A friend has a breaker box with Cutler Hammer breakers. in a 125 Amp box
I saw some 20 and 40 amp breakers but no main breaker. One of them is BR2020 for the 20 amp breaker.
Where is the main breaker located located?
Thanks, Andy
You're not giving much information. Is this installed or sitting on his kitchen table? Is it installed as a main panel or sub panel? There are a variety of breakers that will work in the panel, including those that you listed. Assuming that this is his main service panel, and you are concerned that it doesn't have a main breaker in it, it may be because the main breaker is located separately, and possibly outside, and possibly an integral part of the meter box. It is also possible that it is a split buss panel with main breaker section on the top, which would have spaces for up to six double pole breakers.
Very silly question.
What I have is called a main lug load center. It has no main breaker.
Andy
Very silly question.
What I have is called a main lug load center. It has no main breaker.
Andy
OK, it's a main lug panel. If it's not used as the main service panel, it doesn't require a main breaker. What , exactly are you trying to determine?
I like asking questions. I am a scientist.
It is being used as the main service panel.
From what I can see, there is no way to shut off power to the whole house in one step.
I see 2 options. Turn off every breaker or pull the meter.
Andy
I like asking questions. I am a scientist.
It is being used as the main service panel.
From what I can see, there is no way to shut off power to the whole house in one step.
I see 2 options. Turn off every breaker or pull the meter.
Andy
The NEC does require a service disconnect. If it's not part of the meter equipment, or a separate switch located between the meter equipment and that panel, and there are more than six circuit breakers in the panel, it's an illegal installation
Not necessarily "illegal", "non-compliant" is more generally so...
A similar thread very short while back established the disconnect, if required owing to the breaker count, has to be within 6-ft of the service equipment.
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I meant illegal, in the non-compliant sense.
RBM wrote: ...
That's "nonconforming"... :)
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*Anything is possible. As RBM said if there are six circuits or less no main is required. Also as mentioned before the panel could be a split buss and no main would be required for the entire panel, but the 40 amp breaker could be the main for the lower half. You can remove the panel cover to see if it is a split buss. If this is an older house it is possible that this is a sub-panel and the main panel or main disconnect is located somewhere else. It is possible to have the main disconnect at the meter location. Where is this panel in relation to the electric meter? Is this a single family house or a multifamily dwelling such as a condominium.?
I have a customer who has an older Cutler Hammer panel with circuit breakers, but the main disconnect in the panel is a set of pull-out fuses.
When I took the panel off, I saw that the 2 wires from the meter go right to the bus bar.
I am sure that it was built to the current code at the time.
The house is a single family.
The house is 2600 square foot, the 40 amp breaker may feed the central AC unit.
Andy
When I took the panel off, I saw that the 2 wires from the meter go right to the bus bar.
I am sure that it was built to the current code at the time.
The house is a single family.
The house is 2600 square foot, the 40 amp breaker may feed the central AC unit.
*I guess that there is no main disconnect. Maybe the house is located in an area where there aren't any code requirements.
What year was the house built? Is this the original service panel, and the original meter base? Unless this place is post-1960s, I suspect one or the other has been changed, maybe both. Maybe different electricians did the swaps, and each assumed there was a main shutoff at the other location. A 2600 foot house presumably has a drop sized for at least 150 amps. If it was all wired at the same time, they would have put a shutoff somewhere. I have seen meter bases with an extended lower section, and the shutoff is a pullout block in there, and it is not at all self-evident, especially if it got painted to match the house.
-- aem sends,,,
No problem with that. But if you want to learn to be a good one you might want to work on formulating questions.
See that wasn't so bad. Your original question might have been "I observed my friends service entrance and noticed the circuit breakers are colocated with the meter but there is nothing that appears to be a main breaker. There are only multiple lower current breakers. Is this compliant?"
. If a service panel is feeding a subpanel 150' away in a separate building, would the subpanel then require it's own disconnect?
. If a service panel is feeding a subpanel 150' away in a separate building, would the subpanel then require it's own disconnect?
Yes
With some scientists, the answer comes first, as in: "Why is the earth warming?"
The Service Disconnecting Means may consist of up to six sets of fuses, sets of circuit breakers with listed handle ties, circuit breakers, or fused pull outs. Building Disconnecting Means are treated as if they were Service Disconnecting Means. What is required to have not more then two disconnecting means is any panel that has more then ten percent of it's circuits at thirty amperes or less and having a grounded current carrying conductor as part of the circuit.
-- Tom Horne
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Is it possible that you are being overly critical?
Andy
.
Thanks for a helpful response.
I looked up the appraisal and found it was built in 1965.
I think the important thing is that the circuits are protected.
In the box there are 4 breakers(among others) next to each other with a bar attached to all of them with the number 40 on it. I tried to see where the wires led to, but there were too many wires in the box.
Another interesting thing is the ground wire for the box.
Instead of an insulated wire going to the copper ground rod, it APPEARS that the uninsulated ground wire goes behind the brick and comes out a hole close to the grounding rod.
There is also an uninsulated wire going from the grounding rod to the outside AC unit. I am not sure that is up to snuff. :-)
Take care, Andy
Andy
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