Subpanel Mounting Options

[chumbley]

I'm installing an EasyTouch subpanel next to my pool equipment. Here in the NE, pool equipment tends to be installed away from the house, so typical subpanel mounting on the house isn't an option. The old subpanel is mounted to a 2x6 that is simply buried in the ground. That won't be sufficient for the mass of the EasyTouch panel.

I was planning to bury 2 sections of unistrut (which seems a better choice to bury than wood), and mount the new panel to the directly to the unistrut. But I don't know if that conductivity from the panel to the unistrut to the earth is problematic (potentially setting up the potential for a ground loop?). Is this OK or do I need to "insulate" the panel from the unistrut with plywood?

 

[bk406]

Use plywood, and if the panel is not attached to the house, you need another ground rod connected to the ET box. The ground and neutral bus still need to be unbonded in the ET box though.

 

[chumbley]

Gotcha. I'll plan on using plywood. Thanks for the quick response bk.

And thanks for bringing up the secondary ground rod issue. I was (am) confused on that point, as there seems to be some lack of clarity around whether the NEC considers a pool to be a secondary structure, and therefore require another ground rod. Does adding the secondary ground rod change the ground sizing requirement for the run from the main panel?

 

[bk406]

The pool has nothing to do with the requirement for a second ground rod. It has to do with secondery panels. Any secondery panel thats not the main must have a ground rod if its not haning on the house or the structure that houses the main. The ET box is considered a sub panel, so if its not on the house, it needs a ground rod.

As far as sizing the ground wire from the main, that's dictated by the size of the circuit, not the fact another ground rod is needed.