Side by Side panels

[capww8]

My house has two exterior panels mounted side by side, about six inches apart, but they're at different heights and it is driving me nuts!

What is the 'right way' to install two outdoor panels / load centers side by side?

Is there such a thing as a gangable panel?

 

[Norcal]

Are they the same size panels? Posting a photo will help as there is too may variables without pics to judge.

 

[Radix2]

Sorry, the code does not cover esthetics...

They probably offset the panels for a better wire route ?

 

[mm08822]

Sorry, the code does not cover esthetics...

They probably offset the panels for a better wire route ?

or to line up the k.o's

 

[capww8]

I'll grab a photo when I'm back at the house, I'm fairly certain they're offset as a function of laziness... like everything else at this dump!

 

[capww8]

Photo of panels attached.

The siding is all being replaced, seems perfect opportunity to do whatever rework needs to be done with these panels...

 

[Norcal]

That is **** work & doubt it complies with code, put a larger panel in & 86 the existing panels.

 

[Dirtydan69]

That is **** work & doubt it complies with code, put a larger panel in & 86 the existing panels.

Yep, how’s your opportunity.

 

[PCustoms]

Is that normal on a 3r enclosure to lift the lid to access the breaker and have the buss exposed?

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

or to line up the k.o's

That would be my guess also.

 

[Norcal]

The KO on the left panel is above live parts, doubt the installer bothered to insure that the fitting was properly sealed.

 

[Bert_]

Ok we can all agree this is ugly and there are a couple other issues. But it's not as bad as some are making it seem.

A larger panel would be nice.

Is that normal on a 3r enclosure to lift the lid to access the breaker and have the buss exposed?

No, I'm guessing the OP took off the dead front for pics?

 

[capww8]

Correct, I removed the dead front covers for the photos.

In the attached photos, I've highlighted the point where the wire way leaves the panel to enter the house. These two points are too far from one another for a single panel to span both points... also, wire feeds both up, and down, from both panels.

I have the other side of the wall open, but there isn't enough wire to reroute everything to one location or another.

Any ideas how to clean this up?

Two new panels side by side seems like overkill, I'll have a huge number of blanks.

A big junction box with terminal strips to extend everything, so I can wire over to a single panel??

Is there such a thing as a double-wide panel that might span both entry points?




These are the steps I know I'm taking --

* All that stuff that's run in conduit can be moved inside the wall
* The fiber demarcation point will be relocated higher on the wall, or aligned with some other fixture.

 

[tyme2par4]

Do you care if you have a blank j-box cover on the interior wall? I would replace with a single panel, then just put a junction box where the second wall penetration is and add a short piece of wire.

 

[capww8]

I wouldn't mind anything on the interior, that wall is behind a dryer... but we're talking about extending ~ 14 circuits, I can't visualize a clean way to do that.

 

[Falcon67]

Sorry, the code does not cover esthetics...

They probably offset the panels for a better wire route ?

LOL. Our old house started with 5 on the outside.

 

[capww8]

My plan at the moment is to delete the box on the left by installing this (or similar) enclosure on the interior of the house ::

https://www.platt.com/platt-electri...r/Hoffman/ASE8X8X4NK/product.aspx?zpid=307247

And extend each of the affected circuits into the box on the right using barrier strips ::

https://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-12-Pole-Nylon-6-6-Barrier-6YJ02

Any problems with this latest plan? I don't feel like I see barrier strips used outside of low voltage, but I'm struggling to see a problem.

 

[Norcal]

Use wire connectors instead of those terminal strips, but what is being done can trigger being required to use AFCI's.

 

[capww8]

The only problem I see with AFCI is the space requirement, but that's serviceable.

When you say wire connector, do you mean reg wire nuts? It seems like I'll wind up with a rats nest, what's the problem with a terminal strip?

 

[Norcal]

The only problem I see with AFCI is the space requirement, but that's serviceable.

When you say wire connector, do you mean reg wire nuts? It seems like I'll wind up with a rats nest, what's the problem with a terminal strip?

Those are crappy European style ones.

 

[capww8]

What's an example of a quality terminal strip?