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Finally fixed that one thing new guys always mess up

I was on a job last Tuesday at a house in Oak Park, swapping out an old panel. The apprentice had the ground and neutral wires all mixed up on the same bus bar like it was no big deal. Told him you gotta keep them separate past the main disconnect or you're just asking for a floating neutral situation. Anyone else have to explain this like five times before it sticks?
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2 Comments
karen275
karen2753d ago
You gotta keep them separate past the main disconnect" - man, I've said that exact same thing so many times I've lost count. But here's what I always wonder: do they actually not get the theory behind it, or are they just rushing and hoping no one will notice? Because mixing up grounds and neutrals on the same bar after the main disconnect isn't just a code violation, it's basically creating a parallel neutral path that can cause all kinds of weird voltage drops and shock hazards. How do you even get that far in your training without that being drilled into your head? It's like trying to teach someone to drive without explaining what the pedals do.
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max808
max8083d ago
I heard Mike Holt say once that grounding myths outnumber real facts 10 to one.
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