This question concerns the ground wires (bonding?) I am wiring a new workshop about 200 yds from my house. I plan to have the electric company drop a new line to a new meter for the building. I installed a homeline 200 amp, 30 slot load center and a cutler hammer top feed meter box. I ran 3awg wire for the weatherhead and main/neutral lug(s). My question is where does the #4 bare copper wires hook to? I have one tied into the rebar in the foundation and one hooked to a ground rod. 1) In the meter box there is a smaller lug beside the neutral. Is this for a ground?2) In the load center I had to add a ground bar. There are neutral bars on each side of where the breakers go. There is a larger neutral lug on one neutral bar and another beside the incoming neutral lug. I‘m confused as to where these bare copper #4 wires go??? Please help, Thank you
OK I'll do my best to answer your questions. First of all I'm assuming that your load center has a main circuit breaker and is the main panel in your home. 1# You need to place one wire under the lug in the meter can ( neutral) and the other into the lug on the ground bar in the panel the bar that doesn't get the neutral 2# The green screw goes Thu a hole in one of the neutral bars and screws to the metal case that makes the load center box this grounds the metal. 3# The spacer bar hooks both bars together ' at this point in your wiring the ground and neutral are in fact the same, but don't let that confuse you. The ground bar side (with out neutral wire) you use to place all your green, and or bare ground wires. The other bar with the neutral wire attached you connect all the white wires and neutrals to. I know this is confusing but its got to be done correctly or your potential for shock hazard is great. Good luck
The electrical codes will differ, depending where you live. You may want to buy a separate ground buss to provide ground terminal spaces. Its better to have the ground wires, separated from your neutral buss anyway, in case of any, future isolated grounds are needed. You should have pre-fabricated screw holes, in the new panel, for a ground buss installation. You can purchase these ground busses at any Home Depot or Lowes. Good luck.
The only place you hook ground and neutral up together is at your meter base. Use a separate ground bar and neutral bar. Remove the jumper from the two neutral bars and only run the bonding screw through one of the neutral bars and use that one for your ground.
