When terminating neutrals on the neutral bus, what is the fundamental guideline?

When terminating neutrals on the neutral bus, the fundamental guideline is that each neutral should be terminated separately. This practice is essential to ensure proper operation and safety within the electrical system. Each individual neutral wire is designed to handle the return current from its corresponding circuit; combining neutrals from different circuits can lead to overloads, increased resistance, and potential overheating, which poses a significant safety risk.

Separately terminating each neutral helps maintain a clear and organized wiring system, allowing for easy identification and troubleshooting of circuits. Additionally, this approach adheres to the National Electrical Code (NEC) that emphasizes the need for distinct neutrals in separate circuits to prevent issues such as circulating currents and voltage differences between circuits sharing a common neutral.

The other options present practices that do not align with best practices for electrical installations. Sharing neutrals among multiple circuits can create serious safety hazards, while connecting neutrals to the ground is not an acceptable practice as it can compromise the function of the grounding system. Connecting all neutrals to a single point is not advisable unless they originate from the same circuit, as this could lead to electrical failure or hazards.