This is a picture of a main panel. Sub-panel is indoors.
What would the bottom breakers control (red arrow)?
What is the taped sections (yellow arrows)? Why would these be installed?
There is a mast attached the roof above the electrical panel.
Thank you for the input.
Aric Lechuga
TREC #25962
ICC #10138900
Aric, it looks like the 125 amp top breaker is back feeding the cabinet but I don’t see a hold down device.
And it looks like the 100 amp bottom single breaker (red arrow) is feeding the remote distribution (sub) cabinet. EDIT: It should be a 4-wire feed to current standards. And, it has paint contamination buy I can’t tell the extent on the breaker terminations.
The yellow arrows are pointing to a taped splices where the service entrance conductors were extended to reach the breaker.
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I see what larry sees.
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Maybe I’m wrong but to me it looks like the service conductors coming from the top (with the bare neutral) are feeding the 100 amp (main) breaker and for some reason the subpanel is being fed with a 3 wire feeder from the 125 amp breaker (which seems backward). The taped up section is where they extended the wires as they were not long enough. Normally a subpanel should be fed with a 4 wire feeder. Breakers should always be labeled even if there is only one or two in the box.
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Bunch wrong with the install.
No main disconnect tie-down. Back-fed.
Suspect splices. Looks like cardboard behind the electrical tape.
Open cable knockout. Bottom left.
Cable penetrating the bottom of the cabinet without bushing, not through a knockout space and bushing cable retainer.
Mast corrosion.
Suspect SEC roof clearance.
Missing proper electrical mast pipe boot flashing.
SEC cable point of attachment if I am not mistaken.
Thank you for the feedback. I greatly appreciate it.
I’ll post pictures of the sub-panel inside the house.
Aric Lechuga
Something here is wrong. Can you post more photos? You have the mast how about some photos of the meter, sub-panel, etc.
That’s a mess that needs a qualified Sparky for corrections.
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As Kevin stated throw a grenade in it and start over. The back-fed 125 amp has a hold down strap and the line side conductors are protected so that’s good. The splices are anyone’s guess and are probably not good. Can’t see the conductor sizes to say if they’re correct. Hard to tell if the neutral is bonded to the enclosure, the inner trim on the panel is missing and there is no visible means to actually mount one. There are no GEC’s present. The sub-panel on the inside is fed by a 3-wire feeder when a 4-wire feeder is required. Etc.
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I appreciate all the input. I ended up recommending a license electrician replace the panel and properly wire conductors. This was out in the country, very little oversight out there.
Thanks again
Aric Lechuga
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