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Electrical

Bus Bar

In Plain English

A thick metal bar inside an electrical panel that electricity flows through to reach each individual breaker.

Definition

A rigid metallic conductor, typically copper or aluminum, that collects and distributes electrical current within a panel, switchgear, or other electrical enclosure. Hot bus bars carry line voltage while the neutral bus bar collects returning current. Ground bus bars provide a connection point for equipment grounding conductors.

Example

The electrician torqued each breaker connection to the bus bar to the manufacturer's specified foot-pounds.

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