Look at this will ya

[zimman]

@zimman

Any chance you can get a pic of the house panel with the cover off?

Yes but in a day or so. I will get back to you and thanks.
Zim

 

[zimman]

Ummm, okay with whom?

You've got issues in that box - like a red wire terminating in your neutral bar...



Maybe it just needs phase tape, maybe it needs something else. But again, IMHO, you got issues bigger than a RV plug to address first.

I have an electrician coming this week. Just thought I'd run it by the folks here.
Zim

 

[zimman]

Any clue where the wire coming into the panel is from?

Where is your meter in relation to this panel? Is there a breaker there?

I wonder if this a a tap...

So meter is on the pole. Service goes from the pole to the house then to a "makeshift" box out beside where the garage use to be. Inside the box is the panel shown above. I'm going to remove the cover of the panel inside the house and see if see what's going on. I'm not into this very far but I appreciate the alarming comments. LOL. Like I don't already know it's a fire hazard.
Zim

So this is the good part. Pole and meter is 30 yards from the house


Old location of the meter on the house. Love the cut wires where the line comes in from the pole.


And finally the main panel in the house. Worse thing is it's in the main room of the house and dead center of the main wall. ***** to have it here. This is a ***********. That's German for really bad. I think that's the old main leg tapped off on the right.

 

[PCustoms]

So meter is on the pole. Service goes from the pole to the house then to a "makeshift" box out beside where the garage use to be. Inside the box is the panel shown above. I'm going to remove the cover of the panel inside the house and see if see what's going on. I'm not into this very far but I appreciate the alarming comments. LOL. Like I don't already know it's a fire hazard.
Zim

So this is the good part. Pole and meter is 30 yards from the house

Pic of the top of that? I'm not clear where the power goes in/out...seems like there is a single conduit.

Old location of the meter on the house. Love the cut wires where the line comes in from the pole.

Another head scratcher, WTF are the curly wires? Seems those should have been pulled back through and removed...

 

[PCustoms]

I suspect those are meter/mains.

The bottom half should open up to reveal a breaker.

Not sure why the one on the house has a PoCo lock on it though

 

[zimman]

There might not be a need for ground rods. It's outside where the garage used to be, could have been an inside panel for an attached garage on the common wall, then three walls were torn down leaving the panel outside but still on the house. IF that's the case, and the main panel is in or on the house, no ground rods would be needed. If it's detached, ground rods would be needed. Since the panel is fed from the back, the feeder is going through something, if it's not a wall, I'm clueless. I would think if it were a stand alone panel, it would be fed from underground right in the bottom of the panel.

Here ya go. Remember this is farm house from 1910, modified by farmers, rednecks, drug addicts and now me so that's that. LOL
Zim
This is the end of the beginning. LOL


The the power goes back to a small barn on the left side of the property.

 

[alfredeneuman]

they are silver now but not when that panel was made.

How do you know when the panel was made?
When did Eaton make the change?

 

[zimman]

I suspect those are meter/mains.

The bottom half should open up to reveal a breaker.

Not sure why the one on the house has a PoCo lock on it though

No idea.
Zim

 

[zimman]

It

How do you know when the panel was made?
When did Eaton make the change?

Should I run it down to the pawn shop and have them test it. LMAO
Zim

 

[PCustoms]

@zimman that's a pretty substantial mess...

How far are you preparing to open you're wallet?

Almost impossible (IMHO) to Internet Electrician this one, as there is going to be some.much where someone looks at it and then has to walk over to the other end and back and forth. Best option may be a a main disconnect at the pole and then slowing replacing from there.

On that note, are you comfortable trying to open the BOTTOM of the panel at the pole?

I bet you have a main break there and it will be interesting to see what it shuts off...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

a bit to go over here....

So meter is on the pole. Service goes from the pole to the house then to a "makeshift" box out beside where the garage use to be. Inside the box is the panel shown above. I'm going to remove the cover of the panel inside the house and see if see what's going on. I'm not into this very far but I appreciate the alarming comments. LOL. Like I don't already know it's a fire hazard.
Zim

So this is the good part. Pole and meter is 30 yards from the house

Can you open that lower cover and take a pic. should be breakers in there. if so then that isnt just a meter, its a meter main.

Also need to remove the deadfront (if youre comfortable) and take pics, so we can really see whats going on here..

