New build - 200a outside panel feeding straight into 125a max panel inside the home. Allegedly city inspector signed off. I can’t wrap my brain around how this is ok. I am searching for any insight about how this is acceptable.
Do you have pictures of the inside of both panels?
Post them if you do as it will help people understand the situation better.
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Is the sub-panel located on adjacent interior wall from the distribution panel?
Or is the sub located a distance away from the distribution panel with the feeder conductors having no over-current protection?
IMO and from what I’m seeing, the feeder conductors should have over-current protection.
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I agree with Kevin.
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The sub panel is directly on the opposite side of the wall from the main panel. They are using the 200 amp main breaker as the overcurrent protection. I just can’t see how that’s acceptable for a 125 amp max panel.
It’s not. Those conductors feeding the interior panel are tap condcutors so a tap rule would apply. The tap conductors would need to land in an single OCPD in the interior panel because the panelboard itself being only 125 amps would require overcurrent protection not exceeding 125 amps. Tap conductors typically are not permitted to be run in SE cable.
408.36 Overcurrent Protection.
In addition to the requirement of 408.30, a panelboard shall be protected by an overcurrent protective device having a rating not greater than that of the panelboard. This overcurrent protective device shall be located within or at any point on the supply side of the panelboard.
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I saw the same thing recently on an early 2000’s home up here in the SW Washington area. Here is what the inside 125a main breaker looked like:fire:
This panel was in the garage, back to back with the exterior wall main panel and service entrance that had a 200amp main breaker.
That looks like a back fed breaker so the issue is likely with the contact to the bus.