When and Why to separate Grounds and Neutrals.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Electrical Exam Prep FREE VERSION electricalcodecoach.com/free-exam-prep-program PRO VERSION www.electricalexamcoach.com/membership-account/membership-levels/

[@bnerusa]

A year and a half into an electrician classroom , no teacher has ever explained it this way, please keep doing it!! 👏🏻

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go! Thanks for the feedback!

[@NickFrom1228]

This is hands down one of the best explanations I've seen on this. Usually when this is discussed they only of what you do and not why you are doing it. Good work.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's Go!!!

[@sparkee1965]

As an electrician for many years now, I do understand the reasoning behind it, but I just wanted to compliment you on a very easy to understand explanation.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you!

[@trsdos80]

This is by far the best explanation for GND vs N

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go! Thank you.

[@ToddWilliams-v6i]

I spent a day studying this concept for a course. You explained it far better in 10 mins. Well done!

[@EELLISON2012]

This guy is a very good instructor. I didn't have to restart the video. It was completely understood at every point.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you for the kind words and support!

[@maddierosemusic]

I have asked licensed electricians plenty of times about the ground / neutral thing and not one could explain it. Now I can tell THEM! Great video.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Right on!

[@brianlittle717]

This is a perfect explanation but it’s also important to recognize how dangerous it is to disconnect a ground wire or what happens if a conduit is broken because there would be a potential difference across the disconnected path. In other words never assume that a ground wire is dead because it can get you when you disconnect it.

[@6_7ft]

This is the best tutorial i have ever seen. You have done an outstanding job explaining this..

[@dgmenace73]

Wow....the pictorial of this video makes it so easy to understand one of the most, if not the absolute, hardest concept of wiring & safety to grasp!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's Go!!

[@davidreed602]

I've watched lots of KZbin videos trying to understand this concept. I'm a visual person and I also want to know why something works. If I just memorize rules I don't remember it near as well. I can rethink the process you described and refresh my memory. You did a great job! Thank you!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank You! I'm glad this helped.

[@lesnewsom6000]

I have a vivid memory from about 1974, when I jumped on a section of chain link outside a neighbors house. My friend pulled me off as I was “stuck” to it. The father had grounded the dryer to the fence (as I recall)

[@MrKen59]

Here’s one that baffles me - you have a range or dryer with 3 terminals and ground. The instructions tell you in a 2 wire install (older homes) to connect the neutral and ground on the device together. I was thinking this through, and became real to me when I tried to use a 40-amp gfci breaker and it kept tripping. Often the logic boards or a motor are 120v, so they are technically flowing neutral current through ground (and the shell of the device), and if at some point a fault occurs, or the grounding conductor comes loose, that shell now becomes live. I was taking some lineman courses and they were talking about the requirements for parallel grounding of disconnected lines due the possibility of picking up on emf current simply from being next to an energized wire or the wind blowing. This stuff is serious and we take so much for granted. Sorry for the rant, but there is a lot behind how we ground. God bless and thanks for all your work.

[@YoeyYutch]

I learned so much from your videos today, this one in particular. To show my appreciation I'm even watching the ads til the end, well most of them anyways. Thank you very much.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

I appreciate that bro! Lets get to it!!

[@Partysize2]

GREAT VIDEO!!! I love the way you used the diagram of current flow. That made it very clear what could happen. You were also using correct electrical units describing current flow for what it is and no words like "power flowing". Nice job all around. Thanks!! Wish you would do video on generator transfer switching.

[@drewjames9738]

Why is your channel not booming?? You should have more subscribers with the value you offer in each and every video.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you for your kind words, I'm all about slow steady growth, it tends to stick around longer.

[@extremeair1199]

Wow much respect coach!! First video I've seen of yours and I immediately subscribed, you're great!!

[@Quan._]

Thank you Electrical Code Coach! I subbed to your channel and appreciate the knowledge and wisdom you share sir. May GOD bless you! You have inspired me to raise my skill level and go into being am electrician apprentice and praying more in time.