Also can you post a pic of the weatherhead above the meter/ meter-main.

Old location of the meter on the house. Love the cut wires where the line comes in from the pole.

Odd there is a PoCo seal tag on the lower section. Is this fed from the load side of the meter/meter main? if so then there shouldnt be a PoCo tag on the lower section and I suspect there are or used to be breakers in there...

where does the conduit coming out the bottom go?

 

[PCustoms]

Odd there is a PoCo seal tag on the lower section. Is this fed from the load side of the meter/meter main? if so then there shouldnt be a PoCo tag on the lower section and I suspect there are or used to be breakers in there...

I'm betting there is a breaker there and that conduit on the bottom heads towards the abandoned pedestal that started this...

I think he should start at the pole, as that hopefully kills everything past that point. Then he can open the lower half at the house and see what's going on...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

And finally the main panel in the house. Worse thing is it's in the main room of the house and dead center of the main wall. ***** to have it here. This is a ***********. That's German for really bad. I think that's the old main leg tapped off on the right.

Does the feed from the outside old meter main come thru where the duct seal is on the lower left?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

honestly this entire system should be rewired and repanelled starting at the meter if you want it done right....

get a bigger meter main with enough disconnects for each building, run new 4-wire feeders and get rid of that square splice can in the middle of the yard

also replace that old sqaure D main in the house as its full and old

 

[zimman]

honestly this entire system should be rewired and repanelled starting at the meter if you want it done right....

get a bigger meter main with enough disconnects for each building, run new 4-wire feeders and get rid of that square splice can in the middle of the yard

also replace that old sqaure D main in the house as its full and old

That's where we're headed. The house on one acre cost us less than a new pickup truck. Even a good used one so electric and garage are first on the list.
Thanks
Zim

 

[zimman]

Does the feed from the outside old meter main come thru where the duct seal is on the lower left?

Yeah I think that's the main feed. Goes to the right side of the breaker rack.
Zim

 

[PCustoms]

That's where we're headed. The house on one acre cost us less than a new pickup truck. Even a good used one so electric and garage are first on the list.
Thanks
Zim

Where you putting the garage?

One option may be to put a new meter/main there and feed the house from that, if the timing works.

 

[sparky 1971]

It's a mess, but I'm willing to make a wager on this is what's going on. Overhead service to the pole, from the pole overhead to the house. Out the back of the house meter main into the back of the SQD panel in the house. Out the bottom of that meter main for underground to the panel that started this thread, the breaker for it is probably in there. Cut the seal and open it up. I'd like to know how the meter socket on the house is getting bypassed; is it a real set of jumpers, a piece of smashed copper pipe shoved in the jaws, or are the conductors running through the POCO section to the panel interior?

 

[zimman]

Where you putting the garage?

One option may be to put a new meter/main there and feed the house from that, if the timing works.

Garage is going where it was before, beside the outside panel.
Zim

It's a mess, but I'm willing to make a wager on this is what's going on. Overhead service to the pole, from the pole overhead to the house. Out the back of the house meter main into the back of the SQD panel in the house. Out the bottom of that meter main for underground to the panel that started this thread, the breaker for it is probably in there. Cut the seal and open it up. I'd like to know how the meter socket on the house is getting bypassed; is it a real set of jumpers, a piece of smashed copper pipe shoved in the jaws, or are the conductors running through the POCO section to the panel interior?

We'll find out soon but you're about right!
Zim

 

[zimman]

Thanks folks for the reply's. I'm not an electrical engineer by any means, but I've read and seen a lot in my day. I knew it was a mess.
Electrician will be here this week and we'll move on from there.
Zim

 

[alfredeneuman]

Even a good used one so electric and garage are first on the list.

In California used electrical equipment has to have the blessing of the AHJ to be suitable for re installation. Check with the inspection dept. first.
"To be reused, salvaged panels must be reconditioned, tested, and verified to be in proper working order"

 

[OccupantRJ]

Need more details....what's upstream/downstream of this?

This is part of the fix:

Is the fix the saw or the bubble ****?

 

[dave*99]

Is the fix the saw or the bubble ****?

I didn't notice the saw until you pointed it out.

 

[mm08822]

Is the fix the saw or the bubble ****?

I guess it depends on what needs fixin.

