Well Wiring Question

[monroefiredog]

Hi Everyone,

I just purchased a mobile home, the well pump is about 200' from the house. The well is 220v and is served with Supertuf Xl 8 awg 600v aluminum stranded triplex wire, from an outdoor panel. Apparently, they no longer make this wire. I have a broken hot leg on this circuit, and have narrowed it down to a limited area. I was going to replace a section of the wire. I am having a hard time finding this type of wire. The outdoor panel is older and does not have a separated neutral/ ground bar, it only has a ground bar. This panel also does not have a main breaker. Therefore, I was going to add a 100 amp subpanel that has a main breaker. My questions are, (1) can I connect this wire to a copper 6-6-6 UL wire, by code? (2) Or, would you just replace the entire length (expensive) with a copper underground 6-6-6 wire? (3) Do I have to make any changes to the panel to bring it up to today's standard where the neutral and ground are separated?

I also have another question. I was going to add a 100 amp main breaker sub panel so that I am able to cut the panel off to make additional circuits as needed. I was also going to add a 70 amp circuit from the new panel to serve a camper panel in the backyard. I have read that the sub panel does not have to have a ground, since it is coming from the main panel. Is this correct? Also, since the existing panel does not have a separated neutral, how do I separate the neutral from the ground in the new panel, or do I have to? I was planing on using 2-2-2-4 mobile home entrance cable (aluminum), to run to the new panel, which is only 6' from the existing panel, and also to run to the 70 amp camper panel. Will this be the correct wire to use? I was trying to use something affordable. Copper is so expensive when you use this much of this size.

If I am not thinking correctly, please correct me on what I should be doing. Thanks in advance for all answers and suggestions.

 

[AC Power]

1) Your outdoor panel may only be 220VAC, so there would be no neutral.
2) If you've an intermediate buried break in the line (open circuit), code would demand its replacement. You won't have the hydraulic crimper needed to perform an ugnd splice properly, so call an electrician to perform the ugnd splice.
3) If your original conductors AL (aluminum), do not use CU to splice the open circuit together....maintain the AL. Buy a few feet of #6 AL somewhere, use it.
4) Camper panel likely requires a neutral. Without a neutral, you don't have 120vac available. While you will read (with a multimeter) 120vac from either hot conductor to ground, you musn't use the ground for feeding a low voltage (120v) load.
5) All panels, including sub's, MUST be grounded.....of course.
6) 2-2-2-4 from your main panel is fine. Al is fine too. People today demonize aluminum, but it fine to use.....remember to torque down the lugs every 10yrs or so as aluminum has "cold flow". True, the inherent resistance of AL is slightly higher to that to that of CU....but for your extra-low load / distance application......it's fine.