pole barn sub panel - breaker at bottom?

[bloomingtonmike]

Any issues with mounting a sub panel oriented with the main 200amp breaker at the bottom? This would make running the lines up from the floor/conduit into the main lugs much easier? Looks like box mounting holes are there for mounting with breaker at bottom or at top.

Also the green screw in the powermark gold box is the bonding screw correct? I should take that out and install the gound bar I just bought I am thinking. Sound correct?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

If your feeding the panel from the bottom i would mount breaker at top so u can have slack on the feeder.

Yes bonding screw needs to be removed for 4-wire feed and neutral bar should be insulated/isolated from panel enclosure and grounds! And add ground bar as your thinking!

 

[malibu101]

Mounting the panel "upside down" is OK AS LONG AS all the breaker handles move horizontally.

IF the handles move vertically up is on and down is off is a must.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

It is horizontally moved (left right). Panel sure looks like it can mount either way by design.

Why would I need the slack? Doubt this bad boy EVER changes. Guess I could bend in some slack. It is 4/0, 4/0, 2/0, 4 MHF Alum.

 

[Eriehunter]

Nothing wrong feeding a panel from the bottom and having the Main at the bottom. Just make sure it can be done that way. Make sure the panel cover and door can work that way too. Many panels are designed to do this.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

Panel is vertical switch not horizontal. Guess I will mount it with lugs at the top.

 

[Steve from Socal]

Can you reverse the main breaker so it is correctly oriented? I have three panels with main at the bottom, much handier than at the top.

Steve

 

[wyliesdiesels]

It is horizontally moved (left right). Panel sure looks like it can mount either way by design.

Why would I need the slack? Doubt this bad boy EVER changes. Guess I could bend in some slack. It is 4/0, 4/0, 2/0, 4 MHF Alum.

U just never know. Nothing like needing to change out the panel and not having enough slack.

 

[Norcal]

Can you reverse the main breaker so it is correctly oriented? I have three panels with main at the bottom, much handier than at the top.

Steve

Should be able to if the breaker is not marked as "LINE" at the top, and "LOAD" at the bottom of the breaker, if it has line/load markings it's a no go.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

That is my Ge Powermark gold panel. It says bottom feed without conversion. That means just flip it over correct?? Even with the off being up? Or how do I make it bottom feed?

Also the bar connecting the neutrals - the note says to remove the bar to seperate the neutral and ground? Are both bars neutral or are they a ground and a neutral?

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[Charles (in GA)]

In your pic, the bar on the right is the neutral, it has a larger lug to attach the wire to. The ground is on the left, which has a much smaller lug at the top of it.

The main breaker moves left/right, so, as noted in the pic, it is OK to invert the panel. If main breaker works up and down, code specifically calls out for the main to have up is on, down is off.

Charles