IS THERE AN ELECTRICIAN IN THE HOUSE?

[lance]

Can you tell me what I have here!

Upstairs I have the main power box coming in from the street. The main shut off has 60 on it on the right side. The left side has 60 [range]. And the rest of the breakers are 40, 20, 20, 15, 15.

Now down in my cellar there is another box with a double 30 breaker, two 15 breakers and another double 30 breaker that says range.

A few questions, Why would there be two range breakers that can be shut off, one upstairs and one in the cellar. I can turn the range off at both location? Is this taking any more power away having two instead of one? Could have that taken out and put in 20 in it's place?

Last, can I add a 20 amp breaker to the box in the cellar, would it handle this additional breaker?

Thank you for your time and knowledge on this subject.

Dave

[John Grabowski]

The circuit breaker boxes are probably not labeled correctly. Try shutting each breaker off one at a time and see what goes off. 60 amps is unusually big for a residential stove, especially when the entire service is 60 amps. This sounds as though it could be a split bus panel. The 60 amp breaker may be the main for the sub-panel in the basement and the 40 amp may be the main for the lower half of the upstairs breaker box. The 30 amp breaker downstairs may actually be for the range. Are you able to visually trace the wires?

You may be able to add another breaker into the basement box depending on the existing load, the feeder wire size, and the available spaces in the breaker box.

[RBM]

My best guess given your description: The panel has two main disconnects. The one that says "main" controls the power to all the lower breakers in the panel. The one that says "range" may go to a range, or it may feed the panel in the basement. If the "range" main doesn't control the panel in the basement, possibly the 40 amp breaker does. It's not likely that there are two disconnects for the range. You need to do some experimenting to see what goes off by each breaker. You may or may not be able to add an additional 20 amp breaker to the basement panel, depending upon it's current load, and whether there is a space for one

[RBM]

In my mind's eye I'm picturing a split bus panel with "Range" and "Main" stamped into the metal of the cover

The 60 amp breaker may

[John Grabowski]

I had the same thought after I posted. It has been a while since I have seen a split bus panel.

[terry]

Just a comment/suggestion: Some 40+ years ago we had a house circuit breaker panel that had 'two' main breakers.

One, as mentioned here was the main disconnect for a group of regular house circuit beakers below it. Outlets, hot water heater, lights etc. Not electric heat.

The other 'main' breaker had been intended for a flat or discount rate water heater, that in certain parts of rural Ontario Canada could be switched off remotely by the power utility for load shedding.

Being in a province that did not use load shedding we used the second main breaker for the electric cooking range.

IIRC the main breaker was 100 amp, and the range breaker was 40 (or maybe 50) amp. Those two breakers were together in the top part of the circuit breaker panel.

In present house (electric heat) we have a 200 amp service and main breaker; with a 100 amp breaker serving a secondary panel which is near the kitchen area. That secondary panel contains various breakers including one that serves the electric cooking range etc.

Hence we have three breakers that can switch off the cooking range.

1) Main breaker, turns off whole house. 2) Breaker (in main panel) serving secondary panel near kitchen. 3) The breaker that specifically serves the cooking stove.

Sounds like OP may have something similar????

Sixty amp sounds pretty small service in this day and age! But does provide for roughly 14 kilowatts. Here, 200 amp is now and has been for many years, minimum for new construction!

[lance]

I will be doing a few things today you all suggested, so I should gave some answers to pass on. Will get back to you later today. Thank you all for the info.