Interesting panel. There was definitely a bit to look at. I am just curious where the ground wires went to, because most of the receptacles in the house were ungrounded.
Originally Posted By: Blaine Wiley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Dave,
The image link worked fine, but I don't think my eyes did. I don't see ground wires, or the ground or neutral bus bars. Are they hidden by the wires, or is the picture cut off, or am I just as blind as I am stupid? 
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Dave,
I don't see anything wrong with this panel. It is a main breaker with a split buss, into three I might add. Looks like it was pretty well done to me, although I am not too fond of the splices in the panel (via wirenuts).
Originally Posted By: dbush This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe, I also wasn’t wild about the wirenuts, nor the double pole breakers that had one wire coming off it, the breakers with no wire coming off that were still on, and the cut wire in the panel. I guess that the topic subject I put was a little drastic.
Originally Posted By: dbush This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Rick, there were so many of them that were ungrounded, I did not check them. I have almost no doubt that they were just laying loose in the box and not attached to the receptacle.
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Dave to my knowledge there is no requirement to put circuits on a single pole breaker. While it is more convenient to lose one circuit over two when you need to turn one of them off, there is not hazard there since the live parts are on the inside of the panel.
I defenitely frown upon the splices with the wirenuts on the inside of the panel, just because it makes trouble shooting this panel more dangerous since it is harder to follow the wires. Still not a violation to my knowledge.
Hey, I was not trying to bust your bubble. I just thought maybe you were seeing something I was not. 
Originally Posted By: Dennis Bozek This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Ok time for sparky to speak
Looks like a CH (Cutler_Hammer)panel.
A recent upgrade to the panel would make sure it is grounded per NEC but just because a panel is grounded, does not mean that everything leading from it would be. In the case of a older home that utilized k&t or the old cloth romex, there would be no grounds on the outlets. Some of the romex may have had a ground wire in it and when whoever upgraded the panel, they hooked these wires up. Nevertheless, no real cause for concern here. If the two prong outlets are not used for appliances, they can remain ungrounded. Otherwise recommendation that a sparky comes around and provides grounding for those receptacles that would require such.
Single wires on a two pole breaker is not a bad thing but more so a incorrect thing. The breaker will still trip for if any side of it senses a overcurrent situation, it will trip. Why anyone would do that is beyond me. Perhaps they had a sale on 2 pole breakers. Either way though, my only concern would be that the wire is rated for the protection the breaker is giving it (ie 12 ga to 20 amps etc)
Nothing says you cannot splice in a panel although I am really against such. As Joe stated it makes it tough to troubleshoot but at least the sparky who did that upgrade made them visible.
-- This information has been edited and reviewed for errors by your favorite resident sparky.
Originally Posted By: Dave Derie This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
My mothers house was built in the 50’s and has cloth romex with no grounds. The house was flooded and we remodeled the kitchen while repairing after the flood and there was a ground wire run just behind the sheetrock in front of the studs and rapped around a nail of each metal electrical box. Never seen anything like it before or since but is a tract home so imagine the others in the neighborhood are similarly wired if done by the same contractor. Made it easy for me to install 3 wire receptacles.
Wirenuts in a panel are not a preferred way of doing things but since you can solder a coupling on like a plumber its what we electricians have. If the panel has been upgraded it would explain it.
Breakers installed but not connected to anything wouldn't concern me personally. I actually do that quite a bit in commercial applications. They are marked as spares. On or Off they aren't going to do anything if not connected. They are filling open slots in the dead front 
Using 2 pole for a 1 pole application. Wouldn't do it myself I would get the right breaker. Then if I was in a pinch, I would just take the tie bar off.
Only place a 2 pole breaker should be used for a 110v application is where both circuits are feeding the same receptacle. Like under a sink for the top receptacle of a duplex being one circuit and the bottom the other. Then its required by code. I'd look it up for you but look yourself, gets you familiar with the code book and where to go.