[@Quan._]

I Think you are intelligent and making good fruits with this channel .

[@BradleyLayton]

Great graphics. Thank you.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You are very welcome

[@daviddominguez8258]

Thanks. Learned important grounding rules.

[@CFPVideoProductions]

Other than you being 100% correct, this is the best and most through explanation I have ever seen. Great job. Don

[@pumkinbomer2793]

Thanks!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You are very welcome!

[@ThatOneGuy-jd3jn]

Thank you I appreciate you

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You're welcome, and I appreciate that!

[@abletoflowtrucking8064]

Thank you i look for days for these

[@davidaengelhart]

Cudos to the creator of this video for a job well done from a seasoned electrician and code inspector. Mike Holt would be proud of you.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go!!

[@Bapuji42]

This is so much clearer than Mike Holt tho

[@gushoo6076]

Already watched before signing in. Thank you so much for the information. I have wondered for years about this.

[@todossantosmusic9070]

If I could Give more than one thumbs up you would get a crap load from me. Best explanation I have ever seen by far. Almost 40 years in the trades. You nailed it.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thanks for the thumbs up it means a lot! Let's get to it!

[@billbarney4937]

i love dogs. they are the best pets. good info. i was a maintenance electrician my entire career. its a pretty decent job for a young man

[@johnclause765]

Very enlightening, Thank you

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You're very welcome

[@rickybaby69]

I’ve watched 10 videos and you explained this perfectly.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you! I am so glad I could help!

[@daveb7999]

Excellent explanations, thank you for making this so clear! I just learned some very important information, nice job, subscribing.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

I'm glad this helps. Thank you for the feed back and the sub.

[@CoolDude-vc2fl]

I cant find answer to my question. I have a 4 pole breaker as my first disconnect, which obviously disconnects the neutral. So should i bond Earth Neutral before or after the 4 Pole breaker?

[@thepitpatrol]

Been jake leg wiring my whole life....thank you and new sub.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go! Awesome to have you!

[@ricardopimentel2286]

is this a correct statement? The neutral bar is connected to the metal frame? like we supposed to? 5:42

[@scottsatterthwaite4073]

Excellent job. Something to remember is that all conductors are also resistors. The human body is also a conductor/resistor and all the metal components in our electrical systems are also conductor/resistors. When you put resistors in parallel in a circuit the total resistance will be less than the lowest resistance value in the circuit.

[@dannybevills1567]

Agree with the others. Best explanation I’ve seen. Now I fully understand the why. Thank you.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you!

[@Centexgem]

Wow. This explanation is the best I’ve seen.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you, brother!

[@choimdachoim9491]

My problem with this is that I installed a 30 amp sub-panel for my RV and there was only one bar in the panel for attaching ground wires and neutral wires. That 's way the panel was manufactured. By what you're saying here I assume the neutral bar should be insulated from the panel body?

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

No, there are many panels where they are all bonded together, definitely work with a qualified license electrician in your local electrical inspector on this one

[@KG6AFF]

Like to THANK the video for clarifying very important topic around everything electric in the house, ground surfaces need only ground connections, so there is NEVER a remote chance for white neutral wire returning any hot AC current to a ground somewhere much further to be connected with metal surfaces of devices because they are/were not separated like they should be at 1st point of disconnect in the local house circuit ... only like to say I wish I knew ... this as teenager hooking up stuff for self and other people free but no reports of injury thus far ... but perfection is everything ... so with new information in mind everything will be checked, corrected and perfected when building NEW ...

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Lets Go! Thank you for your comment, safety is always number one.

[@ronsullivan132]

I had solar installed several years ago and shortly after I needed to replace my main panel due to main breaker buss issues and to expand the number of circuits. In the process of removing the old panel I found that the neutrals and grounds were still bonded together, which at that point the main panel would have been a sub-panel due to the solar having a main disconnect after the meter head. I was surprised to see that seeing as the solar installation had to be inspected by the NEC/Underwriters inspector before being energized. I separated the grounds and neutrals in the main panel. Thanks for the great video.

