breaker box green grounding screw

[james prosise]

What are the consequences of not insalling the green grounding screw from the grounding bar to the breaker box? Electrolysis?

[Richard Moore]

Without the screw, the combined neutral/grounding bar of most (if not all) load centers "floats" from the enclosure.

The intent of the green bonding screw (or strap) is to protect the metallic panel box if it were to become accidently energized. The screw provides a reliable path back to the utility grounded conductor for that fault current. Then, rather than waiting for someone to get electrocuted by touching the hot panel, the ground fault would be cleared by one of the OCPDs in the normal way (a breaker would trip).

Nothing to do with electrolysis.

[Scottpat]

I thought electrolysis was what my wife has done to remove the hair on her lip!

[Richard Moore]

Scott,

I wasn't sure if James knew your wife. It's why I didn't mention her.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Scottpat

I thought electrolysis was what my wife has done to remove the hair on her lip!

She told me it was what you had done to remove the hair from your ears.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Chopper97]

Then, why don't the automatically install this bond or connection at the factory?

[Marc]

Then, why don't the automatically install this bond or connection at the factory?

Because the screw is needed only if the panel is used for a main panel.

If it's used for a sub-panel, the screw is left out.

Marc

[mlparham]

What are the consequences of not insalling the green grounding screw from the grounding bar to the breaker box? Electrolysis?

The bonding screw is not always needed. It depends on the configuration of the panel. Same with the bonding strap between bus bars.