Thread: Non Insulated Neutral

This is an older house, but isn't the neutral supposed to be insulated from the meter into the service panel? The two white wires are the incoming 120 volt feeders. Yes, I know they should be taped or marked.

If so, has the insulated neutral code been around for a while. Almost every other house I see has an insulated neutral in the panel. I guess it wouldn't make much difference in a service panel, since the panel is to be bonded to the neutral / ground bar anyhow.

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Originally Posted by Jim Robinson

This is an older house, but isn't the neutral supposed to be insulated from the meter into the service panel?

Yes, but there are a couple of exceptions, one of which is 'if in a raceway'.

From the 2008 NEC. (underlining is mine)
- 230.41 Insulation of Service-Entrance Conductors.
- - Service-entrance conductors entering or on the exterior of buildings or other structures shall be insulated.
- - - Exception: A grounded conductor shall be permitted to be uninsulated as follows:
- - - - (1) Bare copper used in a raceway or part of a service cable assembly.
- - - - (2) Bare copper for direct burial where bare copper is judged to be suitable for the soil conditions.
- - - - (3) Bare copper for direct burial without regard to soil conditions where part of a cable assembly identified for underground use.
- - - - (4) Aluminum or copper-clad aluminum without individual insulation or covering where part of a cable assembly or identified for underground use in a raceway, or for direct burial.
- - - - (5) Bare conductors used in an auxiliary gutter.

So I'm thinking that it would be OK as it is. It is in metal conduit from the meter into the service panel, and the service panel is bonded to the neutral / ground bar.

.Yep.