[@ClintHyde-p3y]

What if you only have 3 wires, (2 hots, 1 neutral) coming from the Meter to the house which is about 85 feet apart. my question is do we still bond the ground and neutral at the house service panel? And does there need to be a ground rod at the house? Thanks

[@dkat1108]

This is exactly what I need to talk about: If I have a 120v furnace and its "connected to a generator only during outages" generator manual says its bonded that should work and be fine....but if the furnace is still grounded to the house via the casing so that in a sense is connected to the house ground and neutral what happens when power is restored ? any help is much appreciated.

[@stringlarson1247]

As a EE from long ago, I loved this explanation. I'm not a full-time sparky, but do a fair amount of work on 100+ year old homes and buildings and the amount of knowledge that I've forgotten is high. Never too proud to got back and review the basics. Also, have to check out the NEC and updates even though so much existing stuff is sooooo old. Where I live, NM is verboten so gnd wires don't exist as in the NM world.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

It's always good to keep go over stuff again to keep the old mind sharp!

[@BobbaFett312]

excellent explanation. under normal operating conditions, neutral may have current flowing through it (when unbalanced load), while ground wire will never have current under normal conditions.

[@steventhury8366]

Thanks! This video really helped to clear out the confusion in my head on this subject.

[@EverydayProjects]

Great explanation! Subbed!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go!

[@sammaimas155]

At 9:04 why wouldn't the meter box/ first point of disconnect be live as well. Is the metal box not earthed??

[@jwest613]

very clear explanation !!!!

[@marssalvy4070]

Very good and explained video, as I’m sturdy for home inspector 👍

[@JacksLore]

This is a wonderful video that will save someone’s life probably

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you 🙏

[@LiSTRONG631]

Passed my JW test last Friday! 1st attempt

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Congratulations!!!!!

[@andresrodriguez5584]

That's great bud... im hoping to take my nccer for electrical soon, Hopefully God willing pass it the first time.

[@Webjaybird]

Best explanation on KZbin.

[@Alphasig336]

I personally think NEC should mandate separate ground bus bars for all installations. Neutral bud bar and ground bud bar, then bond them together in main panel only. This makes moving to solar or Generator easier and safer when it isn’t done unknowingly to home owner

[@tommarbach6483]

Fine for romex but what about pipe? I have no ground wires in the entire house. All emt where the conduit is the ground and is attached to all the boxes, subpanels and refrigerator shells.

[@esthermcgough3995]

Great explination great info

[@selkiemaine]

Awesome explanation. Reminds me of some electrical faults I saw on boats, where the (12v, thank goodness) current was getting drawn the wrong way through the circuit because there was a better ground in an unanticipated place. The ground from one circuit was functioning as the hot for a second circuit. Hard for an amateur like me to wrap my head around sometimes.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Heck, I'm a "pro" and it's hard for me sometimes!

[@tedlahm5740]

Clear concise information. Scary.

[@mrorganic13]

@7:00 side note, the panel and rigid will only be energized if you bonded the neutral bar to the panel which like youve been saying they should be seperated at every other means of discconect but also unbonded.

[@vargr]

I've always separated the ground from neutral at the breaker panel. The ground goes to the grounding rod, the neutral goes to the neutral side of the breaker panel and then the return side of the powerline. Anything else courts disaster.

[@matthews767]

Thanks Coach.

[@bennypena1629]

Right on bro

[@davelowets]

The ground wire should be installed as basically an "extra neutral" wire that is connected to the chassis of an appliance instead of the neutral connection on it. It's a safety wire that will safely carry the current back to the breaker box if there is somehow a leak of current from the hot wire, through a component inside the appliance, to it's chassis. That way, if your grounded body touches an exterior metal part of the appliance, YOU don't become the path for the stray current to return to the breaker box, it rides on the ground wire instead. Electricity ALWAYS follows the path of least resistance, and a properly installed ground wire has much less resistance to the breaker box than the path between your body, the earth, to the breaker box. Therefore, no shock from a leaky appliance if you touch it with a proper ground.

