Ground not bonded to neutral in main panel?

jfrederick · October 7, 2009, 12:17am

First pic shows main panel (CH 125 amp). BTW, the electrical panels were recently updated and both were very neat, proper, and professionally done (the garage distribution panel was even wired correctly!). The second pic shows the bonding strap which is not connected to the ground bus bar. The third pic shows the bonded neutral bus bar with the strap/green screw. Now my question, am I missing something obvious here? The ground needs to be connected/bonded to the neutral, no?
It just seems to me, the way these were both professionally done recently, that this seems to be too obvious (it even appears that the strap was “pulled away” from the grounded bus bar a bit). Additionally, don’t these panels come connected (neutals & grounds strapped), and then installer adds bonding screw at time of install?

Any help/insight is always appreciated!

jpope · October 7, 2009, 12:21am

Yes. The grounding terminal-bus needs to be bonded to the enclosure by attaching it to the bonding strap.

tmcsweeney · October 12, 2009, 1:49am

main panel should have the grounding bar bonded to the panel. Both ground and neutral wires maybe connected to this bar. On a sub panel the neutral wire bar should be insulated from the panel.

jpope · October 12, 2009, 3:39am

All panels must have the grounding bus bonded to the enclosure. In the service equipment, the neutrals must be bonded as well.

fnewman · October 12, 2009, 9:46pm

What he said ! This appears to be one of the most difficult for H.Is to grasp.