Square D Qwik Grip work around?

[DanielVetpath]

Hi Folks:

I bought a new subpanel for the electrician to install in my shop. Asked the local electrical supply store for a Square D panel, main lug and didn't think twice about it. I left it at the shop for the electrician to install. My plan was to take most of the circuits out of the top of the panel using 3/4 emt. I stopped by to see the panel in place and found Square D's Qwik Grip plastic inserts for wire management taking up most of the real estate. I didn't know this was an option or even existed. Amateur mistake. Any suggestions for working around this? I am pretty sure what I see is what I get. I can use the knock outs on the side and bottom, but it adds an extra bend and complicates the process. Just wanted to see if anyone else has dealt with this. Drilling holes in those plastic inserts for emt connectors seems tempting, but cringe at the same time. Considering bringing a 1 1/2" or 2" elbow out of the side and feeding a wire way box above the subpanel. This is a block building with steel bar joists so bending and running conduit is a bit tricky with lights already in place. Thanks for any input. Daniel

 

[yatg]

How about popping the plastic out, bolt 2 or 3 gang blank plates over the holes, and make your own holes in the plates. Will take some measuring and cutting/trimming to preserve the existing factory KOs. Use a KO punch and prepunch before fastening to panel. Use KO plugs for any unused holes for future work.

 

[LXCam]

Or get a 6/6/4 junction box (or larger), remove that one center romex and use a 2" ****** between the panel and the box.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Is there another panel in this shop? Or is it fed from a panel in another building?

 

[DanielVetpath]

Should have specified. This is a subpanel fed from a 200 amp main - same building, different room.

Is there another panel in this shop? Or is it fed from a panel in another buildi

 

[DanielVetpath]

How about popping the plastic out, bolt 2 or 3 gang blank plates over the holes, and make your own holes in the plates. Will take some measuring and cutting/trimming to preserve the existing factory KOs. Use a KO punch and prepunch before fastening to panel. Use KO plugs for any unused holes for future work.

I was tempted to do that but didn't know if it was an acceptable practice.

 

[ArcReactorKC]

Is it qwik grip on the top and bottom? In theory you could flip the can if the bottom has knockouts.

 

[sparky 1971]

Not exactly the same situation, but close. I've screwed 4X4 blank plates to the tops of panels where the knockouts were torn up and punched my holes in the blanks. .

 

[DanielVetpath]

Is it qwik grip on the top and bottom? In theory you could flip the can if the bottom has knockouts.

Good thought - they are ahead of us. Qwik grip on top and bottom

 

[DanielVetpath]

Thanks for all of the input. My local electrical supply will have another subpanel for me in the am. In the long run, I won't remember the extra 80$ I had to spend, only that it looks and works like I wanted. I will chalk this one up to experience! Thanks again everyone for weighing in. I think If it came down to it, I would do the plate patch. Still reacting to all of the mess that was in this building when I bought it. Can't stand the thought of someone coming behind me and complaining about my work. Take care, Daniel

 

[duneslider]

If you lived close to me I would buy it from you. That said, you likely could sell it pretty easy on marketplace or something like that.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Not exactly the same situation, but close. I've screwed 4X4 blank plates to the tops of panels where the knockouts were torn up and punched my holes in the blanks. .

4X4 covers extend beyond the depth of a standard panel. Cut them off with a bandsaw, sawzall, or heaven forbid hacksaw (They need to be cut from both sides because the plate is wider than the throat of the hacksaw)

 

[sparky 1971]

4X4 covers extend beyond the depth of a standard panel. Cut them off with a bandsaw, sawzall, or heaven forbid hacksaw (They need to be cut from both sides because the plate is wider than the throat of the hacksaw)

It was a panelboard that some jackwad that wasn't me installed with the factory knockouts on top. I always put the ko's down so there are no knockouts on top. I'll punch my own holes where I want them.

If it were a loadcenter I think I'd break out my M12 cut off tool and if I didn't have one, it would be a good reason to buy one.

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3 in. Compact Cut Off Tool (Bare Tool)

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3 in. Compact Cut Off Tool (Bare Tool) - 2522-20

www.acmetools.com

 

[ArcReactorKC]

It was a panelboard that some jackwad that wasn't me installed with the factory knockouts on top. I always put the ko's down so there are no knockouts on top. I'll punch my own holes where I want them.

If it were a loadcenter I think I'd break out my M12 cut off tool and if I didn't have one, it would be a good reason to buy one.

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3 in. Compact Cut Off Tool (Bare Tool)

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3 in. Compact Cut Off Tool (Bare Tool) - 2522-20

www.acmetools.com

I always quote no knockout panels to EC's very very rarely do I have anybody ask for a pre-ko panel.

 

[sparky 1971]

I always quote no knockout panels to EC's very very rarely do I have anybody ask for a pre-ko panel.

The Square D tubs that are stocked at the local supply house are pre punched on one end and blank on the other. I just mount them so the factory ko's are on the bottom.