Thread: Spliced feeder cables

This house was built in 75. It has three floors, each with a distribution panel. The floors are seperate and are rented as serperate units, but this is one address. The service disconnect is 150amp and the interior panels are only rated for 125. Looks like they spliced into the feeders so three seperate distribution panels could be installed. Does each one of these panels needs a disconnect, or if the disconnect does not exceed the panel rating is this ok. Im sure there are a thousand issue with this but I thought I would ask.

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Do the remote panels rated for 125 max each have a 125 amp breaker as a disconnect? If not, it is all wrong. If so, it might still be all wrong.

What is the over current protection in the service panel next to the meter? I only see one set of conductors spliced in the high junction box. Do these feed all 3 panels?

Originally Posted by mathew stouffer

This house was built in 75. It has three floors, each with a distribution panel. The floors are seperate and are rented as serperate units, but this is one address. The service disconnect is 150amp and the interior panels are only rated for 125. Looks like they spliced into the feeders so three seperate distribution panels could be installed. Does each one of these panels needs a disconnect, or if the disconnect does not exceed the panel rating is this ok. Im sure there are a thousand issue with this but I thought I would ask.

What your showing is a butt spliced feeder in a junction box. Meaning either they didn't have enough wire to go without splice all the way to the next panel or something changed in that junction box which forced a splice.

As I read your post there is a 150 amp main breaker at the combination service equipment. You do not say if the feeder has OCPD or if feed thru lugs are in use. At any rate the calculated load for all three units will be placed on the 150 amp service disconnect. The feeder itself may have its own OCPD in addition to the main breaker in the service equipment.

There should be a 4 wire feeder and that appears to be the case considering the metal conduit as equipoment ground. However the conduit has seperated from the metal junction box enclosure at the bottom knockout.

Not to be an alarmist but you have a very dangerous situation in that none of the downstream panels have ground fault protection. And if one existed the metal likely to be energized from that metal jb to the other panels downstream could be at line voltage. As soon as you saw that separation of the conduit you need to be turning of the service disconnect before touching any metal. In simpler terms because of the break (open) in the conduit there is no effective ground fault path so circuit breakers will trip and clear any faults.

This is assuming the downstream panels are wired for 4 wires as they should be load side of the service equipment

If the 150 amp service disconnect is also protecting the downstream 125 amp panels then that would be incorrect. Those panels are not to be protected above 125 amps regardless of the service equipment rating.

Yes they must feed all three panel, but I could not find them on the inside. An no each panel does not have a 125amp breaker

Originally Posted by mathew stouffer

Yes they must feed all three panel, but I could not find them on the inside. An no each panel does not have a 125amp breaker

Your wording suggests that only a 150 amp service disconnect is present in the meter/combo panel. Then the 3 units distribution panels are somewhere on the inside. Not being able to find them presents a problem .... and they certainly need to be located. Assuming the panels have separated neutral and equipment ground you have a potentially dangerous situation that needs immediate attention. Loss of the effective ground fault path being provided for by the metal conduit will not allow any of the unit panels circuit breakers to trip. This means any fault to ground (metal) will not clear and that metal will be at line voltage .... bad deal for sure .. and places the occupants safety at risk.

I'd be for getting the proper repairs done asap.