SqD QO NG Bonding screw too small

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hillbilly1 said:
The problem is, if the panel is mount on block or concrete, the screw will hit and strip out.
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So make a dimple ;) Any Finn-Power autopunch that can do knockouts should also be able to make dents. I also doubt having the screw 1/8" longer would also cause it to strip out, since the can itself is already 1/16" (give or take) thick.
 
ModbusMan said:
So make a dimple ;) Any Finn-Power autopunch that can do knockouts should also be able to make dents. I also doubt having the screw 1/8" longer would also cause it to strip out, since the can itself is already 1/16" (give or take) thick.
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I thought Sq-D panels did have a dimple for the bonding screw, but it’s been a few years since I’ve seen one. I also seem to remember that 2 full threads of engagement is required, so a 32 tpi screw would need to go all the way through 1/16 thick sheet metal.
 
ModbusMan said:
The screw is in and we are bonded! Thank you all, especially retirede for sending me down that "It lands on the can, not another bar" clue. Now if only the SqD guy could have said "Yeah, grab a drill, put a driver bit on it, and give it some elbow grease" at the very beginning... Their YT video makes it look like another of my "everything is built to fit perfect" comm lines.
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Ta Da!!
 
For years Square D has placed a bonding screw in all loadcenters, even main lug units as those main lug units were easily converted to a main breaker unit. It is up to the user to know when you should install the bonding screw.

More recently I have noticed they don't have the bonding screw in main lug units I have purchased. Can't believe this would save any significant amount of money. They still tend to have two to four extra mounting screws packaged with the covers though. Maybe it is the green screws that are expensive?
 
winnie said:
Up at the top of the panel there is a green wire. What does it connect to? Us it possible that the N-G bond is upstream?
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As retirede suspected, that goes outside to the freshly-driven ground rods, as the original FedPac panel only had a bare copper going to my city water pipe... which also didn't have a jumper across the meter, nor did my gas water heater have bonds across all three pipes. So much that needed fixing from the original late-70s install. Though on the plus side, I haven't had a nuisance trip of the shared-neutral kitchen/dining room breaker in several weeks now... bonus!

kwired said:
For years Square D has placed a bonding screw in all loadcenters, even main lug units as those main lug units were easily converted to a main breaker unit. It is up to the user to know when you should install the bonding screw.

More recently I have noticed they don't have the bonding screw in main lug units I have purchased. Can't believe this would save any significant amount of money. They still tend to have two to four extra mounting screws packaged with the covers though. Maybe it is the green screws that are expensive?
Click to expand...
I've got one of their MBJ bubble packs sitting on the shelf that I don't need anymore if you want it.
 
ModbusMan said:
As retirede suspected, that goes outside to the freshly-driven ground rods, as the original FedPac panel only had a bare copper going to my city water pipe... which also didn't have a jumper across the meter, nor did my gas water heater have bonds across all three pipes. So much that needed fixing from the original late-70s install. Though on the plus side, I haven't had a nuisance trip of the shared-neutral kitchen/dining room breaker in several weeks now... bonus!


I've got one of their MBJ bubble packs sitting on the shelf that I don't need anymore if you want it.
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I have a collection of bonding screws, mostly from MLO load centers where I did not need to use them. Occasionally I do find someplace where someone did not install one where it was needed and they are handy for fixing that. My comment was a little bit of a complaint that they've gone cheap and can't afford to package that screw anymore, yet there has been occasional quality and distribution issues as well.

I'm still waiting for 4 QBL circuit breakers that were ordered back in late March. Nothing special about those, I thought. Just the standard fault current, with standard lugs on both ends, no special terminal like some that go in meter centers or anything like that.
 
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