Neutral SE Conductor in Main Service Panel- defect/fix

Good Afternoon
Did an inspection today and have a question. On the Neutral/Grounding Bus in the Main Service Panel, the Neutral SE Conductor to the Sub Panel has been physically split and is under two separate connectors instead of one Utility Lug. On the Sub Panel side it is under the one Neutral Utility Lug. Is this a defect? Should/Can a dual lug connector be used? Is that an appropriate fix? Clearly if it a Defect I will recommend a Qualified Electrical Contractor to inspect system, but I would love your alls experienced opinions and recommendations for proper verbage on writing it up
thanks
Matt

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The stranded conductors are not rated for such use (AFAIK), thus it cannot be correct installation (even if it works).

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Yes. :smile:

What would be the problem that may occur?
Just askin’ .

Defect. There is a product “add a lug” that would be the correct fix for that

Yes, Ryan, adding the correct size lug would be the fix. :smile:

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I’m going to repeat this…

What would be the problem that may occur?
Just askin’ .

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The downside would be that one ‘set’ of the strands could come loose in its terminal, providing an inadequate grounding path for that size conductor through the remaining strands in the other terminal should the need for this grounding path arise.

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It’s 100% safe.

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Hi Ryan,
“Defect. There is a product “add a lug” that would be the correct fix for that”
or
“It’s 100% safe.”
unclear.??

Roy asked the same question I was posting about.

Larry, that seems like a reasonable way to write up the Defect, I appreciate it.

Thank you. Sometimes, we have a technical idea of what we see, and just looking for a clear and concise way to write it up, something that another, more experienced Inspector Brother has seen before

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It is 100% safe until it is not, IMHO,…even Mike Holt says that in one of his talks.

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Sorry, I was joking about the 100% safe.
I was assuming that mr. Lewis was joking too. Sometimes it’s hard to tell over the internet.

I couldn’t agree with Larry more that everything is 100% safe. Until it’s not. Why is for an engineer to know, and is above my pay grade.

Hard to tell over the internet…THAT’S for sure, Ryan. :smile:

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For a minute I thought Parks hacked Ryan’s keyboard.

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Looks like at least one of the strands has been removed.

Good eye, Rob! :smile:

No! I’d write it up as “Improperly Installed” but, I like to think out of the box sometimes .
As to what issues that may occur because of the improper installation.
So far all I got was if one came loose… There has to be other things that could happen.
I just can’t think of any at the moment.

I would also write it up as an incorrect installation. Besides one coming loose, I doubt the strands were evenly divided. I saw it called out in industrial applications due to the possibility of arc flash if the majority of the strands were under one lug and just a few under the other.

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Now that you mention that Joe, I remember my electrician, who retired out of GM as one of their top electricians, say the same thing about the potential for arc flashing that scenario.

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That’s what they used to call haircut :cowboy_hat_face: