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2-2-2-4 Wire Question

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Todd.Brock

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Ok, my neighbor is asking about the sub panel. I used a CH panel with 2 buss bars and with a strap between them. I did not use the bonding strap. What is the point of having 2 nuetral buss bars?
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Now, I am looking around the interwebs it appears I wired my panel wrong. Meaning neutral and ground wires on the neutral. So can I just disconnect the connection between the two ?

Can't believe I missed that and the electrician who inspected it and said it was ok....
 
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Mustang51js

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Easiest thing to do is add a ground bar and then put the grounds on that. Other option but takes more work is remove strap from right side bar,add the bonding screw to it and then put all grounds on right side and nuetrals on left side.
 
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Todd.Brock

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Both bars are isolated from the panel by plastic risers. Because it's a sunpanel, I didn't use the bonding strap to connect the subpanel box to the buss bar. So, if I removed the connecting strap, they would be isolated. You mentioned moving grounds to the right. Does it matter if grounds are on the left or right ? If so I would have to rewire the panel completely.
 
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pattenp

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The panel does not come setup to be used as a sub-panel. The 2 bars are for convenience to route the neutrals on the same side as the breaker serves the circuit. The proper thing to do is add a ground bar kit for the CH panel and move the feeder ground and all the circuit grounds to the new ground bar. On a sub-panel the neutral bars are to be isolated from the ground.
 
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Todd.Brock

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Thank you, after chatting with CH I have learned that you are correct. So I have a project after work. If i understand, the ground bar kit needs to go on the back wall of the panel. It should be screwed directly on so the load center is grounded...
 
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Mustang51js

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There's usually predrilled holes that line up in the ground bar. You can put the bar pretty much anywhere you want just use the screws that come with the ground bar, don't use self tappers to hold the bar on,I normally use a self tapper to make the hole then use the screw from ground bar and it threads itself right in. But only do that if the ground wire doesn't reach a pre drilled spot. You may need to buy a lug to fit the ground wire on the ground bar.
 
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Mustang51js

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I see you have a lug allready, looking at what you have your best option is to install the ground bar in top left corner between the knockout and the side of panel. What I mentioned earlier about the right side is you could make that your ground bar if you connect the strap from the green screw and disconnecting the strap from side to side. But much easier to get a ground bar then having to mess with that stuff.
 
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Charles (in GA)

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The ground bar kits will come with machine screws to mount them. They may have a tapered end and a V notch cut in the side to make them a thread cutting machine screw. It is OK to use these, the tapered tip and V notch will be past the threads when installed. Otherwise use a proper size tap, 6-32 or 8-32 and tap the pre punched holes you find in the back wall of the can, first, then run the screws in.

If you have two bars joined by a tie strap, usually one bar has a large lug, and one has a small lug on the top end of them. They are designed so that you can separate them by removing the tie bar and then installing the bonding screw or strap that screws to the back wall of the panel, this would be the ground, the other being the neutral. Otherwise, leave them tied together and not bonded to the can, then add one or more ground bars.

Charles
 
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Todd.Brock

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All Better. I added the ground bar. Only oddity is the 20 amp GFI breaker won't function properly. The test button will not come back up. I gently pryed it up, and it tripped the circuit when I pushed it in. Reset the breaker and I pushed it in again and it won't come back up. If I turn the breaker on and lightly touch the switch, it will return to the middle or tripped position. I am turning it off for now until I can get a replacement. It has never tripped and I have never really tested it in the years the panel has been installed. The 15 amp breaker above it worked fine.
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$

$lacker

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My concern is that it is "3 CONDUCTOR PLUS BONDING WIRE"
It appears that the "bonding wire" is not individually wrapped
Is that an issue? Or would that wire just be the ground by default?
 
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