 

[zimman]

In California used electrical equipment has to have the blessing of the AHJ to be suitable for re installation. Check with the inspection dept. first.
"To be reused, salvaged panels must be reconditioned, tested, and verified to be in proper working order"

Yeah, we don't have that. We don't have any of that. LOL Did I tell you I can throw a rock and hit Arkansas? Our building codes are copied from typical codes around Missouri. I'm sure there are inspections for new construction but old farm houses are just forgot about.
Zim

 

[pbon]

I would redo it all. Farm house from 1910 and lots of hack work. It’s worth spending the money on what you need an electrician to do to avoid a fire at some point. Maybe you can do some of it. People here are really knowledgeable and helpful. I wired a 1500 SF shop myself.

 

[zimman]

I would redo it all. Farm house from 1910 and lots of hack work. It’s worth spending the money on what you need an electrician to do to avoid a fire at some point. Maybe you can do some of it. People here are really knowledgeable and helpful. I wired a 1500 SF shop myself.

We're going to. Waiting for the electrician this week. I'll probably pull all the wire and let him do the panels. I've already installed 6 outlets myself.
Thanks.
Zim

 

[sparky 1971]

We're going to. Waiting for the electrician this week. I'll probably pull all the wire and let him do the panels. I've already installed 6 outlets myself.
Thanks.
Zim

You can swing the cover at the bottom of the pole up without hurting anything and I bet you find a 100 amp breaker in there. Normally on an old farmhouse I'd say a pullout fuse block but that looks too new. I say 100 amp because I'll bet the line to the meter and the load to the house are both in that pipe and if it were 200 amp I doubt the conductors would fit. Since there is no meter in the box on the house, I see no reason for the POCO seals and even if there was a meter in it, you would need access to the bottom half so cut that seal and open the door, that might just have a pull out fuse block in it, might be a breaker, whatever it is, there's probably only one and the wires to the house and the wires to the outdoor panel are double tapped, but there could be a set double barreled lugs on the load side. If you're not comfortable completely opening everything up, know that there should be a cover behind both doors so you shouldn't be exposing yourself to anything bad.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

In California used electrical equipment has to have the blessing of the AHJ to be suitable for re installation. Check with the inspection dept. first.
"To be reused, salvaged panels must be reconditioned, tested, and verified to be in proper working order"

which code is that?

 

[alfredeneuman]

For reuse
110.2 Approval, and 110.3 Examination.......

 

[PCustoms]

For reuse
110.2 Approval, and 110.3 Examination.......

Looking quick how would that apply to (listed) used equipment?

 

[alfredeneuman]

Looking quick how would that apply to (listed) used equipment?

Although used equipment, it's a new installation.
It's no longer in the condition that it was originally listed.
We used to do plant moves
I've had inspectors, when moving into new building, call for a re-certification by a NRTL (We always used Intertek) on all the relocated equipment.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

sounds like industrial stuff

 

[alfredeneuman]

What difference does that make?
(EDIT) On another note: There are associations dedicated to reconditioning, testing, and re-certifying used equipment and components >>>> https://pearl1.org/
They carry residential stuff as well as commercial and industrial.
I have bought residential breakers from a member store in Anaheim.

 

[sparky 1971]

That's where we're headed. The house on one acre cost us less than a new pickup truck. Even a good used one so electric and garage are first on the list.
Thanks
Zim

In California used electrical equipment has to have the blessing of the AHJ to be suitable for re installation. Check with the inspection dept. first.
"To be reused, salvaged panels must be reconditioned, tested, and verified to be in proper working order"

I think what he meant was the he bought the property for less than the price of a good used pickup truck but hit the wrong key and entered a . instead of a ,.

 

[dave*99]

I think what he meant was the he bought the property for less than the price of a good used pickup truck but hit the wrong key and entered a . instead of a ,.

I agree. Those commas are important, especially if you are a Grandpa.

Let’s eat Grandpa.
Let’s eat, Grandpa.
Commas save lives.

 

[PCustoms]

I agree. Those commas are important, especially if you are a Grandpa.

Let’s eat Grandpa.
Let’s eat, Grandpa.
Commas save lives.

Something something ******** a horse...

 

[zimman]

Electrician will be here in 10 minutes. He's coming on a horse because country.
Zim

 

[dave*99]

Something something ******** a horse...

Can you help Jack, off a horse?
Can you help ******** a horse.
Sounds like both projects are a handful.

 

[gmcgeo]

O.M.G. WTF