I just added a circuit to my breaker box and it got me thinking about how the wiring all works. The neutral and ground both go to the bad bar in the circuit box, if they’re both in the same place then why can’t that just be wired inside the outlet and a single wire runs the length instead of two?
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There are a lot of redundancies in electrical wiring that become codified. Some stuff actually makes sense, and some stuff is pushed by manufacturers and distributors in order to make more money. When you start to think about why things are wired a certain way and can’t rationalize it anymore, there’s a good chance Siemens or Cutler-Hammer or whoever pushed to get a cash grab codified.
It’s worth mentioning that a neutral is always a white conductor, but a white conductor isn’t always a neutral. It’s good to have the bond in that instance in case things go south. Also, we have a LOT more electronics at home these days, and some of those electronically-controlled devices (dimmer switches!) need bonds and neutrals to function properly.
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