Thread: too many breakers?

does this seem over loaded

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Originally Posted by TIM LEMPE

does this seem over loaded

.
No, ( I'm guessing your refering to the number of throws to de-energizer the panel.)

The Breaker Marked Main does cut the power to the panel ?

Originally Posted by TIM LEMPE

does this seem over loaded

Not from the picture if doesn't.

What does the panel label say? It's prob. OK but I see a Bryant main breaker & most of the breakers are Crouse-Hinds + 1- I-T-E/Seimens & 1 other unknown but may be a T&B classified interchangable breaker. The other makes are a issue.


Edit: the "unknown" breaker is a Challenger & is double lugged....

Not your job to do load calculations.

Read the label for the panel and see how many spaces there are and how many circuits are allowed. There is a main breaker so that limits the ampacity of the panel to 100 amps but there may be too many circuits since there are tandem breakers installed in the panel. Post the model number of the panel and it should be obvious from that

Originally Posted by Bob Winchester

Read the label for the panel and see how many spaces there are and how many circuits are allowed. There is a main breaker so that limits the ampacity of the panel to 100 amps but there may be too many circuits since there are tandem breakers installed in the panel. Post the model number of the panel and it should be obvious from that

The main breaker is 150/175/200 ampere, I cannot see the rating in the picture, but it's not a 100A breaker.

And if the panel label says it's a 125 amp rated panel then what? The panel label explains the rating of the panel and the ampacity is physically limited by the main breaker that is installed. Read the panel label. Make sure it is installed according to the label, make sure there are NO TANDEM breakers if it is not listed for tandem breakers. Make sure the main breaker is properly sized. All of this information is available on the label. If it is used as service equipment it must say "suitable for use as service equipment" on the label. With any service always read the label. That is your guideline for installation.

Originally Posted by Bob Winchester

And if the panel label says it's a 125 amp rated panel then what? The panel label explains the rating of the panel and the ampacity is physically limited by the main breaker that is installed. Read the panel label. Make sure it is installed according to the label, make sure there are NO TANDEM breakers if it is not listed for tandem breakers. Make sure the main breaker is properly sized. All of this information is available on the label. If it is used as service equipment it must say "suitable for use as service equipment" on the label. With any service always read the label. That is your guideline for installation.

That panel is a "all-in-one" they are suitable for service equipment only as the neutral is perm. bonded to the can. The main is factory installed, BTW & the notches on the bus stabs should be visible if present because of the single row construction* of the panel which will verify if allowed to use twin breakers or not if the label is no longer present.

*Single row of circuit breakers.

This meter main breaker panel combo looks to be either Siemens or GE and both come from the factory with 4-pole main breakers. Check to be sure but somebody may have taken out the factory main and installed the Bryant to gain 2 spaces.

Would be nice to see a cleaner picture!

Read the label. Look up the panel specs. Without this information it fails my inspection. We don't guess or speculate in code enforcement. We get the facts and proceed.

Originally Posted by Lou Romano

This meter main breaker panel combo looks to be either Siemens or GE and both come from the factory with 4-pole main breakers. Check to be sure but somebody may have taken out the factory main and installed the Bryant to gain 2 spaces.

Would be nice to see a cleaner picture!

It's a Bryant (later branded as Westinghouse & now Cutler-Hammer BR) panel. If it was a GE those twin breakers would not work due to the pecular GE design & it's not a I-T-E / Siemens.

One note on GE loadcenters GE twin breakers will only fit a GE panel & other makes of twins will not fit unless they are the Non-CTL type for pre 1968 loadcenters.

Are you saying that if a panel is missing the label you make it a repair item and say that the panel needs to be replaced because the label is missing?

Originally Posted by Bob Winchester

Read the label for the panel and see how many spaces there are and how many circuits are allowed. There is a main breaker so that limits the ampacity of the panel ...

Correct on that part. The main breaker is what prevents the panel from overloaded (it will trip off is overloaded) as well as protecting the service entrance conductors (in this case those would be bus bars).

... but there may be too many circuits since there are tandem breakers installed in the panel.

That part we do not know as the half-size breakers (they are not "tandem" breakers) may actually be allowed, and may actually be allowed where they are.

Looking at the label is the only way to know if half-size/tandem/dual/quad breakers are allowed and where in the panel they are allowed (if allowed).

It's a Bryant (later branded as Westinghouse & now Cutler-Hammer BR) panel. If it was a GE those twin breakers would not work due to the pecular GE design & it's not a I-T-E / Siemens.

Thank you Rollie, Bryant has never been big around her and I wasn't even aware they made these meter panel combos.

Turn counterclockwise the picture and all the cuestions will have answers.

Keep in mind that even when a panel is listed for for "tandem" breakers some AHJs (my hometown of Evanston, IL for example) prohibit them because of concerns over problems on multi-wire circuits, etc.

Originally Posted by Michael Thomas

Keep in mind that even when a panel is listed for for "tandem" breakers some AHJs (my hometown of Evanston, IL for example) prohibit them because of concerns over problems on multi-wire circuits, etc.

Wow. Bans UL listed breakers in panels designed for them. I'd have them in court just for the fun of it.

Pray tell, if the issue is miswired multiwire branch circuits, how do full width breakers eliminate the idiot problem?

I've seen more panels with multi wire branch circuits landed on the wrong hot leg with full width breakers than with tandems. Sounds like more ego at work stuff. A few of these boys need blanket parties.