Hardwiring Questions

Alright, so I have some questions before I prepare the hardwiring for my hopefully new panel tomorrow. 1) Can the Ground cable be bare? 2) If I make direct contact to ground while the house power is on, can it hurt me in any way? and number 3) When wiring a panel, can I run 120V through the panel but in a corner. I had someone tell me it was bad etiquette but I cannot really run the wires else where. If anyone can answer these, that would be great, thanks!

What type of cord are you using to wire this panel? I would recomend against hardwiring. A) You are not qualified to do so and B) Physically installing a system you are not qualified to can lead to some issues, the worst leading to cancelation of a home insurance policy if you are not protected properly on paper.

With that said I would recommend a “plug in” method. In which case ground would not be bare and would typically be the green conductor. In terms of touching the ground, yes it can hurt you. If you were to come in contact with any current carrying wire you would be completing the circuit and electrocute your self. Static electricity is also always something to watch out for, it can be quite the surprise although it would really not “hurt” you. In addition to that be aware that there is always the possibility of a back feed or in some cases voltage existing on a neutral You can enter with the power from side closest to the power terminals, you want to avoid entering from the bottom as it may get in the way of the battery.

If you read the installation manual as I suggested… It will guide you in where to enter with power and explain the distance that it must remain from the other wires.

I do not want anyone replying to this thread with assistance unless you are qualified. Thank you.

Haha what? you told me on facebook that if my uncle gave me clear instruction on how to do it, I could. Yes, he is a professional in electrical. And if something happens let that be my fault, Not anyone else’s. I’m here for the help and I already know how to do this, Just answer my questions please and let me be. Sorry If I sounded rude. I’m just tired of people not answering my questions and trying to not make me do something!

No one here can stop you from doing anything, but we can at least strongly encourage against something that is neither necessary nor the safest option. I understand that you want to do a professional-looking installation and Jake already answered your questions if you do wish to proceed with hardwiring, but one of the things that you’re always going to get on this forum when you ask for help is advice. It’s your decision whether you want to take it, but I have a hard time sitting idly by when I see an idea formulating that could lead to problems. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of priorities when you’re excited about installing a new system. Just know that the safety and legality of your home is always a higher priority than the unlicensed fire alarm work within it.

There are many advantages to having a plug rather than a permanent hardwired line. In the event of an accident or wiring mishap, you can quickly unplug it. If you leave town and you’re concerned about keeping your system on, you just unplug it rather than going to the circuit panel. It also doesn’t leave behind any permanent electrical/carpentry work when you eventually take the system down. You can always run Romex into your panel and then have a junction box near the floor with a plug coming out, like on my system.

I do not keep track of user names on this forum, and who they are on facebook. If you used a name instead of a model number it would be a little easier.

If you have an electrician who is an uncle Eliaas you should be using him as a resource.

As I told you on facebook, I think electrical work is a little out of your reach at this point. Can you learn it? Yes. Can you gain alot of experience through small projects? Yes. It was out of my reach when I was a young kid as well. Do I recommend you hardwire the panel? No.

No matter who the user is here I will guide them in the safest manner I can for a hobbiest user who is not experienced in electrical work.

There is a reason people are seeking advice here, it’s because they want to learn and complete a project. I can not post something without offering an alternative view if I think they are putting themselves or others at risk. If you want us to not offer safety concerns or alternatives with our replies, while than perhaps we will just not allow technical advice to be offered on this forum? Would that be an acceptable solution?.. No, I did not think so.

Thanks Destin for what you said in the beginning! Also, theres actually gonna be a “breaker” underneath the panel, so its as simple as flipping a switch down now. Another problem I had was with ground, I was talking to Jake about this. The plugs in my room have no ground at all, so I tried to make my own by conecting it right to the box but was told this is incorrect. Any help? I also have no direct route to ground from my room.

Like the others said,

You should just run romex from the panel to a junction box with a plug…

It would just be the safest idea for you, I have experience with high voltage wiring and i dont even have my FACP hardwired.

This is another reason I would really recommend using a residential fire/security panel for this purpose (Vista-20P, DSC Powerseries, Napco, etc). Plug the transformer into an existing receptacle and you’re done. Run 18/2 FPL cable to the panel. No need to modify or touch any existing 110VAC wiring. No need for an earth ground.

If you want to get technical, the fire panel “shall” be on its own breaker. Even we don’t do 120v wiring. The customer is responsible for having a licensed electrician do that.

I think as a good practice, nobody is going to walk you through getting 120V power to your panel. Electrical codes vary from town to town and from state to state.