Main Panel Size

[ccurrins (Christopher Currins, CMI)]

@kshepard

It seems pretty obvious that the 200 amp disconnect is the service disconnect. There’s only one of those on a house. That’s the point of first disconnect. There’s not two different service disconnects in this one panel.

Then there’s a 125-amp disconnect, pretty obvious that it goes to the sub-panel, a common condition. I can’t see in this photo where the sub-panel disconnect pulls it’s power from. Randy? Is it connected to a breaker at the bottom of the supply bus bar? Is it connected to a set of lugs (connection points) that are connected to the bottom of the supply bus bar?

Look closer. Flipping off the 200 amp breaker will not cut power to the 125 amp breaker. They are both fed individually from meter.

[rdimit (Randy Dimit, #60269)]

@ccurrins

Look closer. Flipping off the 200 amp breaker will not cut power to the 125 amp breaker. They are both fed individually from meter.

That is correct. What they have done is place both Main Breakers for the Main panel and the Sub-panel in the same place, essentially. The Main is a 200 amp service and the Sub is a 125 amp service, obviously.

[btoye (Bradley Toye, CMI)]

Yep, the 200A breaker AND the 125A breaker IS the service disconnect.

[jhutchings (Jeremy P. Hutchings, IOS.2284-RES)]

These are the types that are popular here in the Las Vegas Valley. I am sorry for the poor quality photos.

[jhutchings (Jeremy P. Hutchings, IOS.2284-RES)]

How do I turn these photos the right way up?

[rmeier2 (Robert Meier)]

Since there are two service disconnects how do you determine the size of the service?

[rdimit (Randy Dimit, #60269)]

@Robert_Meier

Since there are two service disconnects how do you determine the size of the service?

I’m no expert by any means, but I would go with the highest main. As in my case, 200A.

[rlewis5 (Roy Lewis, CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR RETIRED)]

@jhutchings

How do I turn these photos the right way up?

Use a free photo editing program like Xnview

The Best Windows Photo Viewer, Image Resizer and Batch Converter · XnView

[kshepard (Kenton Shepard, CMI)]

@ccurrins

Look closer. Flipping off the 200 amp breaker will not cut power to the 125 amp breaker. They are both fed individually from meter.

OK, I cropped it and lightened the exposure. I’ve never seen one like this.

[rlewis5 (Roy Lewis, CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR RETIRED)]

The top breaker is for the sub and the other for the main.
On deadfront cover someone wrote subpanel at that top knockout.

[jhutchings (Jeremy P. Hutchings, IOS.2284-RES)]

@rlewis5

Use a free photo editing program like Xnview
The Best Windows Photo Viewer, Image Resizer and Batch Converter · XnView

Thank you! I’ll give that a try.

[jhutchings (Jeremy P. Hutchings, IOS.2284-RES)]

@Robert_Meier

Since there are two service disconnects how do you determine the size of the service?

enlighten us grasshopper.

[rmeier2 (Robert Meier)]

@jhutchings

enlighten us grasshopper.

IMO you would use the ampacity of the service entrance conductors once you’ve installed more than a single service disconnect.

This may help, take look at the diagram in post #34:

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=165201&highlight=multiple+service+disconnects

[jhutchings (Jeremy P. Hutchings, IOS.2284-RES)]

That drawing helped me wrap my head around it. Everything is mostly underground here and I do not have enough balls to snip off the power company tag to peek inside. Not for a fear of electrocution but rather getting in trouble with the homeowner or power company.