Home is 2 years old and part of a row of 6 townhouses heated by water source thermo pumps. The main shut offs and panels for each are rated 200 amps. The main shut off for all is labeled at 600 amps. Does this seem OK?
Are you saying that you believe that 200 x 12 units should be 1200AMPS?
No, but it just seems 600 may be a little low.
Just answer the question Harvey 
We can assume that the EE made the determination, based on load calcs, that 600 amps is sufficient for service to the building. It really doesn’t matter what the individual unit disconnects are rated for as the two have little to do with eachother.
The steel bumper pictured, although likely installed with good intentions, is a violation.
I know Marc. Pretty funny. I can imagine what that thing cost to intall too.
David, I just did a 4 pack meter with four 100a main breakers. The calculated load was under 200 amps for three apartments and a land lord space.
If I wanted I could have used a 200 amp riser.
Marc, because of the workspace requirements correct?
Would that also apply to what I think is the original bollard(which looks short to me) in front of the left side cabinet?
Workspace yes, bollard looks more like the power comming in to me.
Yep, that’s a fact. If I was the electrician who had to service that installation, I’d have to unbolt that bumper from the Rawl studs and take it off the wall. That 600A Seimens disco may or may not contain fuses. I hope it doesn’t, because that bumper will not permit the door to open 90 degrees, as required. That bumper is a big problem. No doubt about it. A better approach would have been a “cattle fence” that was set in sleeve pockets in the floor. Such a gaurd can be easily lifted up and out of the way.
That looks more like a red enameled or epoxy coated ell coming into that two door CT cabinet. Hard to say from the pic, for sure. I’m a little puzzled why they even have a CT cabinet. Are those landlord owned submeters? Maybe they were just thinking ahead, by installing the CT can.
I enlarged the pic and I can now see that it is indeed an ell. Thanks Marc, you too Brian.
Anything for you Michael.
Piping is more in line with my past experience, but I do remember a time or two where the Electricians were in the way with some of those small wire thing-a-ma-bobs. ELL sounds like a lot better way to say it.
I’m curious, the disconnect has a amperage rating of 600? Sure it wasn’t volts?
tom
It probably was amps. Seimens is not my main brand, but those meter stack disco’s have a big buss structure along the bottom that permit it to “plug in” to the meter stacks. That’s what probably accounts for its unusual size appearance. It would be highly irregular to have a meter stack disco rated at more than 250 volts. That would be super-custom equipment, which this it not.
The bumper still puzzles me.
Please tell me this service equipment is not installed in the garbage room or parking garage. 
Marc, it looks like it might unlatch and swing open.
On second thought, after I enlarged it, it looks like I was wrong. Reminds me of the AC guys who like to plop their condensing units right in front of the panel.
The installation is in a garage that is used as a common passage to get to the individual garages for each under each townhouse. They are individually owned town houses. I missed checking on the exact cleanace between the bumper and the panels and I do not have a photo from the right angle to check now. Thanks for your input. It is a good point about not working on the installation while touching the steel bumper. What would be the concerns about having the installation in a garage if it where properly protected from damage aside from the fact that your neighbor could shut off your power?
The bumper would make a comfortable seat while doing some electrical work on the panel. Is this what a Ground Rod is?
You’ll find out if it vibrates.
:shock:
no, this is what an ELECTRIC CHAIR is ha ha