Shop Time w/T.W. Friends

A headhouse is the room you go into before you go into a greenhouse. I'm sure there's a reason for the name but I've never cared to investigate.

AKA - single user bathroom.

Or, if you're adventurous:

Unfortunately that doesn't fit our standard.

I should change it.

I'm more likely to be found in the new 1200 square foot smoker that's in the building that'll be finished soon.

 

I mean yes, but he could just get a small outdoor sub panel and separate out the two loads, assuming the feed from the main panel is the correct size.

 

8008135 ?

 

no, still lacking the Neutral line and the Lines are probably not large enough for the 15 amps plus the load of the AC unit

 

It's not in the budget right now to redo the whole system, but I've got some extra rebar and wire in the garage from a previous project. I think I can use that to create a new ground below this box, and I can add one in the barn where the wire comes out. I took some other pics so y'all can see what I'm working with. There's plenty of excess at the barn end, so I'm going to try and pull a few inches back toward the house after the next rain. I'm sure it's not to code and I didn't do it!


The only work I've done out here is to swap out the dirt dobber encrusted outlet for a new one. The only thing plugged in out here is a charger for my generator.

 

Best option:
run a new 20A 12/2 line from the panel and stub out next to the AC line, put a duplex box with an outdoor GFCI outlet there then run from that to the shed, then clean-up the wiring in the shed

 

I don’t know how I missed the neutral, but you’re right on there.

 

After noon all
Late to the shop today
@six5crèéd have the talk, I have them regularly with my son, and one way with my dad now as he passed 20 yr ago, we were close and regularly had good talks more after I moved out we used to grab a burger and chat. Then when i was in need of it most he was gone. It has been tough but I am trying to be the best I can to my 2 kids and my wife.

 

Ok, there's so much here I don't even know where to start. Honestly this all needs ripped out. I know it isn't in the budget, but wow!

 

I was kind of surprised the VA inspector didn't flag it. I suppose he didn't care being it went to an out building.

Now I'm confused I though I was short the Ground wire, not the Neutral wire...

 

Some day it will get ripped out for a proper setup, today I'm just concerned with making sure that shorting wire doesn't catch the house on fire.

 

You have a neutral. See the white wire that is connected to a bar with the strands (and the ground wire wrapped around). Those twist of aluminum wire go back to the main which likely has grounds and neutrals bonded.

 

most outdoor 240V AC/Heat Pump are 2 hot legs (120V ea) and a ground (newer inverters might have neutrals, IDK)
who ever added the line out to the shed did an illegal bootstrap of the neutral to ground to make it work so a AC repair tech could get a shock touching the frame of the AC unit as it is now

 

I guess after thinking a bit that’s the biggest issue, the barn receptacle. IF that a/c unit is straight 240, a guy could just delete that receptacle circuit and be fine. No neutral needed. Then like you said earlier, add a separate 120v gfci to pick up the a/c service receptacle, daisy it to the barn and be fine.

 

He’s missing a dedicated neutral from the panel. The bare aluminum shouldn’t carry current.

 

The bare aluminum is attached to the neutral bus in the panel, I almost bet on it.

 

0% of the time you are allowed to run a bare conductor as a neutral conductor. I agree with you that it is acting as a neutral in this configuration because the receptacle load (120v) needs a neutral, therefore current can flow on that bare aluminum, which isn’t great. A dedicated neutral from the panel (white insulated conductor) as Craig pointed out is missing. Like I mentioned earlier if you were to delete the 120v load on that circuit, you wouldn’t need a neutral. Just 2 hots and a ground.

 

I guess you explained it better what I was trying to say

Nothing is done right here so I am betting it's not run like it's supposed to.

 

I’ll take that as a compliment I suck at explaining things! Hard to say what’s in the mind of some of these installers sometimes. I hope @KRAMERICA gets it sorted!

 

I've been up since 2am so words are not my strong point at this point in making a point right now.