why limit number of circuits

I would question what section of code he's making reference to

Probably the part that says everything must be installed in accordance with its listing -- and the panel is listed, and labelled, for only four circuits.

I can buy a panel that says 100amp (meaning < 100amps) and has 20 circuits.

As Doug points out, if the panel is listed for 4 circuits max, you wouldn&#39;t be able to exceed that. Yes, you can buy a 20 circuit panel with 100 amp buss, and even if they&#39;ll fit, you aren&#39;t allowed to install more than 20 circuits in it

The box will say how many circuits it can have. You can&#39;t go over that. Take a walk down the lowes aisle with breaker boxes. They all have a limit.

OK, I think I confused everyone. My contractor tells me that I&#39;m not allowed to install a panel that can take more than 4 circuits. And I&#39;m wondering what the rationale is for that particular limitation.

It is not a bad design decision but I am not aware of a code limitation in a dwelling. In commercial you are limited to 180va per receptacle. The limitation on a panellboard is the number of overcurrent devices, not the number of circuits. Some breakers will take 2 circuits per terminal..

One of several possibilities: you misunderstood the contractor; the contractor misunderstands, or misstated, the rule; or there is some *local* rule limiting the number of circuits in a subpanel. There is no such limit in the National Electrical Code; the only limit under the NEC is the number of circuits that the panel is identified for.

But I think there are some rules related to the total of the amperage of all the breakers in the box as it relates to the 30 amp feed, isn&#39;t there? I know you can&#39;t just infinitely add breakers to a 30 amp circuit.

There is also the rule about how many motions it taks to cut off all the power but I thought that was 6 or 8, not 4? Unless there is a local code that says 4 is the max. OP - this rule limits how many breakers you can have in a box without putting a "main" breaker in the box as well.

OK, it sounds like he is telling you that you can&#39;t feed a six circuit panel with a 30 amp feeder, in which case, he would be mistaken. Depending upon what you intended to feed with the panel, it may not be practical, and you certainly don&#39;t want to overload the feeder and cause it&#39;s main to trip.

That&#39;s not the OP&#39;s question. His electrician, I think< is saying regardless WHAT panel he uses, if he feers it with a 10/3 protected at

related article will shed some perspective on this, this i just found at:

Sometimes a separate circuit is recommended for various reasons. House fan, freezer, hot tub, theater room, water heater, lighting, etc. Never heard of a 4-circuit limitation, sounds rather "limited," but my guess is the 10# wire and its length to main.

I agree with others that there is no limit. As gfretwell posted, for commercial a receptacle counts 180VA which eventually gives you a limit. Someone wire every receptacle in their house on a separate circuit - a very large number of circuits.

A *service* can have up to 6 disconnects. (Actually there are additional disconnects that do not count.)

Generally a panel has to have source overcurrent protection equal to or less than the panel rating. A subpanel is normally protected at the source of the feeder to the subpanel. In general you don&#39;t need an additional main breaker in a subpanel.

What disconnects do not count towards the 6 limit?

From 230.71(A)

For the purpose of this section, disconnecting means installed as part of listed equipment and used solely for the following shall not be considered a service disconnecting means: (1) Power monitoring equipment (2) Surge-protective device(s) (3) Control circuit of the ground-fault protection system (4) Power-operable service disconnecting means

Also bear in mind there WAS an additional requirement that a "lighting and appliance panelboard" (one mostly feeding branch circuits) have a maximum of 2 disconnects and that WAS usually the practical limit for most applications like that sub panel in your detached garage.. The 2008 code eliminated the classifications of panelboards and I suppose that means a remote 6 breaker panel would comply with the 6 switch rule now. It is a question that will probably get bounced around building departments so you better ask the AHJ

As I read the code, the 2 disconnect exception (408.36) allows a split bus panel. It can even be a subpanel. Do you have any idea why that is still in the code? What do you use the 2nd disconnect for?

I imagine you are right about the split bus panel. Things languish in the code until someone changes them.