[davidof6inch]

I recently purchased a home with an outdoor shed. I've started to remodel the shed and I noticed that the sub-panel was wired incorrectly. Neutral and ground were attached to the same bus, and there was no ground rod. I've purchased a new bus bar for ground and I am in the process of installing my ground rod. I'm running #6 bare copper from the ground bus to the ground rod. What is the appropriate path this should take?

The panel is installed in one of the walls and my goal is to insulate with fiberglass batts and drywall. Right now I have the wire coming out the bottom of the panel box and going straight down through a hole in the sole plate. Can I insulate around a bare copper wire? Should I use conduit?

[tkrussell]

The #6 can be stapled along wood framing members 12 " from connector in panel and every 4.5 feet to the point it exits to the outside.

Outdoor it can be strapped the same on the exterior, unless it can be subjected to physical damage, such as lawn mower, etc.. Then conduit is needed, PVC is fine.

Conduit may make it look better, unless it is not exposed much.

Yes you can insulate as normal around it.

[Washington1]

The #6 can be stapled along wood framing members 12 " from connector in panel and every 4.5 feet to the point it exits to the outside.

Outdoor it can be strapped the same on the exterior, unless it can be subjected to physical damage, such as lawn mower, etc.. Then conduit is needed, PVC is fine.

Conduit may make it look better, unless it is not exposed much.

Yes you can insulate as normal around it.

I agree!

Just a quick compliment to TK. I admire your precise answers and Unproblematic way of presenting them!!

[tkrussell]

Thank you.

No applause

Just throw money.

Seriously, just been doing this so long, run across many situations in this business ,doing inspections, trying to stay ahead of inspectors, analyzing installations for commissioning, laying out work per code, and so on, just gets to be second nature.

Not a lot of fun at parties, I am the quiet one at the bar, sipping scotch all night, finish the bottle, and walk out straight, and then go do a exterior lighting survey.

And where have you been, young man? Good to see your back!

[Washington1]

Thank you.

No applause

Just throw money.

Seriously, just been doing this so long, run across many situations in this business ,doing inspections, trying to stay ahead of inspectors, analyzing installations for commissioning, laying out work per code, and so on, just gets to be second nature.

Not a lot of fun at parties, I am the quiet one at the bar, sipping scotch all nite, finish the bottle, and walk out straight, and then go do a exterior lighting survey.

And where have you been, young man? Good to see your back!

I've been around. Just keeping myself occupied with trying to gain more work for my company.

[stanfortyman]

I recently purchased a home with an outdoor shed. I've started to remodel the shed and I noticed that the sub-panel was wired incorrectly. Neutral and ground were attached to the same bus, and there was no ground rod.

While a grounding electrode is always required at a detached structure with a panel, it may very well be wired correctly.

There is a situation that a 3-wire feeder is/was legal and the sub-panel gets wired just like a main panel, with the neutral and grounds on the same bar(s) and the neutral bonded to the panel.
There are a few stipulations that made this legal but it was very common for quite a while.

IF a 4-wire feeder was run then yes, you do have to wire it with the grounds and neutrals isolated.

[davidof6inch]

As long a '4-wire feeder' means 2 hots (red & black), a neutral, and a ground... that's what I got. I'm still a beginner when it comes to the correct terminology.

[stanfortyman]

As long a '4-wire feeder' means 2 hots (red & black), a neutral, and a ground... that's what I got.

Then you are absolutely correct. It is wired wrong.

Good call. :)