sub panel help - images inside!

[absintheisfun]

Alright electric pros--got a big request for help from you!

I got this sub panel for my detached garage (rated at 125 Amps). I'm running 4/3 from my main panel on a 70Amp breaker.

The interesting part though, is the bonded/unbonded issue. If you look at this picture, it looks like there is an insulated bar running between the neutral and ground bars. The second pic has the main breaker connection points removed so you can see that it does indeed run the whole length and is screwed in to both bars.

The instructions say that to make it bonded, I loosen the green screw and turn the metal piece and secure it to the neutral bar then tighten the green screw.

But I'm just having a hard time not seeing how this isn't already bonded when there is a metal strip running between them! I felt the black insulation and it feels as if there is a strip of metal running the whole length.





Thank you for any help you can give me!

 

[jerryd68]

The two neutral bars are bonded together but not to ground, in order to bond to ground you would loosen the green screw and put the end into the neutral bar and secure. Now all is bonded.

 

[absintheisfun]

The two neutral bars are bonded together but not to ground, in order to bond to ground you would loosen the green screw and put the end into the neutral bar and secure. Now all is bonded.

So, do I need to buy a ground bar "add-on" to keep the 2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground?

thanks for the super fast reply!

 

[jerryd68]

Absintheisfun, yes where your panel is in a detached building I would put in the ground bar and a grounding rod for the building, then run the 2 hot's and the neutral from the main distribution panel.

 

[absintheisfun]

Thank you! That makes sense.

 

[Keyrick]

Two ground rods, 6 feet apart, and a 4th ground conductor from the service panel to the sub panel.

That is, a four wire feed from the main panel.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Buy two ground bars, proper brand of course. The will screw into the existing pre punched holes in the back of the panel. Put one bar on each side, then you don't have to run grounds around the panel, you can land all the wires on their appropriate bars and breaker all on the same side.

The black insulation tubing on the neutral bar prevents if from contacting the panel, it is totally insulated from the panel.

Charles

Charles

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Absintheisfun, yes where your panel is in a detached building I would put in the ground bar and a grounding rod for the building, then run the 2 hot's and the neutral from the main distribution panel.

Regardless of the subpanel being in a detached building, ALL subpanels should have the neutral bar ISOLATED from the ground bar AND panel enclosure AND be fed by a 4-wire feeder! And yes, IF its a detached building, THEN 2 ground rods are required!

 

[grootspeed]

Could he disconnect the neutral bonding bar from each end and use one bar as a neutral bus, ground the other to the panel using the panel bonding strap and use it as a ground bus?

 

[CNGsaves]

Does that subpanel have ability to have single shutoff?? I've been told that detached garage needs to have single-throw shutoff.

What brand is the sub-panel??

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Could he disconnect the neutral bonding bar from each end and use one bar as a neutral bus, ground the other to the panel using the panel bonding strap and use it as a ground bus?

He could but its cleaner to have a neutral and ground bar on each side. Otherwise, the panel can end up looking like a bowl of spaghetti!

Does that subpanel have ability to have single shutoff?? I've been told that detached garage needs to have single-throw shutoff.

What brand is the sub-panel??

Thats a good point that i totally missed. If there will be more than 6 branch circuit breaker handles(DP breaker counts as 1) then a main disconnect is required in the subpanel in a detached structure!