I understand the importance of not having an equipment ground in a remote distribution (sub-panel in most cases) sharing the same bar as the neutral conductor. However, I ran across a unique situation today with a sub panel bonded to the primary panel. The sub panel had one A/C circuit and two additional branch circuits. The Equipment ground of the A/C circuit was connected to the neutral bar. The two other branch circuits looks like were moved from the primary panel to the sub panel by extending the hot conductor, but the neutral conductors were not moved (in essence using the primary panel as a junction box (a no no).
In the case of the A/C, isn’t the bare conductor actually the neutral conductor and OK to be connected to the neutral bar?
What happens to the two additional branch circuits? The cable is physically not long enough to reach. Should a j-box be installed above the panel and then re-wired?
Are Type HOM breakers rated to fit in an Siemens panel?
Who ever did that was not an electrician. Several violations, the forked neutral from the sub panel terminating to the neutral bar stands out. Hots but no neutrals leaving the sub. Homeline breakers in the main panel. Also Im not sure what is between the two panels in terms of bonding. Defer to an electrician.
Feed through not labeled where disconnect is located. Every conductor must terminate in the same panel. What more is there to discuss? Still don’t have an answer on the grounding conductor from A/C on the neutral bar. If OK, then other inspectors need to be aware to look for this when evaluating bonding on a sub panel and not just look at the uncoated conductor and assume it’s a grounded conductor.
I think Mr. Liebig already did. Hots can not come from one panel while neutrals come from another.
Also that is a square D panel and they do come with a screw that bonds the neutral bar to the can however in this case it is not present (and is not supposed to present because this is a sub panel)
The bare conductor within the sub-panel is an EGC and should not be on the neutral bar. It should be connected to the enclosure either through a separate lug, screw or an EGC terminal bar attached directly to the enclosure. The subpanel enclosure is permitted to be grounded via the short metallic nipple connecting the two enclosures together with a set of locknuts.
As Jim stated splices are permitted in the panel so a junction box above the panel is not required to extend those conductors.
The EGC and the neutral are not permitted in the same hole of the neutral bar.
