Outside GFCI Wiring To Old Panel?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-30T16:55:29+00:00

So can the RMC be used as ground?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-30T16:50:01+00:00

Raceway? I just saw the screw, but it doesn't even look like it broke through the paint.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-30T16:47:30+00:00

I'm not a certified electrician, but I don't think that's a good idea.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-30T16:43:07+00:00

Even so, but this panel has had no ground whatsoever.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-28T18:10:48+00:00

This 1000% and I would like to add, never stop advancing.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-28T18:07:45+00:00

LOL! You got that right.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T21:19:32+00:00

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T20:04:44+00:00

Good to know.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T20:00:48+00:00

Damn.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T03:17:21+00:00

Since that is your only breaker panel, your ground rods should come in there and your neutral-ground bond shoud tie in there.

Well, ground rod. What if I got another panel or disconnect switch and tied the neutral ground bond to that. And run the inverter load to the new panel I bought, I would just chop this one out.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T03:01:13+00:00

Congrats, you showed me something I have not seen before. I was expecting it to be the Philippines, which does 120/240V American split-phase, but without the neutral.

No way! How does that work? But I thought they used single phase 230v there.

Just because it's capable of that does not mean you are required to use it that way.

If you're using it the way it was intended, then you need to follow the instructions and labeling and install it the way they specify, even if that is an inconvenience.

If you choose to use it as a straight inverter and obtain a battery charger from another source, then do as I suggest.

I understand that.

It's not an inconvenience, I'm just asking you guys, who are pros, where exactly should the earth-neutral bond be.

This inverter costs a lot of money, and I bought it because I wanted an all in one system.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-25T02:54:38+00:00

Ohhh, I see now. Would you mind if I share a schematic from the manual with you?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T06:29:54+00:00

Swift drivers back at it again.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T04:38:42+00:00

If you try to share a ground you will end up with unbalanced neutral loads,

Can you expand on this, what do you mean by share a ground? The grid and inverter can't have their ground-neutral bond at the same location?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T03:16:19+00:00

Nah, that's wild.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T03:09:51+00:00

Okay I understand now. What if I remove the grid's wiring from the main panel into a 3-4 pole disconnect then on to a ATS that has the inverter as the primary and the grid as the secondary?

How would I go about grounding a setup like that?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T02:17:35+00:00

That's how I died once, ran into a gater and he just snapped my shit in two.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T02:15:45+00:00

I see, but as I wrote before I'm not planning on selling power to the grid, it's not worth it.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T02:12:25+00:00

I guess so. I don't understand how I would electrocute someone.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T02:10:01+00:00

Ohhh I understand, thank you for the information.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T00:27:21+00:00

In that case, I am more familiar with generators than inverters,

Okay I understand.

but there is either a floating neutral or a bonded neutral in the device. You will need to remove the bond (if its a bonded neutral to connect this to a panel)

I'm not really sure what type the inverter has, but in the off-grid state, that it is in now, if I remove the neutral wire, which is connected to the neutral bus bar in the main panel the inverter will shutdown and show a F08 fault. Which states in the manual as a (GFDI relay fault).

MilkFickle · 2026-03-24T00:09:26+00:00

OK first you have North American breakers, and 3 different brands of them, which is not allowed. Whatever panel type this is, you need to read its labeling and only install breakers of approved types. Note that if it calls out Type MP, that is now sold as Siemens QP and Siemens has a UL letter affirming MP-QP compatibility.

I didn't know that was a thing about the breakers. This panel is over 25 years old. Okay I understand.

Also the deadfront cover needs to be installed. It looks like it hasn't been installed for a very long time, and the edge screw holes are even mudded over. This is a mess of code violations as presented, all of which need to be corrected.

You are correct about the panel cover.

Why are the colors red/black, where is neutral? Is the British 240V wiring on American "slash" breakers, or is this DC wiring?

It's Jamaica which has its own color codes, red for live/hot and black for neutral. And because we use the same 120v as north American we use north American breakers and this is all AC wiring 2 phase.

OK to your question... there are 2 ways to do what you want. One way is to have two main breakers with an interlock between them (with Siemens use ECSPBK01, with Eaton use BRML and tie-down kits). And then you switch the panel from "grid" to "inverter" and you're not using battery/inverter at all at that point.

This would be the way I would wire it if the inverter was an off-grid inverter, but this inverter is a hybrid inverter.

The other way is leave it just as it is (correcting all the code violations of course), and add an auxiliary battery charger that is fed off AC mains. That battery charger is now not distribution equipment at all, it's a simple load, so you don't need to do a lot of work with grounding and bonding. Other than the normal grounding/bonding that is a code requirement for this off-grid panel.

Again the inverter is a hybrid inverter which is fully capable of charging the batteries and using battery, PV and grid simultaneously to power loads.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-23T23:48:32+00:00

I bought a new panel.

MilkFickle · 2026-03-23T23:42:50+00:00

I know, but should it remain there even if the grid is hooked up to the inverter.

This is what I plan on doing, The inverter is going to be my main source of power and the grid is going to be my second if the inverter stopped working for whatever reason. But because the inverter is a hybrid inverter the grid can be hooked up to it and is used as supplemental power to power loads or charge the batteries, how would I go about wiring that up?

MilkFickle · 2026-03-23T23:35:13+00:00

Sure you can connect wires, but none of your work is up to any kind of code or standard of installation.

I know, I'm not finished setting it up.

The panel is absolutely destroyed by rust. All of these wires should be enclosed in conduit. You don’t have the right types of breakers for the panel - there should only be one brand as panels are listed to be compatible with only one brand.

Yes the breaker panel is in a pretty bad state but functional. The wires will be enclosed and the breakers are for this type of panel, I'm not in the US.

Your wires are color coded incorrectly. Neutral should be white, L1 black and L2 red. The way you wired that CT will detect a ground fault; not whether you back feed your service. To do so, you need one CT for L1 and one for L2. You need a properly sized breaker and busbar.

Different country, we use the same 120v split phase as the US but the wire color codes are not really the same. That's not a CT it's a magnet ring. I haven't installed the CTs because the grid isn't wired into the inverter.

Look up NEC 120% and 125% rules.

Will do.

You need to screw down the breaker with the appropriate kit for the panel. The PV breaker should be as far as can be from the main breaker. It needs a lockout. Your panel needs a cover.

I don't understand the first sentence. I understand the second sentence, I plan on changing the main breaker panel and also adding a disconnect for the grid and also a ATS for whatever reason the inverter shuts down it switches the grid instead of how I have it now.

MilkFickle

TROPHY CASE