Inspector requested an additional ground bar for a 200 amp Meter Distrbution Panel

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Will Wire

Senior Member
Location
California: NEC 2020
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I live in California. We just started using the 2011 NEC. Is there any requirement for a separate grounding bar at a Residential Main Service Panel if all of the holes on the neutral buss bar have not been used? This is not a subpanel. The only reason I know of for adding another ground bar is if all of the holes are used and there are not enough holes for the neutral wires to be installed separately.
 
t-bird said:
I live in California. We just started using the 2011 NEC. Is there any requirement for a separate grounding bar at a Residential Main Service Panel if all of the holes on the neutral buss bar have not been used? This is not a subpanel. The only reason I know of for adding another ground bar is if all of the holes are used and there are not enough holes for the neutral wires to be installed separately.
Click to expand...

Is he wanting the bar there just in case, or does he actually want the grounds to land on it and the neutrals on the neutral bar? If the latter, I wonder what his philosophy on the MBJ is...?
 
t-bird said:
I live in California. We just started using the 2011 NEC. Is there any requirement for a separate grounding bar at a Residential Main Service Panel if all of the holes on the neutral buss bar have not been used? This is not a subpanel. The only reason I know of for adding another ground bar is if all of the holes are used and there are not enough holes for the neutral wires to be installed separately.
Click to expand...


I don't think that you'll find this requirement in the NEC since this is a service.
 
t-bird said:
I live in California. We just started using the 2011 NEC. Is there any requirement for a separate grounding bar at a Residential Main Service Panel if all of the holes on the neutral buss bar have not been used? This is not a subpanel. The only reason I know of for adding another ground bar is if all of the holes are used and there are not enough holes for the neutral wires to be installed separately.
Click to expand...

Did you ask for a code section? Inspectors are not God. :angel:
 
He may be asking for the intersystem one for the Phone, Cable TV, and what not grounds. 250.94

And how dare you question us mortal.:happyno:
 
The cost of an extra ground bar inside the panel is so low that you spent more than that already just posting your question.

I think the poster who suggested the inspector is maybe actually asking for the intersystem bonding mechanism to be installed might have the right idea.
 
Absolutely

Absolutely

The mention about them not being " god " is golden.
I will add to the list as well:
Doctors, Lawyers, Cops, Politicians, and Corporations are also not gods.
The pharmacratic inquisition, the scientific dictatorship and the military industrial complex as also very false gods scheduled to be undone in the near future.


All the best

SC
 
petersonra said:
The cost of an extra ground bar inside the panel is so low that you spent more than that already just posting your question.
Click to expand...

I am not arguing with you, sometimes you just comply with the inspector if it is not an inconvenience for you, but you don't always comply if the request doesn't make any sense regardless of the cost of material.

If it is the final inspection, it is Friday the part house is already closed, you may need to special order that bar..... So why do it if it is not a requirement.

Unless of course it is the inter system bonding terminal.

I always ask for a code reference.
 
Last edited:
So did we ever find out what the inspector was really asking for? Just in case some of our guesses were right. You can't always just post when the inspector is wrong, we have to step up and admit when the EC is wrong too.:happyyes:
 
cowboyjwc said:
So did we ever find out what the inspector was really asking for? Just in case some of our guesses were right. You can't always just post when the inspector is wrong, we have to step up and admit when the EC is wrong too.:happyyes:
Click to expand...

I'll bet there was a disco ahead of the 'main panel'.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top