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ground at the meter? does that wire actually go into the meter can or does it slip behind it and into your panel?

as to the floating terminal; I don't see it in the picture but make sure there isn't a screw that screws clear through the terminal strip and into the metal of the tub. some manufacturers use a small piece of metal that fits into one of the terminal holes and reaches down to the panel tub where it is attached.

and you are saying there is no grounding electrode conductor in that panel at all?

 

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The ground wire at the meter might go behind it as you suggest. I really can't tell.

well, I can't either so we'll skip that for now

There is only one bus and it is isolated from the panel metal by a plastic spacer. I can't see if a screw goes all the way through with all the wires in there but I think that would defeat the purpose of having it on plastic.

it is made so it it needs to be isolated, it can. The screw or main bonding jumper is included for when the neutral and ground needs to be bonded. It defeats the isolators intentionally.

If I remember correctly, your panel looks to be a brand that used a little offset piece the looks a lot like this:

No guarantees though. If you look at the screws it should be fairly obvious if one passes through the neutral bar and continues to the panel tub and is screwed in. It also will have a head on it so it could be tightened against the bar. Often times green but not always.

Yep, that's what I think. All the bare copper wires come from a NM "romex" cable, none by itself. Besides that, I would expect that the grounding wire would be larger- the same size as the one outside.

if it was installed improperly, the size of the wire could be improper so don't count on just that. make sure all the wires go to an NM cable or the one known obvious one is the neutral service feeder conductor that, along with the hot conductors, goes to the meter.

On the right side of the panel wall there is a pre-punched screw hole with a sticker saying for "equipment grounding only." It seems that all the grounding conductors would be on that side opposite the neutral bus and bonded at the specified location.

in a situation (such as a sub panel) you would need to install a ground bar there to land your egc's. In the main service panel you can land the grounds and neutrals on the same bar.

 

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it's that thread with the small panel a friend put in?

yes, you can move the white to the neutral bar in this panel.

If so, move the white to the neutral bar but in the subpanel, you have to move the white to the isolated neutral bar and install a ground bar. Then move all the ground conductors to that new ground bar. Your neutrals will land on the isloated neutral bar.

Going to have to check on the need to a grounding electrode system at the subpanel. Seems like 30 amp or less it isn't required if you have a 4 wire feed. Gotta check though.

It still sounds like you need a grounding elecrode conductor in this panel though and your neutral bar and ground needs to be bonded.

Just to be sure, this does not have a disconnect other than the main in this panel somewhere between this panel and the meter?

Is is possible it did at one time?