need for a neutral, I have panels in a industrial facility with no neutral, but for residential my jurisdiction requires a 4 wire feed or 3 with conduit as a ground even for all 240v loads.

Why does 240 not need a neutral?

The grounded (neutral) conductor is connected to the center of the coil (center tap), which is why it provides half the voltage. Therefore, if a device requires only 240V, only two ungrounded (hot) conductors are required to supply the device.

Where does neutral wire go in sub panel?

Remember, electricity will take any path back to the source. In more layman terms, all neutral wires should be attached to a floating bar, and all grounds should be attached to a bar directly attached to the panel. At IM Home Inspections, we check sub-panels to make sure the neutrals and grounds are properly separated.

Can neutral and ground be tied together?



No, the neutral and ground should never be wired together. This is wrong, and potentially dangerous. When you plug in something in the outlet, the neutral will be live, as it closes the circuit. If the ground is wired to the neutral, the ground of the applicance will also be live.

Do subpanels need to be bonded?

Rule #3: In a subpanel, the terminal bar for the equipment ground (commonly known as a ground bus) should be bonded (electrically connected) to the enclosure. The reason for this rule is to provide a path to the service panel and the transformer in case of a ground fault to the subpanel enclosure.

What happens if neutral touches ground?

Connecting the neutral to the ground makes the ground a live wire. The neutral carries the current back to the panel. But the ground doesn’t carry a charge, not unless something has gone wrong (such as a short circuit) and it has to direct wayward electricity away from the metal case of an appliance.