Siemens vs Homeline: Neutral Bonding Screws + When are They Used?

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[donaldhoudek]

Bill, thanks for the informative video. Another GREAT one!

[johnhawkinson]

Belatedly dropping in, Bill, at 0:25 you say the Homeline is 1/4"-20 and the Siemens is 1/4"-32. That does not seem like it could be right, 1/4"-32 is not a normal standard thread. Since the screws appear to be the same diameter, it's almost certainly the case that the Homeline is 1/4"-20 and the Siemens is 1/4"-28.
20 and 28 are the coarse and fine thread pitches for 1/4" screws, although 1/4"-28 is relatively rare. (Another possibility is the Homeline is #10-32 and the Siemens is #10-24, as 24 and 32 threads per inch are the coarse and fine thread for #10 (0.189" diameter, but that seems backwards from what you show. The Square D PKNBSCP kit includes four 1/4-20" screws and two #10-32 screws. Yet a third possibility is the Siemens is metric, but that seems very unlikely, given the whole ITE history of the product line.)

[donl]

ITE, now Siemens has always been my go-to equipment. I have used others when a bid was important or my access to Siemens was not available. Good video. I agree, finer threads means better contact.

[Dachamp]

Thanks for the info sparky. I Upgraded my panel last yr to a square D 24/48 Panel and its 1st in line. We don't have direct disconnects here in my state. The box connects right to the meter.

[newhouseadvice]

Very helpful!!! The way they wired my Siemens, I’m out of lugs on the two bus bars where they put most of the neutral wires. Trying to determine if I could use the bus bars on the outer sides of the panel - where most of the ground wires are returning from the house - for the three neutral wires I want to add with new breakers.

[douglascampbell]

Thanks again Sparky! Once again the exact information I needed AND a great explanation of the First Disconnect. Really appreciate your content!

[RJ-ejnr]

Excellent video!

Nagging thought here... a ways back I was taught your ground return path should be done with connected wires and not enclosures. The enclosure is connected to the EGC, but you don't land an incoming EGC to the enclosure for return, you connect it to a bus or connection that has a wire connection to the return EGC.

That has me wondering about the neutral return ground path through the ground screw into the enclosure over to wherever the GEC is. Clearly it's determined to be good enough that all manufacturers have it signed off on, but are there times you'd connect a neutral bar to ground via a direct wire method? I've used the neutral bonding screw, but I haven't have felt clean about it when it's via the enclosure.

[Govenor]

Never knew Scotty Kilmer was an electrician too!

[ianbelletti]

Homeline comes with the screw through a piece of cardboard. It's normally in the same bag as your paperwork and cover screws.

[garydudgeon]

Well done Sparky. Good demonstration.

[jamescole]

What about an outdoor transfer switch to the generator, the meter, and the main panel? With a big blade type switch? Where does the bonding go?

[RobertBarth]

The two 100 amp Homeline load centers I bought from Home Depot had the bonding screw on a piece of white cardboard inside the boxes.

[organicmusic]

That panel would be a indoor rated/ disconnect...many disconnects are outdoor rated...so fireman have access outside of a structure

[jerrysweany]

Really appreciate your videos. Thank you! What if the installer leaves the partially set bonding screw in the sub-panel. Should this be removed?

[michaelkenny]

I have a siemens main panel and meter box side by side. The main disconnect panel has a grounding jumper and no bonding screw. I am about to add a generator and the generator transfer switch will now become my main disconnect and I need to "unbond" in the main panel, but there is no bonding screw to remove. How do I do this? Thanks.

[SB-tfde]

So if you install an emergency disconnect(fireman disco)rated at 200A near the meter and your main breaker panel inside a garage also has its own 200A breaker, do you still bond neutral and ground at emergency disconnect box even though it’s not service disconnect but rather emergency only?
As an apprentice I asked that question my foreman and his answer was that it needs to be bonded at your main service panel not your emergency disco? A bit confusing to me. Thanks for your video.

[gabeleon]

So if I'm understanding correctly, a panel like square d SC816F200PS main service panel that comes with built in main bonding jumper does not need a green bonding screw even when a residence has a sub panel connected to it? Hence why square d doesn't supply one in this panel

[johancontreras]

What about solar fuse disconnect that is connected by tapping the line side at the main electrical panel. Does that mean that both the main panel and the fuse disconnect need to bond the neutral to ground. Thank you

[chrispate]

And as ALWAYS, this video was also helpful, Thanks Bill 👍

[markcrimmins]

If it's a subpanel, do you leave the screw in place untightened, or is it better to remove it? (Siemens SN panel in my case.)