Dedicated Line

The bars are connected for a reason. Leave them alone. To answer your questions:

1. If you seperate the bars, then each and every circuit breaker in the panel might not trip properly on fault. Self-explanatory as to the danger.

2. No. Only one ground is permitted for the whole house electrical system by code.

Strongly suggested: talk to an electrician or your local BD inspector before you touch anything, regardless of what you read here.

If you have to ask you don't know enough to do this. Hire a competent electrician.

GS5558, I recently had a a new 200 amp service installed and the electrician told me they had to install a backup ground wire from the breaker box to a water pipe in addition to the ground that went to the stake they drove in the ground near where the service comes into my house. Does this violate the "one ground" rule cited above?

Thanks for all input

Herman, no those aren't multiple grounds. They are connected in a star topology so that they all work to enhance the single ground in the system. Not all grounds are created equal; typically the best (ie, lowest impedance) grounds are from a strategic network of copper rods and additional low-impedance routes to the ground, such as cold water pipes.

And I agree with previous posts in that if you have to ask these questions, you should be consulting with an electrician rather than doing it yourself.

Michael