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little help id triplex

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BLUE72CAMARO

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I have aluminum triplex in my pole barns that is used as a feed from the 200 amp entry panel in the front shed to a subpanel in the back shed. It is free air and indoors the entire way. So currently it is on a 100 amp breaker which I am sure is to large... In process of straightening out the panel and all electrical before insulating and putting up osb walls.

So the triplex has no marking on it that I can find. I pulled one of the leads from the breaker last night to measure it but I am so confused by all the different info out there on triplex it isnt funny...

7 strands per cable, .062 dia. wire, bare wires measure around .200 where insulation is stripped and I didnt measure the insulation dia but I can this afternoon.
 
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alfredeneuman

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According to Ugly's Electrical Reference:

A #6 has 7 strands that measure .061 each, with an overall diameter of .184

A #4 has 7 strands that measure .077 each, with an overall diameter of .232
 
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Norcal

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Triplex is not a wiring method listed in the NEC ,just a FYI.
 
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malibu101

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BLUE72CAMARO said:
I have aluminum triplex in my pole barns that is used as a feed from the 200 amp entry panel in the front shed to a subpanel in the back shed. It is free air and INDOORS the entire way. So currently it is on a 100 amp breaker which I am sure is to large... In process of straightening out the panel and all electrical before insulating and putting up osb walls.

So the triplex has no marking on it that I can find. I pulled one of the leads from the breaker last night to measure it but I am so confused by all the different info out there on triplex it isnt funny...

7 strands per cable, .062 dia. wire, bare wires measure around .200 where insulation is stripped and I didnt measure the insulation dia but I can this afternoon.
Click to expand...

Indoors?
 
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Aceman

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I agree with the others. There really is no point in ID'ing a cable that shouldn't be there in the first place.
 
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BLUE72CAMARO

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malibu101 said:
Indoors?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is what the previous owner ran to the subpanel in my back shed. Indoors all the way thru its run.... I really hate the idiot owners my place had before me. Apparently ground rods are overrated to...
 
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wyliesdiesels

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When u replace this, u will need to run 4-wires, isolate the neutral bar and separate the grounds from the neutral bar. U may have to buy a ground bar kit as well.
 
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BLUE72CAMARO

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wyliesdiesels said:
When u replace this, u will need to run 4-wires, isolate the neutral bar and separate the grounds from the neutral bar. U may have to buy a ground bar kit as well.
Click to expand...

So on the subpanel, i will take out the bonding bar between the two common/ground bars, common/neutrals on one side and ground on the other. Ground from feeder panel is connected to the ground bar still?
 
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wyliesdiesels

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BLUE72CAMARO said:
So on the subpanel, i will take out the bonding bar between the two common/ground bars, common/neutrals on one side and ground on the other. Ground from feeder panel is connected to the ground bar still?
Click to expand...

Is one bar on isolators/plastic insulators?

Can u take a pic of the panel with the cover off and post it here?
 
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BLUE72CAMARO

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In all honesty I dont know yet, I havent opened the sub panel up at all yet but I am going to be relocating it soon and if it does not I may replace it with an eaton 50 amp panel that I know does have seperate bars with one being isolated and the other grounded.

But to answer your question yes I can and will sometime over the weekend hopefully.

Any thoughts on what is the most economical way to get 50 amps to the sub-panel? I am estimating it will take 75 feet of wire to get there.
 
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BLUE72CAMARO

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Sorry for the delay busy weekend and even busier week so far with us being on plant shutdown this week at work...



So this is the subpanel that is in my back shed currently and it does not have a separate common and ground bars. So I will be replacing it with this panel that I already had bought figuring this panel would need to go plus I wanted more room for more circuits when I get around to wiring that shed the way I want it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eaton-10...0B100V/100168474?N=5yc1vZbm2wZ384Z40dZ1z0x9j2

As far as the wiring goes the old feed wires will be removed as soon as I can get the new box mounted and get the 2-2-2-4 AL SER connected on both ends and a 60 amp breaker in the main panel feeding it.
 
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Charles (in GA)

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Nothing wrong with that panel, you can easily add a ground bar to it and remove the boning if there is one, from the neutral. Of course if you need more space...... save the panel for the next smaller shed you build.
 
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wyliesdiesels

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BLUE72CAMARO said:
Sorry for the delay busy weekend and even busier week so far with us being on plant shutdown this week at work...



So this is the subpanel that is in my back shed currently and it does not have a separate common and ground bars. So I will be replacing it with this panel that I already had bought figuring this panel would need to go plus I wanted more room for more circuits when I get around to wiring that shed the way I want it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eaton-10...0B100V/100168474?N=5yc1vZbm2wZ384Z40dZ1z0x9j2

As far as the wiring goes the old feed wires will be removed as soon as I can get the new box mounted and get the 2-2-2-4 AL SER connected on both ends and a 60 amp breaker in the main panel feeding it.
Click to expand...

I dont see a bonding screw. Is there one?

And how will the SER be ran? Underground? If so, u need to use a different cable because u cant run SER underground...

Charles (in GA) said:
Nothing wrong with that panel, you can easily add a ground bar to it and remove the boning if there is one, from the neutral. Of course if you need more space...... save the panel for the next smaller shed you build.
Click to expand...

Its a 3-wire feeder, so he cant do that without adding an EGC to the feeder...
 
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Norcal

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The triplex is not intended for use indoors, in conduit, or anything other then overhead service drop cable by PoCo's even though it's not recognized by the NEC it's a great material for its intended purpose.
 
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BLUE72CAMARO

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The SER will be indoors its entire run, my sheds are connected via an enclosed walk way.

I will save that panel and may use it in the other end of the back shed to make runs shorter and distribute power to my lift, outlets, and ventilation fan in my loft in that building.

I didnt look to see if there was a bonding screw or not. It really doesnt matter if I am putting in the other panel at this point.
 
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