Main service panel bonding issue--help please

[AHI in AR]

Hi guys--

I'd appreciate a quick answer to this if possible. I searched the archived posts and could not find a definitive answer. The issue: I inspected a brand new home recently. Single service panel which, of course, had main disco inside panel. GE brand. Bonding strap was present between ground and neutral busses, but there was no bonding screw or strap installed to bond the panel enclosure to ground. The individual busses were mounted on plastic standoffs isolating them from the housing. I wrote it up for not having a grounded housing. It is in an unincorporated ares, hence no city code inspections. The electrician who did it says its OK, it's just missing a screw. (!!!) The agent called a different electrician who says it isn't. The buyers are refusing to close until it's cleared up. Does anybody have a relevant code # or other unimpeachable source I can cite? The installing electrician is refusing to talk to me, so I need to furnish independent info.

Thanks in advance.

[hausdok]

There's a schematic inside the panel that has an arrow pointing to that bonding screw hole and the words "Bond When Required." What more do you need than that? It's the manufacturer's own instructions.

Was the screw in the panel? I find thems sitting there occasionally and point them out to the client. I'd put them in, except for then the moron that left it out won't learn his lesson.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Brian G]

Originally posted by AHI in AR

Bonding strap was present between ground and neutral busses, but there was no bonding screw or strap installed to bond the panel enclosure to ground.

The electrician who did it says its OK, it's just missing a screw. (!!!)

He's contradicting himself. If it still needs a screw, it isn't okay.

Does anybody have a relevant code # or other unimpeachable source I can cite?

Offhand I would cite 250.80 and 250.92 on the NEC:

250.80 Service Raceways and Enclosures

Metal enclosures and raceways for service conductors and equipment shall be grounded.

250.92 Services

(A) Bonding of Services The non-current-carrying metal parts of equipment indicated in 250.92(A)(1), (A)(2), and (A)(3) shall be effectively bonded together.

(A)(2) specifies...

All service enclosures containing service conductors, including meter fittings, boxes, or the like, interposed in the service raceway or armor.

If the enclosure isn't bonded it should be, as you correctly asserted. If the bonding screw isn't there it's wrong.

Brian G.

Out on Bond(ing) []

[AHI in AR]

Originally posted by hausdok

There's a schematic inside the panel that has an arrow pointing to that bonding screw hole and the words "Bond When Required." What more do you need than that? It's the manufacturer's own instructions.

Was the screw in the panel? I find thems sitting there occasionally and point them out to the client. I'd put them in, except for then the moron that left it out won't learn his lesson.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

The screw was missing and the legend was quite plain showing where it was supposed to go. I'm sure you know the style of the strip where the screw goes near the bottom. But it's not like the agent or buyer can understand the issues involved without more work than they are willing to put into it. To make things more complicated, this job is an hour from here so I can't easily arrange to show the agent or buyer the issue on site, and there's no city inspector to call on. I never dreamed the electrician would make an issue of it...it seemed so cut and dried. But more importantly, so EASY to fix. I guess he wants to engage in a pissing war.

The last time a similar new home issue occurred for me outside city limits in an area where there were no inspections, the electrician stated that he didn't have to follow code. This home had some significant issues with it, not piddly technical things. I suggested to the buyer that he call the chief electrical inspector for the state. He did so; the state inspector made a site visit, and wrote a very strongly worded letter to the electrician insisting on corrections. The electrician then proceeded to install ONE arc fault circuit interrupter to cover 4 bedrooms AND the living room! All while knowing I was going to come back for a reinspection. His defense? "AFCI breakers are expensive. I didn't want to have to buy more than one."