In article ,
stryped wrote:
:
:What I dont understand is why the need to separate the neutral bus and
:ground as they all end up combined in the main panel anyway.

The problem is that if the neutral connection breaks there is nothing to
indicate that there is a fault. The ground wire is carrying the
current. The fault can go undetected indefinitely. Now, if the ground
wire should break too, all of the supposedly grounded equipment
downstream of the break has AC line voltage on its "grounded" frame -- a
lethal hazard.

It is never permitted to have the ground conductor carrying any
non-fault current, and that includes current shared with another,
parallel conductor.

--
Bob Nichols AT comcast.net I am "RNichols42"