Load Center - Combo or Seperate?

[ddawg16]

I'm planning out the electrical on the 2-story addition to my house.

Initially I was going to just do the standard combi load center outside the house (existing location has to move due to the 2-story being in the way of the weather head).

But I'm thinking that if I install just a meter with the main breaker in the new loacation, I can put the load center in a more central location....inside the house. Might save me some wire runs.....

Pros? Cons?

What are the rules about where the breakers can be in a house?

 

[mrb]

afaik, cant be in a bathroom or in a closet, other than that just observe clearances.

I would put a combo on the outside and a subpanel inside if long runs are an issue (but I really dont see an issue unless its a huge house) reason for the combo on the outside vs a meter/main is to be able to supply outdoor circuits, feeder to garage, etc.

 

[Norcal]

A 200A combo is going to be the cheapist way to go for the service, & then a subpanel inside will make life easier, just 'cause the 2008 NEC requires AFCI snake oil for everything that does not need GFCI's on new construction. (Should not require AFCI's on existing wiring* unless the AHJ is a idiot). IMO,a sub should be sized generously 24-30 full size spaces minimum (AFCI's eat spaces ). BTW, again avoid Cutler-Hammer BR, Square D Homeline, or GE (Goverment Electric) panels, QO is not made in combo/ all-in-one & has not since HOM came out.

* Adding a receptacle/or other outlet, to a non-AFCI protected circuit will mean adding a AFCI to the WHOLE circuit if they are now required, though but if not altered it should not req. AFCI....

 

[ddawg16]

Here is a dwg of what the 2-story addition 'should' look like. The view is from the front side.....I 'added' the location of the existing load center and where I plan to put the new one.

I am kind of likeing the hybrid approach.....

I have a lot of existing ckts I have to connect to...that connection is in the middle of the back wall of the existing house which right now is a box with all the existing ckts wire nuted to feeds over to the load center. That spot is going to be real close to where the stairs are going to be....so maybe a sub panel under the stairs might work. All the existing ckts could go to it...and use standard breakers....and the new addtion would get the AFCI breakers located in the new load center.

One would think that a layout like that would make sense....AFCI in new panel...old stuff in different panel?

 

[Norcal]

What type of panel is existing? What is being used for the service now? If there is a combo type now, it cannot become a subpanel because they mostly have a perm bonded neutral.


AFCI's should not be required if your extending wiring to a new panel, as long as no outlets of any type are added to the circuits being extended.

 

[ddawg16]

What type of panel is existing? What is being used for the service now? If there is a combo type now, it cannot become a subpanel because they mostly have a perm bonded neutral.


AFCI's should not be required if your extending wiring to a new panel, as long as no outlets of any type are added to the circuits being extended.

Existing combo panel is a Murray 200A...24 ckt...50A to the garage...30a for the oven....lights 15a...everything else 20a. It will get removed. My old 60a service was in the middle of the back wall of the house. When I upgraded 10years ago to 200a, I put the new panel where it shows "Existing". I then ran a 2" conduit from the new panel to a small box in the area where the old service used to be and spliced in all the existing ckts. New ckts are ran in the attic.

One of the reason for wanting to put in a sub panel is so that I don't have to replace the oven wiring....that is about 50' of #6 wire for the 240 to the oven. If I connect it to the new box, I either put in a junction box or run new wire....which is going to be about 60' of #6. I personally am not a big fan of junction boxes....makes for another point of failure.

Confirmed today, I don't have to do AFIC for the existing ckts...(6 total).