Properly bonding grounds to neutral in main panel.

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patricknola

Electrical contractor/Generac Dealer
Location
new orleans, La, United States
Occupation
Electrical contractor.
Hey Guys, I have a customer who has has a 40 year old g.e. panel. It doesn't appear to have a slot for a main bonding screw option. All of the grounds , from all of the circuits, coming from in the house are jammed into one lug on the neutral bar. So, I'm going to install a g.e. ground bar and move all the grounds to the new ground bar. I'm trying to figure a way to neatly and properly bond the neutral bar to the ground bar. It's a 200 amp panel. The only thing I can think to do is to simply bond neutral and ground bar with a #4 insulated green thhn. Any suggestions?
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Yes. Use a bare #4 cu jumper. It need not be insulated.

You sure the enclosure isn't already bonded to the neutral?
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
You sure the enclosure isn't already bonded to the neutral?

That was my thought, exactly, as well. Have you checked for continuity from the neutral bar to the metal cabinet?

The Main Bonding Jumper in a panel does not have to be a "color", so if this old GE 200 Amp panel is bonded from the neutral bar to the metal cabinet by a screw it could have any shape and color. If the original GE panel label is still inside the cabinet there should be a diagram of the bus bars and lugs that includes a "call out" of the location on the neutral bar that the Main Bonding Jumper is installed.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
And, if I recall correctly, a bunch of the older GE residential panels had a bonding strap that looked like a tuning fork and went from a short little screw in the enclosure to a hole in the neutral bar.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Some service equipment is listed "for use only as service equipment". Such equipment has the neutral bar permanently bonded to the enclosure by the manufacturer, unlike equipment that is listed as "suitable for use as service equipment" where the bonding is field installed.
 
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