The neutral wires are connected to the Ground bar

[jamesalligator]

Is there something wrong with this picture? Allot of my outlets doesn't have the ground. So there are two wires going to my service panel, one neutral and one hot. When I open my panel, it looks like the three neutral wires are connecting to the ground bar and one going to the neutral bar. Am I right? If so, is this the wrong way of wiring it?

I open it up because I want to run a dedicate electrical outlet for my plasma and sound system. When I turn on my hair dryer and plasma screen, sometimes the electricity shuts off.

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[hausdok]

Hi,

I with you'd taken an establishing shot of that panel so that I could see the whole thing. However, I see a grounding conductor, a grounded (neutral) conductor, and two hots. It small like a sub-panel but it's configured like a main panel with the neutral bar grounded and bonded. Are you in an apartment building with a main disconnect elsewhere? If so, you're right and it's all dicked up. If that's a main panel and disconnect it's fine.

Now, to the real issue - get rid of that friggin' fire-trap of an FPE Stab-Lok panel !!! Do not wait, don't pass go, just do it. When your electrician does that, he'll straighten out the rest of the mess.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[ghentjr]

This is a Federal Pacific panel and they are known to have many problems. Serious problems and you can read all about it simply by googling Federal Pacific. It looks like a replacement panel and the older cables on the left side are not being held by anything. If that is an original cable from an older service and is a metal sheathed wire you may have lost the connection there. But I can't tell if this is the main panel or a sub-panel. In any event, after you read some of the comments about this box you may simply want to have an electrician replace it with a more safe system.

You can start with this site" inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpe.html "

[jamesalligator]

I'm not confident at what I label are correct. I learning as I go.

Are you in an apartment building with a main disconnect elsewhere?

No, that is the main panel for my house.

So if I run an electrical wire to the panel, where does the neutral wire and ground wire go to? From what I read, the ground wire goes to the bare copper wire side (blue circle) and the neutral wire goes to the neutral bar (green circle). But from the existing wiring, it seems it doesn't really mater where the neutal wire goes to?

thanks hausdok and ghentjr for point it out that panel is a fire trap.

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[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by jamesalligator

I'm not confident at what I label are correct. I learning as I go.

Are you in an apartment building with a main disconnect elsewhere?

No, that is the main panel for my house.

So if I run an electrical wire to the panel, where does the neutral wire and ground wire go to? From what I read, the ground wire goes to the bare copper wire side (blue circle) and the neutral wire goes to the neutral bar (green circle). But from the existing wiring, it seems it doesn't really mater where the neutal wire goes to?

thanks hausdok and ghentjr for point it out that panel is a fire trap.

James,

You don't have enough knowledge to wire this circuit safely yourself. If you do it wrong, you could cause a fire, cause someone to be shocked or, God forbid, fry your new plasma TV. We really can't coach you over the internet. That's not the purpose of this forum.

Hire an electrician.

Also, you should really have him replace that old FPE panel for you.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[jamesalligator]

Yeah, I guess you are right. frying my new plasma TV is not worth it.[:-weepn] . It's just look simple, since there are only three cables to run and connect. I just have this in mind that I just shut off the main breaker, install a new breaker, connect hot to breaker, ground to ground and neutral to neutral and then pad myself in the back.[:-crazy]

It all start when I wanted to mount my tv, then one thing leads to another. I wire up on my surround system in the wall, wire all my audio viceo componentts in the closet with flasher. I even got myself a universal remote. All I see is my tv on the wall and the annoying dangling plasma power cord. So I fish the electrical wire and install an outlet on the back of my wall mounted tv and run the wire to the panel . Then I open the panel and got confuse. Oh well, I probably just jump it. I guess I in over my head. I blame my new found confidence on my recent hire as a Comcast cable guy. []

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by jamesalligator

Yeah, I guess you are right. frying my new plasma TV is not worth it.[:-weepn] . It's just look simple, since there are only three cables to run and connect. I just have this in mind that I just shut off the main breaker, install a new breaker, connect hot to breaker, ground to ground and neutral to neutral and then pad myself in the back.[:-crazy]

The basic idea is simple. But there are important details that we can't help you with over the internet.

It all start when I wanted to mount my tv, then one thing leads to another. I wire up on my surround system in the wall, wire all my audio viceo componentts in the closet with flasher. I even got myself a universal remote. All I see is my tv on the wall and the annoying dangling plasma power cord. So I fish the electrical wire and install an outlet on the back of my wall mounted tv and run the wire to the panel . Then I open the panel and got confuse. Oh well, I probably just jump it. I guess I in over my head. I blame my new found confidence on my recent hire as a Comcast cable guy. []

By fishing the cable, you've saved a bunch of the electrician's time. It should be fairly cheap to have him come out and make up the connections for you.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[jamesalligator]

You guys might have save me a fire or even worst, my plasma, thanks.

I'll find an electrician to change the panel.

[Richard Moore]

Am I missing something here? It looks like just one solid single bus-bar back-fed by a double-pole 40-amp breaker. That's his main panel? [:-bigeyes

I can't see if there's one or two feeders connected to the "main" but it looks like either a 40-amp or 80-amp (2 x 40) 120 only service(?).

Oh...hang on...the bus bar is split in the middle???

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Richard Moore

Am I missing something here? It looks like just one solid single bus-bar back-fed by a double-pole 40-amp breaker. That's his main panel? [:-bigeyes

I can't see if there's one or two feeders connected to the "main" but it looks like either a 40-amp or 80-amp (2 x 40) 120 only service(?).

Oh...hang on...the bus bar is split in the middle???

There's a lefty and a righty.

It's definitely a peculiar setup.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[msteger]

Originally posted by jamesalligator

I'm not confident at what I label are correct. I learning as I go.

Are you in an apartment building with a main disconnect elsewhere?

No, that is the main panel for my house.

So if I run an electrical wire to the panel, where does the neutral wire and ground wire go to? From what I read, the ground wire goes to the bare copper wire side (blue circle) and the neutral wire goes to the neutral bar (green circle). But from the existing wiring, it seems it doesn't really mater where the neutal wire goes to?

thanks hausdok and ghentjr for point it out that panel is a fire trap.

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The questions you are asking strongly indicate that you should not be doing any electrical work. Call a licensed electrician to do the work.

[Sodapop]

Upgrade your service to 200Amp. I recommend Square D QO Panels or Square D Homeline. Get rid of your FPE.

Your 40A Main seems a bit small for a house. When was it built? Too many Code violations.