Hi, I have room in my Square D 40 circuit 200A panel for 4 more breakers. But I
do not have any more room to put the white and the ground wires. This is
because one of the larger breakers, a 90A that feeds a subpanel in the garage,
has its nuetral and ground split and under multiple screws. The 2 gauge wire
apparently wouldn't fit under one screw.

A) Is THAT a problem safety or code wise?

B) Do they sell a strip I can add to the box or would I be better off adding
another subpanel in the basement right next to the existing main panel?

Thanks, John

You can buy additional grounding busses and you can also buy a lug that is big
enough to properly terminate that 2 ga wire.

On 18 Nov 2004 02:06:14 GMT, (ThePetPage) wrote:

Hi, I have room in my Square D 40 circuit 200A panel for 4 more breakers. But I
do not have any more room to put the white and the ground wires. This is
because one of the larger breakers, a 90A that feeds a subpanel in the garage,
has its nuetral and ground split and under multiple screws. The 2 gauge wire
apparently wouldn't fit under one screw.

A) Is THAT a problem safety or code wise?

B) Do they sell a strip I can add to the box or would I be better off adding
another subpanel in the basement right next to the existing main panel?

Buy an additional ground buss, or a ground lug for the #2. Though I
wouldn't fool with the larger wire if it's solidly attached.

Jeff

The terminals on the the ground/neutral bar may be approved to accept more
than one conductor under each screw. Check the panel labeling for details.
You could also buy a ground bar to screw into the panel.


John Grabowski
http://www.mrelectrician.tv


"ThePetPage" wrote in message
...
Hi, I have room in my Square D 40 circuit 200A panel for 4 more breakers.
But I
do not have any more room to put the white and the ground wires. This is
because one of the larger breakers, a 90A that feeds a subpanel in the
garage,
has its nuetral and ground split and under multiple screws. The 2 gauge
wire
apparently wouldn't fit under one screw.

A) Is THAT a problem safety or code wise?

B) Do they sell a strip I can add to the box or would I be better off
adding
another subpanel in the basement right next to the existing main panel?

Thanks, John

What about an additional *neutral* bus for a Cutler-Hammer box? Is such
a thing available? This is for the sub-panel in the basement; the main
panel with the main breaker and one breaker for the garage outlets is in
the garage, so I assume that only there are the ground and neutral
connnected directly.

MB


On 11/17/04 09:30 pm Greg put fingers to keyboard and launched the
following message into cyberspace:

You can buy additional grounding busses and you can also buy a lug that is big
enough to properly terminate that 2 ga wire.

You can double, even triple up the ground wires if the panel is labelled for it
but neutrals must be one per hole per code.

Greg wrote:
You can double, even triple up the ground wires if the panel is labelled for it
but neutrals must be one per hole per code.

In my home, the neutral and ground are in the same slot on the ground
bar, by the same screw. Is that a problem then?

The home was built in 2000 and passed the electric inspection in 8/2000.

In my home, the neutral and ground are in the same slot on the ground
bar, by the same screw. Is that a problem then?

It's not legal now.

408.21 Grounded Conductor Terminations.
Each grounded conductor shall terminate within the panelboard in an individual
terminal that is not also used for another conductor.
("grounded conductors" are the neutrals)

In the grand scheme of things it is probably not the worst thing you can do but
it is not code compliant as of the 2002 code. Prior to that it was just an
issue of the panel listing and label.Virtually every manufacturer labelled
against it but that is harder to enforce so it got it's own article. Most
panels are labelled for 2 or 3 grounding wires per terminal

Heck, those old 4 plug fuse and 2 pullout, 60A fuse boxes
had three screws for the neutrals.
I finally just replaced the whole box

Good choice