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Wiring main panel box for dedicated 20amp line.

I'm getting ready to install a dedicated 20 amp line and came across something I wasn't expecting. I have a single GE main panel box that's about ten years old. When I opened the box I was expecting to see neutral wires at one bus bar and the ground wires attached to the other, with the black wire - of course - attached to the circuit breaker.

Instead, I found the neutral and ground wires for each outgoing wire attached to the same bus bar on adjacent screws. I've since read that this is common practice and apparently up to code on a main panel.

To install a new 20 amp line, I could duplicate this setup with adjacent vacant spots on one of the bus bars and a new breaker, but I'm wondering if using a common bus bar for both the neutral and ground wires is suitable for a hi-fi application? The whole idea is, of course, to have a dedicated, properly grounded circuit for my gear. Also, if it's not ideal, would a small sub-panel be a desirable solution?

I'd be grateful for anyone's expertise. Thanks!
grimace

Showing 1 response by jadem6

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jadem6
1,074 posts
 
Your right Yogiboy that the mains come in as a single line, but for some reason you can get more noise from one side of the panel verses the other. For this unexplained noise issue, a sub panel might be quieter I guess it would depend on where the sub panel was pulled from, certainly either the dedicated line or the sub panel should be pulled from the opposite side of the panel as motors are on. On my panel I moved all the motors, refrigerator, boiler, dishwasher, washing machine and well pump) to one side of the panel. My dedicated circuits come from the other side. I don't have a sub-panel, but if I did, I would pull it from the quite side and consider using fuses vs switch breakers.
The reason why noise does not filter equally across the panel in that it's all connected is beyond my knowledge. I do know in my house things got quieter when I switched all the noise to one side.
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