Re: A Journey To GEM / My Big Project
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:20 am
OK, it has been about three months, but no, I wasn't procrastinating I was researching.
I am writing with tears in my eyes, not because I'm so emotional about getting back to the project, but because I moved a seemingly half ton lathe myself away from the panel boxes and my back is screaming about it. It was a code violation I'd been wanting to correct for some time.
I did find a great video of a hidden door as Teken mentioned:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jw6VEyQTtU
It is such high quality I was wondering if it was Teken's house? But I'm going to try to have something in the corner there to somehow hide the wiring, but I still need to be able to open a door because the irrigation control is in that corner too.
I have actually put on the CTs for the Subpanel #1, and I'll take a photo at some point. What I found though is that I'm mighty happy I ordered the Split-60 CTs, which can be installed without removing the stranded wiring. I've installed the CT40s on the solid wire circuits, which from loosening the wires from the breakers there must have been two different electricians wiring it, one with crushing strength. I've been trying to get the torque correct when I've reinstalled them, as the proper value is printed on the breaker. Not having to worry about the stranded wires torque has been a huge help.
Now, I'm not sure it is required code, but Teken has suggested and most others I think have done it this way, I'm needing to run the CT wires through conduit to the corner where I'm putting the GEM. I've somewhat decided that even though it is a bit more conduit, I'm going to run each side from the panel separately, so that at least from the main panel and subpanel #1 I'll have four small conduit runs, instead of one or two larger conduit runs. That way I can keep the wiring a bit more organized. I'm still trying to decide between the flex conduit and the PVC conduit.
I am writing with tears in my eyes, not because I'm so emotional about getting back to the project, but because I moved a seemingly half ton lathe myself away from the panel boxes and my back is screaming about it. It was a code violation I'd been wanting to correct for some time.
I did find a great video of a hidden door as Teken mentioned:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jw6VEyQTtU
It is such high quality I was wondering if it was Teken's house? But I'm going to try to have something in the corner there to somehow hide the wiring, but I still need to be able to open a door because the irrigation control is in that corner too.
I have actually put on the CTs for the Subpanel #1, and I'll take a photo at some point. What I found though is that I'm mighty happy I ordered the Split-60 CTs, which can be installed without removing the stranded wiring. I've installed the CT40s on the solid wire circuits, which from loosening the wires from the breakers there must have been two different electricians wiring it, one with crushing strength. I've been trying to get the torque correct when I've reinstalled them, as the proper value is printed on the breaker. Not having to worry about the stranded wires torque has been a huge help.
Now, I'm not sure it is required code, but Teken has suggested and most others I think have done it this way, I'm needing to run the CT wires through conduit to the corner where I'm putting the GEM. I've somewhat decided that even though it is a bit more conduit, I'm going to run each side from the panel separately, so that at least from the main panel and subpanel #1 I'll have four small conduit runs, instead of one or two larger conduit runs. That way I can keep the wiring a bit more organized. I'm still trying to decide between the flex conduit and the PVC conduit.