I’m attempting to determine if my home’s electrical enclosure is bonded to the neutral/ground bars. Honestly it’s all a little confusing. I’ve studied this a lot but practical electrical inspection is a difficult subject. I’m trying to determine if there is a bonding screw that connects my enclosure to my neutral/ground bars but I don’t believe there is one. It appears to me my enclosure is not bonded. If I’m wrong please tell me so I’ll know for future reference.
It also appears to me that the neutral bus bars below the hot bars have ground wires attached (Which I have read on other forums is acceptable, I’m not sure if these are all three neutral bars or if 2 are neutrals/1 ground bar) but I see plain copper wires on both the top and middle bars, so both bars with neutrals also have ground wires attached.
This is the main disconnect. I have a meter outside with no disconnect options there and there are no subpanels in my home. I know this panel should be bonded and the neutral and grounds should be bonded as well. If I’m way off please tell me I want to understand this better.
Panel is square D in a home built in 1957 and I see no green screw anywhere. Thanks.
Just the one panel? Home has grounded outlets, your three light tester will tell you. If the tester lights show good wiring that’s how you know. One of the tester lights is wired between the hot (narrow slot) (ungrounded conductor) and the ground. It should be on for a normal outlet because the ground conductor is bonded to the neutral at the panel. If its not bonded at the panel the tester will read open ground even if circuit ground is present at the outlet.
We saw circuit grounds in your panel. Chances are they go to the outlets that tested normal. In a house that age I would expect a few open grounds (no grounds). The evidence thus far suggests that the neutral and grounds are bonded at the panel. I did see a 50s house a few years back with a recently finished basement with all bootleg grounded outlets. This was revealed simply by the fact that there were no circuit grounds in the panel at all! To be sure in your house pull a normally testing outlet and verify a separate ground.
Panels too crowded. I can’t identify any bonding or jumper.
First thing I do.
1: Follow the EGC to the source. Typically/Usually/Normally located at the main domestic water supply pipe, at or below 5’ entering the slab. Then I know the equipment is likely grounded and other equipment can be bonded. Properly grounded is another story to I measure EGC AWG.
2: Look for bonding straps or jumpers in enclosures.
3: Look at the bushing.
Mostly, I do not open panels anymore.
1: Identify the circuit cables.
MND-3 first series. No ground.
Armored cable. Armor was the ground path.
2: Analyses lighting circuit outlets.
In you panel circuit cables have been updated.
There appear to be double taps. At breakers and the neutral bus.
