home inspection problems found

[mrrblass]

Had a home inspection done. Here are 2 things i want to fix. The sub-panel in my garage has the ground and neutral wires both attached to the neutral bus bar. I know the ground wire must be removed but what do i do with it? There is no ground bus bar in the panel.

Next question- The garage sub-panel has fuses. The wire run through the garage is 12/2. Two circuits have 15 amp fuses. The other circuit with two lines running out of it has a 30 amp fuse. What size fuses should i be using.

[kactuskid]

Had a home inspection done. Here are 2 things i want to fix. The sub-panel in my garage has the ground and neutral wires both attached to the neutral bus bar. I know the ground wire must be removed but what do i do with it? There is no ground bus bar in the panel.

You need to install a ground bar then. You can buy them for your particular panel, there should be holes in the back of the panel that the ground bar screws will line up with. Go to an electrical supply house for a better selection. Beaware that the existing neutral bar must float above the metal panel and not be of the same continuity.

Next question- The garage sub-panel has fuses. The wire run through the garage is 12/2. Two circuits have 15 amp fuses. The other circuit with two lines running out of it has a 30 amp fuse. What size fuses should i be using.

A 12/2 wire gauge can be protected by a 20 amp fuse. A 14/2 wire gauge can be protected by a 15 amp fuse. If the supply wire to the garage sub panel is 12/2-g then you cannot use a fuse larger than a 20 amp.

[mrrblass]

Thank you.

[Snoonyb]

Since your sub-panel is of the fused variety, chances are that there will not be standard holes for the mounting of a seperate ground buss.
In this event you can install a driven ground, clamp, armored #6 from the ground rod to the sub-panel. At the sub-panel use a clamp fitting and a bond bushing. When the ground conductor is attached to the bond bushing clamp, leave a pigtail and attach you grounds there.

As mentioned, you can purchase an isolating neutral buss bar.

[scorrpio]

Fuses? Yuck!

I'd say your best bet would be the $54 'GE workshop kit' sold at Lowe's. It is a subpanel with both neutral nad ground bars, a 100amp main shutoff, and four 20 amp breakers included - though it got space for a lot more. Replace the old subpanel with this one, and you'll be all set.