Panel Bonding

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scnkapc

scnkapc

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Northern Kentucky
I?ve got one for you. It?s residential. You have a 400amp service rated meter can on the side of a house. There are (2) separate feeders going to (2) separate 200amp panels that are side by side inside the house. Both panels are the first means of disconnect. One of the panels has the ground wire coming from the rebar. The other panel has the bond wire going to the cold water copper pipe. Now here?s the question: Should there be a common bond wire between the (2) panels? My answer is no. By doing so you would be paralleling you neutral and causing a loop in your grounded system. The panels are already bonded together at the service entrance, the meter can neutral lugs. Why bond them together again with an addition jumper between the panels? Some inspectors in my area are requiring the additional jumper. Should they? If so, why?
 
That didn't answer my question. I am not talking about disconnects outside. These are 2 panels in the house from the same meter can. NO ground rods. UFR ground and cold water pipe.
 
IMO paralling the neutral and EGC can only take place beyond the main service disconnecting means. NEC section 250.50 requires that
items in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(6) shall be connected together to form the grounding electrode system that includes the ufer ground and the copper water pipe, so I say yes they should be bonded together. I like to see all grounding electrode conductors at the service main on the same neutral bar and a jumper to the next panel sized for the 200 amp panel. Also the neutral at the service panels shall be bonded to the service enclosure.

Help guys am I right?????

romeo
 
Romeo, all the items required to make up the GES can be bonded together and still not create a loop, look at the graphic George posted on page 2 of the link he provided at 5:48.

Notice that there is only one GEC to the Ground Bus and all the GE's are jumpered to this.

Roger
 
roger said:
Romeo, . . . look at the graphic George posted on page 2 of the link he provided at 5:48.
Click to expand...

Note: The image won't appear unless the 'alt' tag is removed, so I'll repost it here.

1100203955_4.jpg



Personally, I'd prefer to land the GEC's and bonds where the neutrals split, i.e., inside the meter base.

Too bad we aren't allowed to run anything except service conductors there, even the GEC. Sheesh!
 
Thanks Larry, I didn't give that a thought.

Roger
 
We were always taught to terminate the grounding electrode from the ground rods to the lug adjacent to the neutral bar inside the meter can.

We I move to the central US from Florida; they have been terminating the grounding electrode from the ground rods to the panel inside the house. The power companies here will not allow the ground to be installed in ?Their Meter Can?.

What?s up with that?
 
scnkapc said:
We were always taught to terminate the grounding electrode from the ground rods to the lug adjacent to the neutral bar inside the meter can.

We I move to the central US from Florida; they have been terminating the grounding electrode from the ground rods to the panel inside the house. The power companies here will not allow the ground to be installed in ?Their Meter Can?.

What?s up with that?
Click to expand...

The answer is: The power companies here will not allow the ground to be installed in ?Their Meter Can?.

You must follow the procedures from the POCO as well as the NEC and local codes.
 
:) You must follow the procedures from the POCO as well as the NEC and local codes.

Are you telling me procedures and codes are not like normal rules?
Made to be broken. :twisted:
 
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