mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That setup makes a lot more sense
Main panel breaker, issue turning off
- Thread starter aggie113
- Start date
It certainly should. Look at eh diagram on the inside of the door, is should how the panel works. Those lugs on the bottom are to feed a sub.So I guess I was not remembering correctly that the 200A breaker only turned off the garage. It looks like it would just turn off everything.
Btw if this was recent work, the house and the garage likely should have been fed with 4 wires
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The panel is dated 2021, so definitely should be 4 wire
Probably, I know there's some weird code implementation in a few areas though.
Maybe a replacement panel too.
There's some other workmanship issues in that panel though that suggests non-pro install
It is always a red flag to see a Square D breaker in a non Sq D panel. See this link. https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA129931/
sparky 1971
Well-known member
If the garage has six breakers or less, it's fine codewise but whoever installed it is a ***** for not putting a main in.
Dagny
Well-known member
Feed thru panel. the wires from the meter should feed the bottom lugs and as long as there are 6 or fewer breaker in it your good. However the garage wire is not 200 amp wire.
- Remove the spd leads from the 100a cb.
- Move the garage feeder to the 100a cb.
- Remove the homeline cb.
- Add a 2pole 20a siemens cb, connect the spd and recept to it.
Garage panel is more than 6...
This is fed directly from the original panel you posted, with no other panel, disconnect or box in between?
That's like the wrong wire in several ways...
Does this go underground?
Would a 20a be enough for that surge protector to work? Wanted to have more than 100A to the garage. I don't know what that aluminum wire gauge is for the garage run, but do you think I could put in a 125A breaker for it (a pro would do that, as the POCO would have to pull the meter for working on the panel)?
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Since the wire in the garage looks like #2 SER to me and it's officially only rated for 90 amps for this usr, that won't work too well if I'm right. Right now, since it begins outside, it's ok to be fed from the 200 amp lugs but should be landing on a 90 amp breaker or fuses at the garage, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over a 100 amp main.
WTF? A three wire feeder at the main, four wire feeder at the garage, ground landed on the neutral bar and the bonding screw or strap isn't visible to me. Where is the ground coming from? I see a lug that is probably TEK screwed to the can, but has a ground from a smaller SER cable landed on it, and another SER ground is on the neutral bar. And I can't find the third one, maybe it's cut off.
That's a mess that was installed by an incompetent nincompoop. And he probably has a license.
The outside panel neutral is bonded on upper right side with green screw.
The inside panel is FUBAR'd with grounds/neutrals. Feeder grd is landed on top left lug of neutral bar!
sparky 1971
Well-known member
My comment was about the inside panel. Where does the feeder ground originate? It's definitely on the neutral bar, but I doubt there is anything at the other end. There is a three wire feeder leaving the main panel and somewhere there is a transition from individual conductors to the SER. I'm wondering if the three XHHW's stuffed into the Carflex at the pole go into a Jbox on the back of it, out of sight in the picture and it's SER underground to the garage?
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Could be. OP never responded to my q in post 51 about. There's more to story.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
The picture of the main panel gets too blurry when I zoom in; I want to see the part number and know if it was born a feed through or if it was cobbled together in the field. It looks to me like the lug on the right is too high to allow a two pole breaker to fit. Was a bus stab cut off so the lug could fit? Did the guts get pulled out so a bolt could be inserted through the bus bar?
@sparky 1971 caught it too, your wire magically goes from 3 wires at the outside panel to 4 wires at the inside. The wire is clearly different, there's something else at play...
This install is a Trainwreck unfortunately and it's going to be very difficult to walk through fixing it with your comfort and knowledge of electricity. This is really going to need a GOOD electrician, if it was your buddy that did this stay clear moving forward.
Yep
I saw the same thing and scratched my head, but I obviously haven't seen all the panels out there. I think the pic on the door shows it like this, which does seem odd.
I saw that too. The 4 bottom lugs just seemed too odd, to me. The insulator "post" on the bottom right has a piece broken within what OP circled in red.
All I could find were poor quality pics of plug on neutral style pan, but his still looks cobbled. At the same time, I'm wondering how the 2p 30a plugged on to the stab looking properly seated.
Certainly the lug on the right neutral bar towards the top is a cobbled adder.
Im able to follow the bare neutral wire from the left neutral bar towards the lower right nmfc with the other 3 conductors. I can see a trace of it in about the center of the panel.
Attachments
I can't tell if it's the angle or not.
Obviously some issues on the other end.
I'm not a licensed electrician, but clearly I know anything or two better then some of them out there. Crazy that a hack that did this work can charge for it
sparky 1971
Well-known member
It might be that it's nothing more than the angle the photo was taken and everything will fit just fine. I completely missed the feed thru diagram on the cover, I was so concerned with getting the part number that I overlooked the obvious...again.
Yep, I didn't notice that either.
I also see that now. It's probably stuffed in the flex as well, making sure there are no wasted cubic inches.
Maybe that's a field definition of compact conductors?
So it's feed thru like I mentioned in my last post.
If it was mine I'd want a fused disconnect in the garage to at least be able to shut that panel off without everything else. I'd also want a competent electrician to come in and correct all the stuff going on, NOT whoever did the initial install.
If it was mine I'd want a fused disconnect in the garage to at least be able to shut that panel off without everything else. I'd also want a competent electrician to come in and correct all the stuff going on, NOT whoever did the initial install.
Even simpler, just use the 100a cb (actually should be 90a.) That just involves moving wires.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
wow what a mess
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
those dont look like factory feed thru lugs.OK, curiosity didn't kill me but did get this photo. Circled wires are going to garage!
can you take a pic of the panel label please. my curiosity is killing me
FullRaceMerc
Well-known member
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Main's breaker replaced. Garage moved to 100A breaker, 20A breaker upgraded to dual dual
a lot better now...
looks like water was getting into it. did someone leave the door open?
dave*99
Well-known member
Is the quad breaker in the lower left listed for the panel? The others are Siemens. But the quad looks different. CH or Eaton BR maybe? I can’t read the label.Main's breaker replaced. Garage moved to 100A breaker, 20A breaker upgraded to dual dual
zimman
Well-known member
Or lord Jesus. All units return to station, stow all gear. All hands now stand down.
LMAO
Zim
The weatherhead was replaced awhile back due to it being in poor shape. But I can't recall if that was done after the meter/panel upgrade was done or at the same time.
Uncertain, didn't see the panel open after it was finished. Photo was from electrician. But it's better than the D square that was in there
