I have looked through all the other posts and can not seem to find an answer. I am in the process of finishing my basement and want to add a sidecar. It will be located right next to the main. Just for ease of running conduit from it. I know I need to separate the ground and nuetral but here is my question. I live in Chicago and there is never any bare ground wire run the conduit is used as the ground I assume since it is ties to the cold water pipe. For the subpanel I have read run the bare ground wire and 2 hots and nuetral. Do I need a ground wire since the conduit will act as the ground. If I need one do I just connect it to the nuetral/ground bar in the main then connect to ground bar in the sidecar? If you need me to clarify let me know. Thanks, Craig

While metal conduit is allowed as an equipment ground, typically one is installed from the neutral/ ground bar in the main panel, that contains the Main Breaker, to the equipment ground bar in the subpanel.

Unless it is a local code, green insulated wire is used.


Most of what you have seen is probably older installations that often used only the metal conduit as the ground.