Please help explain this main panel

[Rayne]

I posted a pic awhile back of this panel without the cover taken off. Could someone help explain a few things for me, this is the main panel, there are two hot conductors coming in from the back and looks like a 6 gauge bare copper coming in that connects to the neutral bus. That bare copper wire I thought was the equipment grounding conductor but where’s the neutral? Is the copper wire the neutral but then we’re is there equipment grounding conductor? The bigger wire dropping straight down from the top is just to the dryer, and its a main lug only panel so no main disconnect, fewer than 6 movements to disconnect  , and on the sec there’s just two sets bc it’s a duplex. 

[Marc]

The bare copper coming in alongside the two utility hot wires is the neutral.  It's supposed to be insulated, not bare. The equipment grounding conductor doesn't come in with the utility wires, rather, they begin at the panel neutral bar and accompany each circuit.

The 240 volt dryer circuit seems to be the only 240 circuit in the house.

 

[Jim Katen]

12 hours ago, Rayne said:

I posted a pic awhile back of this panel without the cover taken off.

No, this is a different panel. The one you posted before had all different breakers. 

13 hours ago, Rayne said:

That bare copper wire I thought was the equipment grounding conductor but where’s the neutral? Is the copper wire the neutral but then we’re is there equipment grounding conductor?

Like Marc said, the big bare copper wire is the incoming neutral. What's missing is a grounding electrode conductor. 

 

[Rayne]

Hey your right my bad it’s not the same exact panel I’m on the other side of the duplex with this photo , but okay makes sense the bare copper is the neutral and the equipment grounding conductor is bonded to the neutral at the meter instead of the panel 

[John Kogel]

It may have been accepted at the time, but is a funky mess by the standards of today. Best to recommend a new breaker panel, and an electrician might want to install a new meter housing. Then the power company may want the weather heads upgraded to a single mast, and in the case of two owners, this could escalate into a big headache for a new home buyer.

So don't go too easy on something like this, which was just barely adequate to start with.

[brric]

 Deleted

Edited June 6, 2020 by brric