I'm running Romex wire into my panel box. Put in a new breaker. I know the black wire goes into the breaker. Do the ground (bare) wire and the neutral (white) BOTH hook into the same bar? There is one on each side of the panel. These are the only wires in the Romex. Thanks.
If it is the main service panel, the neutrals and grounds go on the same buss. If it is a sub-panel, there will be separate neutral bars and equipment ground bars.
what he said.
careful messing inside the box, make sure you have the new breaker off when you connect the wire to it. Be aware that the bus bars that the breakers snap onto are always hot unless you have the main breaker shut off, so if you feel in any way nervous about that, shut off the main and have a helper hold a flashlight while you make final connections. Keep in mind that even in that case, the two large conductors from the meter to the box are still hot and are unfused, so stay away from them. Wear nonconductive shoes, don't lean against anything metal while working in the box, etc. etc. etc. I know, 99 times out of 100 nothing goes wrong even without any deliberate safety precautions, but we don't want you to become a one percenter.
nate
Caution: The above advise only applies to the area the responder lives in, in my area there are separate ground and neutral bars to use even in the the main service panel. Although they are electrically tied together, one is supposed to use the neutral bar for the white wires and the ground bar for the ground wires - it also keeps the box neater.
Nonsense, it applies to anyone in the US following the National Electric Code, including you. Many panels come with two bars, which can be bonded together if used in a main service panel, or separated and isolated, if used as a sub-panel
I am not in the US, and how do you know the OP is in the US. The internet is world wide, advise cannot be "carte blanc", it has to be qualified according to the regulations governing the country/region/locality it applies to.
The OP appears to be located in Seattle, Washington, USA.
In Canada,the neutral wire goes to the neutral bus, and the ground wires connects to the metal frame of the box.
The neutral bus is connected to the grounded box ONLY IN ONE SPOT.
In Canada, milk comes in bags.
Jon
Canucks export snow too, eh?
TDD
Do the panels used in Canada have a dead front over the main lugs even when the front cover is removed. Someone told me that in homes in Canada that was required. It sounds like a great idea to me.
-- Tom Horne
Andy comments:
I watch "The Red Green Show", which originates in Canada, to learn all about electrical hookups...... :>)))))
Yup, the main lugs and the main breaker are in a separate section of the panel. Removing the cover to work on the breakers doesn't expose them (does expose the hot bars the breakers grab onto, of course.) And the neutral and ground bars are separate, connected in one place with a tie that's removable for subpanel use. And all the screws are Robertson. This one's typical; see in the right photo how the top part is still covered:
But I gotta tell ya, the milk in bags thing is a losing proposition. They spill, they flop around in the fridge, they dribble down into the pitcher...dumb idea.
Chip C Toronto
It'd make me a lot less twitchy when I have the cover off the box. Maybe something like in the 19" racks I fuss with at work, clear plexi panels over all the exposed mains power lugs on the power supplies and UPS units mounted in the rack. So you can still inspect without touching, etc.
-- aem, who hasn't felt that 110v 60cycle buzz in decades, sends....
Even so, either white or bare can go on either bar.
Can, but not legally.
It is certainly possible that the manufacturer has installed a designated equipment grounding buss, with an instruction that only equipment grounding conductors can be installed there. In which case, even by NEC, you would have to follow the manufacturers instructions
>
Not enough information. Is this a main?
If the ground bar attaches only to the enclosure (as probably all ground bar "kits" do) the (US) 2008 NEC prohibits connecting a neutral to the ground bar.
Looks like if you are adding wiring coming in the top you have to remove the dead front protection. Would be nice to have protection only at the service wire lugs.
Europe may(?) be way ahead of us in 'touch safe" protection of lugs.
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