[@karlvondrak6080]

So my 200 amp panel, only point of disconnect, only has about 14 neutral screws left but 20 spaces left for breakers. Obviously I am going to run out of neutral screws and I know you cannot double them up. What is the best way and most professional looking way to rectify that? Am I to assume I can just add another bus bar to panel and use for neutrals?

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Is it a newer panel?

[@karlvondrak6080]

@@ElectricalCodeCoach Yes, the Square D QO142M200PCVP.

[@adogonasidecar1262]

Making a super clear case for why we need to separate at any point after the first disconnect. Why do we need to connect ground and neutral at first disconnect?

[@WilliamStrawnJoe]

Good video. I understand now!

[@MOLOTOVYOSHKA]

it touches the metal but it still safe, so what's the problem if neutral and ground are bonded?

[@dannypgrizzle]

How do you test to verify grounds and neutrals are separate? I live in an old rent house, and while removing an old ceiling fan, was dismayed to discover 4 wires bound together in the box with an old connector type I do not recognize, but a combination of bare wires and insulated wires.

[@TheDeckerFamily]

Thanks for the info, cleared up some things for me.

[@mrpute]

AWESOME video! Quick question. I'm looking to do two subpanels in series (garage subpanel connects to shed subpanel for multiple local branch circuits for shed lighting, 240v air compressor circuit, and outlets). Given what you've stated in this video and your out building series, I'm guessing BOTH subpanels need their own ground circuits (separate grounding rods and equipment ground in series from the originating structure) and BOTH subpanels need to have their bonding screws removed?

[@cristopherpandan3242]

In workers camp.....a hot/cold shower mixer has a 10 volts AC from those copper plumbings with the concrete in the bathroom. When the earth cable in the water heater was disconnected. Now it's fine. Didn't bother to troubleshoot specially those were old facility.

[@jps99]

Great explanation, thanks!

[@GoingGoneGalt]

Thank ypu for explaining the reasoning behind this. It was always a bit of a mystery to me.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Glad it was helpful!

[@10hunterLab]

How does the ground system work if the main panel did not have metallic conduit attached to a downstream sub panel? As in running power to a sub panel in a detached garage using uf direct burial wire.

[@makesaveinccomm]

How about off grid inverter. It have ground on metal case/, i connect the case to ground the first panel also connect to ground. I do not connect my first breaker box to neutral, if i do connect neutral to ground of first panel it created spark short. The off grid eg4-6500 Ex sold by signature solar. The inverter to first 16 breaker box is 5-6 feet... thanks for your answer.

[@leomeilak6532]

Thank you

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Welcome!

[@samsno3667]

Hi. Thanks for the video; I'm leaning, been doing, etc. Question: in your perfect scenario where the light bulb is lit with the current and the current passing through back to meter/shutoff where the neutral is bonded ground. Wouldn't current go to ground and neutral back to the source? If that was the case if it went to ground there, then the panel would hot also? I'm trying to clear in my head what happens at he first disconnect.... Thank you again for your video.

[@lancerudy9934]

Please go over necessary grounding requirements. Code numbers on grounding.

[@Givennewlife1976]

Im working for a swimming pool contractor and have two situations like this. Service and subpanel bonded at both sides and my foreman won't let me change it. I tried to explain he doesn't understand it. Same thing with the construction manager they just dont understand what it means and say its not our problem.

[@albertwashingtonjr2089]

OOOOOOHHHHHHHH! Great explanation! Thank you for sharing. Great job sir....

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

I'm glad this is helpful! Thanks for the feedback.

