Need help with main panel board buss bar

[Chris D. Duphily]

Originally Posted by Mike Whitt

If the panel that Joe posted was the service equipment the generalist could land three neutrals on the ground bar under one screw in the year that Joe's panel was installed and do it in compliance of the NEC.

Compliant with the NEC does not mean compliant with the manufacturer's instructions (as depicted by te panel label) The most stringent requirement is what should be followed is it not?

[Chris D. Duphily]

I couldn't help but notice the author in your quote at JLC

"danny Saradon" a quick google seach showed some interesting websites.

[Mike Whitt]

Originally Posted by cduphily

Compliant with the NEC does not mean compliant with the manufacturer's instructions (as depicted by te panel label) The most stringent requirement is what should be followed is it not?

If a piece of equipment is not installed according with the instructions supplied with the equipment then it is not code compliant, see 110.3(B)

The NEC is a minimum safety standard and any instructions that are more stringent will prevail.

What is being discussed is the label installed in the panel and the wording concerning the word neutral. Where I see that word in Joe’s picture I see the torque requirements not the number of conductors allowed under a screw.

What is not being seen by some is just what is in service equipment where the doubling of neutrals and the combination of equipment grounds and neutrals under one screw occurs.

Let’s take a moment and look at a service panel as we discuss what Joe’s label says.
Here is a Cutler Hammer panel that has the two terminal bars tied together with a bus that travels from one side to the other behind the breaker panel assembly. This bonds the two bars together making them one and the same.

This panel has the same information on the label as the panel that Joe posted the label of, so we can use Joe’s label in the rest of this discussion.



What I now need for someone to do is tell me where the ground terminal bar is located in this panel.
Remember that when you point out the ground terminal bar then the bar you just pointed out will accept up to three conductors up to size #10.
The label that Joe posted says that if neutrals are installed they have to be torque to the ft. lbs. outlined for the neutral wire.
Which one of these bars requires the grounded neutral conductor to be attached?

Either and both bars are ground terminal bars and either and both are bars that must be torque if it holds a neutral or before the adoption of the 2002 NEC up to three neutrals.

[jtedesco1]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

Let us not forget however that Panelboards must be installed by the manufacturers intent via 110.3(B) and I have first hand knowledge from Eaton and other manufactures that they never listed their panels for the intent to doubled up a "grounded" conductor.

While the 2002 NEC bought the issue to light, it has always been a bad practice in my mind and I have never done it. The issue with UL 67 actually dates back to the 70's and so does the installation intent of the manufacturer to not allow any double tapping of a "grounded" conductor.

Just figured I would chime in....

Good! Sing along again!

How's the inspection business? Where are you inspecting?

Here's another picture about this issue: