hbiss
EC, New York NEC: 2017
- Location
- Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- EC
I talked about this several months ago when I first saw this installation. This panel is a 30 space/40 circuit 200A MB panel. The neutral bar was double and tripled and quadrupled up with neutrals and EGCs in the same holes. This is a full 30 space panel with only 31 neutral positions. There were no ground bars installed. You can add 10 tandem breakers and I have no idea where the 10 neutrals would go.
Although this panel is maybe 20 years old, new Square D QO panels like this are exactly the same with limited neutral bar positions. They do offer PON breakers which are more expensive.
So, in looking I see that the 40 space/40 circuit 200A MB version has an additional 10 position neutral bar. That position is there in the 30 space/40 circuit but there is no neutral bar in it. It would be a simple matter to take a Square D ground bar and mount it in that position with only one screw. That would give 10 additional neutral/EGC positions.
It probably would violate the listing but who would know or care? This is the panel in question. Look what I had to do with the EGCs with those blue/gray wire nuts! There are still 4 spare breaker slots left to be used. It needs 40 neutral positions, there are only 31. Not to mention ground buses.
Note the vacant neutral bar position on the left.
This is a QO 40 position, 40 circuit. Same thing as above but with the extra neutral bar on the left making 40 neutral bar positions.
What do you think about doing something that they should have done to begin with?
-Hal
Although this panel is maybe 20 years old, new Square D QO panels like this are exactly the same with limited neutral bar positions. They do offer PON breakers which are more expensive.
So, in looking I see that the 40 space/40 circuit 200A MB version has an additional 10 position neutral bar. That position is there in the 30 space/40 circuit but there is no neutral bar in it. It would be a simple matter to take a Square D ground bar and mount it in that position with only one screw. That would give 10 additional neutral/EGC positions.
It probably would violate the listing but who would know or care? This is the panel in question. Look what I had to do with the EGCs with those blue/gray wire nuts! There are still 4 spare breaker slots left to be used. It needs 40 neutral positions, there are only 31. Not to mention ground buses.
Note the vacant neutral bar position on the left.
This is a QO 40 position, 40 circuit. Same thing as above but with the extra neutral bar on the left making 40 neutral bar positions.
What do you think about doing something that they should have done to begin with?
-Hal