[@greggarcia7677]

Hello Maestro, thank you for educating us, I have a question, my house was built in 1936 before you even born, the electrical installation is not grounded at all, all my electrical out lets only have the hot and the neutral, the main ( first point of disconnect ) box includes the meter, the neutral from the main entrance box ( first point of disconnect ) feeds the neutrals and also goes to ground thru a solid copper wire connected to the under ground water pipes in the property, I would like to ground what I can inside the house with new out lets installs, and ground those out lets with a 7 ft bar into the ground if that's the right way to do it, my question is, can I get away with just one bar in to the ground?? I see other videos using two bars in to the ground, 10 ft apart, connected together thru a wire, and also I would like to install the grounds bus strip in the same main box ( first point of disconnect ) now would I tap my new grounds bus strip in to the neutral strip in the main box ( first point of disconnect ) Appreciate your help, thanks in advance!!

[@odoohub5010]

in a proper system. at the first point of disconnect in the main panel. We are to bound ground to neutral. However, i would like to know if the metal case of the main panel will pose an electrical shock, since current will be flowing from the neutral to the ground on the main panel?

[@Joshlamie88]

fantastic description, THANK YOU!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You're very welcome!

[@ridgwalkerg]

I have a switch, inside the wall the meter is on, the grounds are bonded with the neutral, the switch has two knife fuses on the main power leads. Then onto the house breaker panel 25 feet away, where the neutrals and grounds are bonded again. I want to disconnect them from each other, there, making sure they go back to the switch box, and again from the switch box, run a 45 foot underground cable to the shop and run a second sub panel, is this ok?

[@anthonyspadafora1384]

So what happens if we don't have the disconnect at the meter and our first point is the breaker box? Now the neutrals and grounds are all connected and the chandelier and refrigerator are both part of the path. Why is that different?

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

It's possible to have objectional current anywhere they are bonded but we have to keep in mind that the current only flows toward the source it does not flow upstream.

[@alexzhitomirets5864]

What if you install transformer for controls in sub panel, and you need to ground the Neutral of that transformer to identify the Neutral ???

[@bill7949]

Good stuff .very good info

[@billygraham5589]

I don’t know what the word “disconnect” means on this context but it seems I just need to separate grounds and neutrals everywhere except at the main panel, where I do connect grounds and neutrals.

[@77ABC78]

Our first point of disconnect is equipped with ground fault sensor. Should we connect the ground and neutral is this situation? I became doubtful as one electrician told me not to connect ground and neutral if the 1st. point of disconnect has ground fault sensor.

[@imtruth69]

What if you have a disconnect box outside the house that is connected directly to the meter base that is feeding a breaker panel in a de-attached shop, No ground attached to the disconnect box but a separate ground rod connected to the shop breaker panel Should the ground and neutral be bonded in the shop panel?

[@markd5067]

So if there isn't a ground from the meter box, just the two hots and neutral, to a load center 75 feet away with a main breaker and two grounding rods are supplying the ground connection for it, are the neutral and grounds still separated?

[@Anunakipower]

Also not to forget the breaker will not trip, no? Excellent video

[@CJs.82]

Great video !!!, well explained keep the good work .

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@neomatrix2722]

Thank you for sharing and I'm learning a lot as I like to Tinker with solder as I live off-grid and I have wired my own home I appreciate you and thank you again so much for sharing your knowledge

[@sheldon8115]

Good job 👍

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@LUISACONKLIN]

Love your detailed reply, but curious: what would ARC breaker do in this scenario ? would it trip or still function (where the ground and neutral were not separated?)

[@nodwaa9227]

Interesting how other countries do it. In the UK the neutral and ground are connected at the point of entry to the house. TNS and TNCS. we never connect them in the consumer unit.

[@gear59ok]

i wish someone would cover rural underground triplex install where there is no 4th wire and many outbuildings in series. not every body lives in a modern subdivision.

[@sprockkets]

Apparently, I'm grandfathered in with my older sub panel in the garage. The ground for it is separate, and I have no choice but to connect the neutrals and grounds in it anyhow. It's an older fused based panel with room for only one bank of neutrals and grounds.