Electrical Panel Bus Bars

williswires · 01-20-2010, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spark plug

... as was stated that there is a Disconnect Switch ahead of the "Panel" it (the Panel) is not considered a MAIN panel and it MAY NOT be Bonded/Grounded

The OP didn't say there was a disconnect switch ahead of the panel. We don't know yet...

kbsparky · 01-20-2010, 07:42 PM

Panels sold in Canada apparently have equipment grounding bars pre-installed in them. I took a look at some boxes when I was there over the holidays.

It's no surprise to me that Federal Pioneer boxes have them as well.

Stubbie · 01-20-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Panels sold in Canada apparently have equipment grounding bars pre-installed in them. I took a look at some boxes when I was there over the holidays

.

I wasn't aware of that but do you think they would have 6 short ones installed in the panel?

Red Squirrel · 01-20-2010, 09:59 PM

That's kinda an odd configuration, I'd be curious to see a pic of that. I have a Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok as well but it only has two bars (one for ground and one for neutral). Mine is setup as a "sub panel" though, since I have a main disconnect switch beside it.

spark plug · 01-21-2010, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

Then WHY is Federal PIONEER still used and installed in new construction to this day in Canada???
I thought F Pioneer was not the same thing as our old FPE. That is what my Canadian friends tell me.

Let me put my Two cents in. When I resided (a fancy way of saying, "I Used To Live") in (Montreal, Que.) Canada, Pioneer/Federal was considered a high quality breaker, and it was! But I read a recent piece of info. from Inspectapedia.com; that some lines of the Pioneer Breakers, Not the Panel, as is the case with FPE Breakers and Panels in the USA, were having problems, and are being replaced. The point is that there always was a distinction between Pioneer, Canada and regular FPE products.

(Ultimate symbol of Confusion)!

spark plug · 01-21-2010, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codeone

You need to go back and read Article 200 of the NEC.

The neutral as most people call it is actually a grounded circuit conductor!
It carries current most of the time. And is bonded or grounded intentionally at the service therefore called a grounded conductor.

That --as you say-- was a poor choice of words. What I meant to say was that a SUBPANEL (after a Main Disconnect Switch) may not be BONDED, since it is no longer considered Service Equipment, even though it is the Primary Branch Circuit enclosure.

?!

ElectGangBox · 01-21-2010, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codeone

No did not miss the main point. Most people and electricians do not understand what the GROUNDED CONDUCTOR is, They call it a neutral in the industry, however it is almost never neutral, only in multiwire circuits can it be neutral. It is a CURRENT carrying conductor that is bonded to the Ground in the main service. The NEC recognizes it and calls it a Grounded Circuit Conductor. Neutral implies that it does not carry current. If it did not carry current and shorted to the equipment grounding conductor it would not trip a breaker or blow a fuse.

As taken from NEC 2008

2008 NEC—Article 100

Neutral Conductor. The conductor connected to the neutral point of a system that is intended to carry current under normal conditions.

Neutral Point. The common point on a wye-connection in a polyphase system or midpoint on a single-phase, 3-wire system, or midpoint of a single-phase portion of a 3-phase delta system, or a midpoint of a 3-wire, direct current system.

FPN: At the neutral point of the system, the vectorial sum of the nominal voltages from all other phases within the system that utilize the neutral, with respect to the neutral point, is zero potential.

So yes, a neutral is now defined by the NEC!

dave_80 · 01-21-2010, 11:18 PM

Here's the photo. I'm a little confused because I've seen this configuration in all my research and the sticker inside the panel front describes the usually configuration of white wires on one side, green(bare) on the other. I had a licensed electrican do some work on it and he didn't say a thing.