Grounding, bonding and surge protection
Ground bars, exothermic connections, lugs and earthing kits, plus the surge protective devices that clamp transients before they reach equipment.
What is the difference between grounding and bonding, and where does surge protection fit?
Grounding and bonding do two different jobs and are routinely conflated. Grounding establishes a reference to earth; bonding ties metal parts together so fault current has a low-impedance path back to its source and a protective device actually operates. The equipment grounding conductor is not the neutral, and treating it as one is a recurring and dangerous error. Surge protection is a separate layer again, rated by where it sits relative to the main overcurrent device.
The 2 families in this category
36 documented configurations in total, with indicative lead times from 4 to 10 weeks. Each family links to its own reference page.
| Family | How it is specified | Lead time | Indicative band | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Bars & Kits18 documented configurations | Type: TMGB / TGB / Rack Kit Holes: 12 / 20 / 36 Material: Copper / Tinned Cu |
~4 wk | $22 – $640 /ea | UL 467 IEEE 1100 |
| Surge Protective Devices18 documented configurations | Type: Type 1 / Type 2 kA: 50 / 100 / 200 Voltage: 208V / 480V / 600V |
~10 wk | $180 – $5K /ea | UL 1449 |