Main Bonding Jumper?

[dtontarski]

I inspected a 90's manufactured home this morning. The service panel has separate terminal bars that both appear to be isolated from the service panel and no apparent main bonding jumper. Each terminal bar appears to have grounding electrode conductors that go to grounding electrodes (could not verify due to heavy snow cover). The neutral terminal bar is bonded to the home's copper water lines, but not to earth through the plumbing, as plastic runs from the home to the pump. As I understand it, this service panel requires a main bonding jumper between the terminal bars and the panel enclosure should also be bonded. I've enclosed a photo. Am I missing something? Both GEC's and the bond to plumbing supply pass through the enclosure together in a threaded clamp - would this be sufficient to properly bond these components? I'm recommending further evaluation and corrections by a qualified professional due to the double taps and excessive sheathing in the panel. Please advise on the bonding issues and any other issues you observe in this photo. Thanks!

Download Attachment: Copy of Gardner 032.jpg

134.13 KB

[ozofprev]

You should look for a label on the panel that says, "Suitable For Use Only As Service Equipment"

Those panels have no separate jumper. (Yours doesn't look like one of those, but you should check.)

ALSO: Don't I see a greenid="green"> bonding screw on the left terminal, just above the lower ground?

Originally posted by dtontarski

I inspected a 90's manufactured home this morning. The service panel has separate terminal bars that both appear to be isolated from the service panel and no apparent main bonding jumper. Each terminal bar appears to have grounding electrode conductors that go to grounding electrodes (could not verify due to heavy snow cover). The neutral terminal bar is bonded to the home's copper water lines, but not to earth through the plumbing, as plastic runs from the home to the pump. As I understand it, this service panel requires a main bonding jumper between the terminal bars and the panel enclosure should also be bonded. I've enclosed a photo. Am I missing something? Both GEC's and the bond to plumbing supply pass through the enclosure together in a threaded clamp - would this be sufficient to properly bond these components? I'm recommending further evaluation and corrections by a qualified professional due to the double taps and excessive sheathing in the panel. Please advise on the bonding issues and any other issues you observe in this photo. Thanks!

Download Attachment: Copy of Gardner 032.jpg

134.13 KB

[charlie]

The two ground/neutral bars are bonded together under the plastic covering that runs accross from bar to bar behind the main breaker. Bonding may be the non-green screw at the top of the left bar.

[MMustola]

From what I can see in the picture that panel is correct. It is a sub panel because it is in a manufactured home. The main panel with a main disconnect should be outside at the meter. The grounding buss bar should be bonding to the panel box. from the picture I can't tell if it is.

[charlie]

Gary, I think you are right about the bonding screw above the ground wire. If this is a remote distribution panel the whole set up is "messed-up"[:-yuck]

[ozofprev]

I'm right there with you on that, Charlie.

Originally posted by charlie

Gary, I think you are right about the bonding screw above the ground wire. If this is a remote distribution panel the whole set up is "messed-up"[:-yuck]

[dtontarski]

Thanks for the review. The green screw is probably the panel enclosure bond. I typically see a main disconnect on the exterior with manufactured homes and a sub-panel with isolated neutrals and grounds. This home did not have a remote main disconnect. There could be a bonding strap under the plastic, but I couldn't verify this. As long as I'm recommending further analysis, I'm going to recommend that the main bonding jumper be verified. I'm used to seeing exposed bonding wires or metal bars between the terminal bars. As the main bonding jumper at the service panel is so critical, I'd rather be safe than sorry on this one.