Was there gas service? That solid conductor could be bonding to the gas line.
The other one DOES appear to be bonded. The one that goes up and to the left looks like it attaches to that grounding bus at the left (very top of bar)
Thanks for the info Daniel. I appreciate it!
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No gas service; all electric.
There was an electric tankless water heater. Would it explain the other copper wire?
Around here, the only time I see a solid 6 gauge conductor is either to bond the gas line, or as the GEC. So, I would assume one is your GEC, and the other is bonding the panel…?
Actually, one looks like 6, the other one looks like 8 or 10. But the water heater should have its own in the circuit wiring
While we cannot see the conductors/bonding jumpers continuously, I agree with Ryan & JJ’s observations. The bare copper conductors (at least one of them) comes from the grounded (neutral) lug & bonds to the top lug on the left side grounding buss. Then another jumper comes from the bottom of that buss to the one on the right side.
The configuration as described would be proper for a service panel. Equipment grounds were bonded with the neutral. Panel bonded via grounding buss that is bonded with neutral.
Now, if those equipment ground buss bars were only bonded to the grounded conductor (neutral) via that green bonding screw you described earlier, then the installation would have been incorrect. At the service panel (equipment), the grounding conductors cannot be bonded to the neutral by only the bonding screw. They must be bonded to neutral by either direct termination to the neutral bars or solid jumper conductor (as is in your pictures).
Not sure what you mean by that, there is nothing wrong with the service panel being bonded with just the bonding screw.
That is how it is done 95% of the time.
You are referring to the GEC being terminated at the neutral bus. That is when there must be a solid jumper. The main GEC cannot be bonded to the panel with just a screw. However, where I am at, the GEC always comes from the meter, not the service panel bus
I am not sure what you mean. Would you please explain?
From what I understand, if the GEC is connected to the service panel, rather than the meter, it cannot be connected to the neutral bus, and then only bonded to the panel with the bonding screw.
The GEC would need to be connected directly to the grounding bus, or the neutral bar would need to be bonded with a strap/jumper
Let me try this. If this is the main panel, usually there is no separate equipment grounding buss. The ‘neutral’ buss IS ground because the ‘neutral’ is the grounded conductor.
Grounding and bonding are very confusing. Not to insult you but you must have a GREAT understanding of these definitions. We all started out confusing the 2. This is probably the single most important thing that you need to know as an inspector.
Once you grasp the definitions, you will know more than most electricians.
Not to me. It is actually quite simple.
Yes, I understand there is typically no separate grounding bus in a service panel. However, I am talking about the bonding means of the neutral bus TO the enclosure. It must be done with a strap or solid conductor, (jumper) ONLY when the GEC is connected at the neutral bus. (not a bonding screw)
If it is connected at the meter, than a bonding screw is fine.
Never mind, I had it reversed. Now I remember what the rule was:
If the GEC is connected to the main panel, it MUST be connected to the neutral bar directly… It cannot be connected to the grounding bus bar IF the bond is only done through a bonding screw.
Because that would make the bond between the service neutral and the GEC just through the screw.
Robert addresses it about 6 comments down
So, back to this, where it started:
there is nothing wrong with EGC’s being bonded directly to ground bus bars when there is just a bonding screw. That is only with the GEC
That bonds the panel.
You have reading comprehension problems. I KNOW that bonds the panel. I understand bonding! Do you realize that you really dont help anyone on this forum, even though that is the only reason you supposedly became a CPI?
Read the whole thing to know what I was trying to explain.
Again, I was referring to the occasion when the GEC may be bonded to the grounding bus, rather than the neutral bus.
Yes, a properly sized copper wire can serve as the main bonding jumper.
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Really?
How are you ‘bonding’ it?
No, I don’t have to. Be sure that I will not answer any questions posed by you. Problem solved. I’ll just scroll by your comments. So, please take my comments in the future as being directed to others and not you.
Sorry, when the GEC may be “Connected” to the grounding bus… Is that better, professor??
perfect! They have never helped anyways!
You are correct. In this installation the GEC appears to connect to the neutral bus and a solid bare main bonding jumper (MBJ) connects the neutral bus to the EGC bus (as mentioned double tap not permitted). The second jumper from one EGC bus to the other is not required.
It’s hard to tell from the photo but the main bonding jumper from the neutral bus to the EGC bus is sized according to T250.102(C)(1) and depending on the size of the service conductors it may be too small.
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Can you provide a code reference? The EGC bus is only required to be connected to the panel enclosure by the factory provided screws.
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