Two main panels

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1

Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Here ya go. After just talking about doing this in the disconnect location topic.


While this is not exactly what I was speaking of, it does give the general jest of how they try to comply with the codes.

http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/0Image035.jpg

http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/usrimages/Image036.jpg

What are you thoughts about doing this?

Joe Myers

2

Originally Posted By: Mike Parks
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That is illegal.


There are multiple violations there.

This is a fire hazard.

Mike P.

3

Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Quote:
That is illegal.

There are multiple violations there.

This is a fire hazard.


Name them!

Joe Myers
4

Originally Posted By: Mike Parks
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


I’ll just do one.


The conductors feeding the left panel are unfused.

Mike P.

5

Originally Posted By: jmyers
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Mike P,


So are the ones feeding the fused panel. ![icon_biggrin.gif](upload://iKNGSw3qcRIEmXySa8gItY6Gczg.gif)

Joe Myers

6

Originally Posted By: jpeck
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The white conductors must be “permanently re-identified, by painting or some other approved means” to another color other than white. Black phase tape does not cut it, it is not permanent.


Looks like the service entrance conductors come in from the top of the left panel, and go to a back fed breaker (is the breaker screwed or clipped on also?). That makes this the "service equipment", and where the neutral is bonded to ground. That also makes the right panel "NOT" the service equipment, and the neutrals should NOT be bonded to ground there (but look like they are, admittedly it is hard to tell from that photo).

May be other wiring problems (i.e., "code violations") too, but too hard to tell from those photos without having my eyes cross and get stuck that way. I'd have to break the larger photo down into sections and see what was there.

--
Jerry Peck
South Florida

7

Originally Posted By: jdigiacomo
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Really hard to see what is going on in those pics. Jerry, I see the service wire coming up from the bottom LH corner of the RH box. They seem to be double lugged with the sub panel feeders. The sub panel feeders should be protected by reconnected them to a proper size fuse.Thats what I think anyway.

8

Originally Posted By: rmoore
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I’m with Jerry on this one…just too confusing for us old guys who need reading glasses. icon_eek.gif One thing though…aren’t SEC’s supposed to be at least three feet away from Windex?

–
Richard Moore


Rest Assured Inspection Services


Seattle, WA


www.rainspect.com

9

Originally Posted By: jmyers
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Perceptive I must say.


Here is the way these "main" service panels are wired. I say both panels are main because both of these babies are using the same SE cable, the feeders to the panel on the left are double tapped on the line side of the fused panel lugs.

The SE wire feeding both of those panels is aluminum rated for 100 amps. The fused panel is rated at 100 amps, the main lug panel is rated for 125 amps. Do some addition, I came up with 225 amps running on 100 amp wire.

Joe D, was correct the SE wire is being fed up from the bottom left of the fused panel and onto the lugs on the top.

The fused panel is a split buss, no less. The pull out on the top disconnects the power to the entire bottom part of the panel, all the screw type fuses.

With the main lug panel, they attempted to comply with the six breaker, switch rule, which has a total of six breakers turning off the power to everything in that panel. Correct, if you add the pull out in the fused panel, you come up with seven to turn off the power to the entire house.

Both panels were not grounded with a rod and ground wire. The fused panel was bonded to the water pipe about 10 feet away, instead of to both sides of the water meter. They bonded the main lug panel to the fused panel with the same white wire they used for the feeder on the double lug.

There were abandoned wires on the top left side of the fused panel, which correlated to the color and size of abandoned wires I found behind the gas heater. No, they were not energized.

There were multiple neutral wires under several terminations, as many as there under some terminations.

That is where I stopped, I told them that I found enough wrong that they needed to contact a reputable electrician for further evaluation and repairs made based on their recommendations.

Joe Myers

10

Originally Posted By: jpeck
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


This is what I see in there.


Service Entrance Conductors
![](upload://dqV8CmGCADU5jBsDdNZy9xhIiCD.jpeg)

Main disconnect not multiple tapped, another breaker is.


Feeders from main disconnect bus bars go to second panel, however, these are protected by the main disconnect on the lower left.


Feeders from main disconnect feeding panel. This panel could be considered a "main panel" as it is fed off the bus bars of the main disconnect and is protected by the main disconnect, not a sub fed breaker.


Neutrals and ground connected to same terminal bar in enclosure on right.


Anyway, that is what I think I see, for starters.

--
Jerry Peck
South Florida