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A couple of years ago, I was needing a sub-panel in my garage. While I intended to do it myself, shoulder surgery precluded me from being able so I hired a local, licensed electrician. He did a great job of running PVC conduit up to and across my 2nd-story attic, down along with breezeway to the garage. Just a couple of days ago I looked at the sub panel and noticed the cover plate screws were barely screwed in. So, I took them off to take a peak inside. This is what I sawpanel1.
This is a garage sub-panel, connected to a main where neutrals and ground wires are connected to each other, see pic.
seems like he was in a rush...
Looking at the main, if you look closelt on the left you can see that he put the new ground for this sub in the neutral bar. Not wrong, but the only wire now like that...enter image description here.

So I added a ground bar in the sub, and removed the green ground screw/bar from the neutral bar. Due to the layout, I used a wire nut to connect the grounds from the two cables on the right to 1 ground bar screw terminal on the left. Is that legit (using wire nut to connect 2 grounds into 1)? thx enter image description here

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  • A couple of years ago? When exactly was the work done? Where are you located? Your location will matter if your state is one of the few that doesn’t adopt the NEC and or if they are on a much older version with allowances for existing structures. With these questions answered we can answer your question ( a major portion of the US has required the neutral and ground to be isolated since ~99 but some still do not.
    – Ed Beal
    May 3, 2020 at 3:06

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Yeah, that's fine. Try not to have ground faults on both circuits at the same time :)

Nice job fixing up that panel. Weird that the person wired it like that.

The breezeway means it is an attached structure and you are OK with not having a disconnect switch/main breaker.

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  • thank you for your quick feedback. Also surprising that a professional would use a half-size 20amp breaker on the left and then 2 full-size breakers on the right bank. All 3 are feeding outlets in my shop. I know functionally they are the same, but looks sloppy. And regarding Ed's comment: work was done in 2017, Texas, house was built in 2005, city I'm in uses 2018 NEC. Thanks for reminder on particulars as I am about to post a question about generator power inlet box placement so this is a good reminder to add years/locations in it. thank you
    – Bobbo1107
    May 3, 2020 at 17:22
  • @Bobbo1107 Actually, that works; it's a unique characteristic of the GE panels. (a trait it shares with the ancient Crouse-Hinds, and the FPE which had unrelated problems). But GE implemented it much better (those funny cruciforms on the bus stabs are a GE thing, and they mean you don't need left-hand and right-hand breakers). Sadly, it's moot; 2020 Code all but outlaws half width breakers.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    May 3, 2020 at 18:28

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