Any Comments on Breaker Panel

This breaker panel was installed in a home I inspected last week.
Notice the 120v 100 amp main. Any comments?
Also some circuits are AL.

Thanks.

AL needs paste and to be connected to AL approved devises etc,so if it is in the branch circuits I defer to Electrician myself.

Notice your pic shows white at ground and 2 different sized conductors double tapped.

What is connected to that knuckle off the feeder?(sorry can’t tell.)(looks like they ran it to a sidecar for a A/C unit) Am I right?
Need better labeling.

Do not see much Romex so hope that is not extension cord.:slight_smile:

Also observe two of the double breakers are in the off position.Do you know why?

Ran two conductors through one BX connector at the panel.(Is that a bare black conductor and extension cord ?)

OK on second look I swear it looks as if they cut the conductor off the closed 15 amp double breaker.

Stopping there because looking at wiring pics makes my eyes blurry.

Be a lot easier to see and accurately describe something if the photos were oriented. Do you not have photo software that can flip the photos. I really hate tilting my head sideways to look at photos, it may not go back straight one day.:wink:

They mount them sideways in Canada Doug.

Not sure about the Canadian electrical code but there are some issues under the NEC. I see other 2 pole breakers so I don’t know what you mean by 120 volt, 100 amp main. Back-fed mains require a clip or screw to keep them from pulling out. There are multiple conductors under the ground lug in photo #4.

There is also a double tapped 15 A breaker on the bottom row and the lug near the right side is not likely rated for more than 1 conductor.

And as Robert said, It looks like a 120/240 V panel with no hold down for the 100 main.

Just took another quick look and see the breakers were tripped when the cover was pulled off.
Hope you remembered to reset them.:slight_smile:

The home has 2 stoves one AC unit and a dryer. My concern is that no other subpanels were observed in the home or carport. Not sure what this knuckel is feeding, and if this connection is safe. The knuckel is not feeding to AC unit. Everything was operating in the home and the double pole 20amp was in the off position from the start. My concern is with the knuckel. Can you do this connection? and with no subpanel attched?

Allowed if done the right way.

Breaker is on in picture before cover removal by the way.

That “knuckel” as some call it, looks like a split bolt connection to extend a service conductor that was cut too short. If any of the reds are also in that splice I can’t tell.

just an observation, there are two red wires coming off the black wire at the split bolt.

Not determining where this stuff goes, you may have missed a significant issue.

I see someone using two wires of lower capacity to feed a single circuit somewhere. The two wires are trying to produce the sum of the required amperage capacity by double tapping.

This is a circuit without over current protection as well!

Let’s start with some information:

1-Is the 100 amp CB the service disconnect?
2-Are the red conductors connected to anything?
3-Is the rigid conduit a service raceway?

1-Yes
2- Yes - Split bolt connection
3- Yes - and I can’t trace the wires out the top mast head or at any visible location on the raceway.

The conduit should go into the meter base and then from the meter base to the weatherhead. Are you saying you cannot see any of this conduit?

Yes, I can see the meter and conduit. A stone facing has been applied throughout the home and the raceway is only 1/2 visible. Ok my point is that these two red wires enter the raceway off the split bolt connection. I can’t visually trace where these two red wires go (maybe behind the stone facing). There are no sub panels in the garage or anywhere on the property. Is this standard instalation? I have a funny feeling about this installation, however Im not any electrican. I know about the double taps (15amp breaker/ and 3 taps on panel grounding connection) and flux on the AL wiring. My question is that these red wires are live, and they go somewhere.

P.s. the AC unit does not have a disconect switch on the exterior.

I called out an electrician but just wanted some extra info.

Hence this post.

I would recommend having electrician take a look at this.It appears as though someone has upgraded the main panel and made existing wiring work.
The meter and wiring appears older than panel this looks like one of those handyman jobs.
I would definitely make sure to make notes of this in your report and take plenty of pictures.
This is a sub panel being used as main, in my state outside disconnects on the main are required.

I just noticed you are in Canada elictrical codes may not be the same.But no Matter where you are I see concerns with this and would make sure to document everything you are seeing.

Thanks for the clarification. Based on the NEC that would not be an allowed installation. The feeders cannot share the same raceway with other conductors, the lack of overcurrent protection, and the improper use of the split bolt which is for two conductors.

Also if they are paralledled, they are appear too small.

Thanks Jim
And thank you to everyone that replied.

Have a great weekend.

I love my Nachi community. :slight_smile:

Cheers,