Bond Screw on Old Style QO Panel
- Thread starter Sparky555
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jeremysterling
Senior Member
- Location
- Austin, TX
Did somebody beat you to it?
It's possible that someone beat me to it but it's a correction from a home inspection. I didn't know if green screws were provided on panels that old.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
I had to remove factory installed bond straps (brand new panels this year) on 5 floors of Siemens 277/480 volt 225 amp MLO panelboards, they did not use green screws either, but was bolted solidly to the neutral bar and the panel can. Found them when doing megger test on feeders before energizing panels. Could be the same on the Square D, may be a strap instead of a screw.
jeremysterling
Senior Member
- Location
- Austin, TX
Maybe its in a different sub-panel somewhere else in the house?
It's the one screwed thru to the can
Seriously, just look at it and it will be obvious. One pair of screws will hold the inslated "stand off" in place and the terminals themselves will be evident.
Makes sense. I was hoping someone knew right, center or left. I probably need to put more light on the subject.
Thanks.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Do you have a photo of the neutral bar?
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Do you have the right address? :grin: Not that I ever repaired the wrong grain dryer or anything like that.
GUNNING
Senior Member
- Location
- Gainesville, Florida
tell them it was up to code when installed
tell them it was up to code when installed
I think some of the older SQ D panels didnt have bond screws. The neutral was part of the breaker assemply that bolted onto the can. If this is the case tell the home inspector or realtor that the panel was manufactured that way and cant be altered. Use the UL listed reason, OR move all the neutrals to a seperate buss bar that is listed for the panel (there wont be any).
tell them it was up to code when installed
I think some of the older SQ D panels didnt have bond screws. The neutral was part of the breaker assemply that bolted onto the can. If this is the case tell the home inspector or realtor that the panel was manufactured that way and cant be altered. Use the UL listed reason, OR move all the neutrals to a seperate buss bar that is listed for the panel (there wont be any).
ivsenroute
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
The label on the panel almost always shows you which one is the bonding screw.
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
You gotta hate that! One of our guys changed a service on the wrong house. The homeowner came home to find the electrician in his house working on it and was
. Doh!The right house was next door...
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
I imagine, that, by the time you read my post, you'll have closely examined the neutral bar. I installed a lot of these little 20 pole panels, back when. The main bonding jumper screw, in this panel is a round head machine bolt, about 1.5" long, that is snugged down tight to the face of the neutral bar.
You're right that it is the same color as the other screws. The neutral terminal screws have more "cylindrical" heads, and will be up from the face of the bar, unless they have been so overtightened as to crush the conductors. Also, in this vintage, many, if not all, of the neutral bar terminal screws had a little thin U-shaped metal clip below the head and inserted into the conductor hole -- the bond screw isn't like that.
Ivesnroute's suggestion about the label showing the location is an excellent one. Hope the label hasn't fallen off.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Look inside the panel on one of the sides for a label. There should be a 'diagram 1' and a 'diagram 2'. In 'diagram 2' you will find a drawing with the location of the screw which should be the center screw in the center bar.
That is if it's like the one I just worked on.
That is if it's like the one I just worked on.
You nailed it. Round head, dead center under the large lug. Thanks to all.
Yea, what's up with the little metal clip?:smile:
I've encountered more than a few of those.
Sure makes it aggravating to get a wire into the terminal.....especially if the panel is (as usual) crammed full of wires.
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
That was the way SqD took an older terminal bar and improved the "listing" to include stranded conductors. They eventually improved the entire terminal bar and no longer needed the little metal clip.
This "little metal clip" was from an era when stranded small gage branch circuit conductors were starting to appear at, or just a little more than, the price point that solid conductors were. Installers were finding the labor savings of stranded #14 & #12 attractive enough that the way the old SqD neutral bar screw cut the strands was dealt with.
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