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How can I install a 40A 220V GFCI breaker in a main panel that has ground and neutral wires on the same bus bar?
I tried putting both white wires on the one bus bar that has the line feed neutral and a #1 copper wire and ground rod attached to it, but it keeps popping with no load.

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    Did you connect the white wire from the branch circuit cable to the neutral bar, or to the breaker?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 3:43
  • Hello, and welcome to Stack Exchange. This sounds like a job for a professional.
    – Daniel Griscom
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 11:03
  • I wouldn't say "professional" but I would say that you have not yet realized an essential fact of how GFCI devices function.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 15:02

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There should be no problem with this, as long as you've installed the breaker properly.

  1. Read and understand all of the included manufacturers documentation.
  2. Connect the grounded (neutral) pigtail from the breaker to the neutral/ground bar in the panel.
  3. Connect the grounded (neutral) circuit conductor to the neutral (silver) terminal on the GFCI breaker.
  4. Connect the ungrounded (hot) circuit conductors to the hot (brass) terminals on the GFCI breaker (one conductor per terminal).

If the breaker will not set, there are a few things that can be wrong.

  • The breaker is faulty.
  • There's a ground-fault in the circuit.
  • There's a short-circuit in the circuit.
  • The circuit is overloaded.
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  • i did connect the neutral circuit conductor to the neutral / ground bar ! so i will reconnect it to the breaker and that should do it ! thanks I'll let you know how ti works out
    – joe collier
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 12:34
  • so the ground wire from the circuit should still go to the neutral/ground bar right ?
    – joe collier
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 12:38
  • @joecollier Yes, the grounding (earth) conductor goes to the neutral/ground bar.
    – Tester101
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 14:10
  • success ! I feel like such a dummy ... Iv'e been retired for 12 years and just forgot how the wiring went. thanks Tester 101! you're help is greatly appreciated. I was a maintenance supervisor for 3 motels in Monterey Ca. for over 30 years and did most of the electrical work myself, once again ... thank you
    – joe collier
    Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 22:34

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