Thread: Split bus ?

I know there should be no more than 6 breakers to shut off everything.
On a panel with a single main, no problem, but how do you tell how many ( and which) breakers on a split bus panel are the controlling breakers? For that matter how do you determine it is a split bus and not just breakers on a panel without a main?

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On a split bus panel you will find the upper bus section and the lower bus section are separate in the middle - like someone cut a section out.

You will find that one 'main' in the top 6 feeds the lower bus section - the panelboard section.

This is done a couple of ways, each of which has conductors coming off a breaker in the top section, then ... a) feed terminals on the lower bus, b) are welded to the lower bus.

Note the upper section and the lower section of breakers. The upper section are all seperate circuits with the exception bottom 60 amo breaker on the left hand side (of the upper section). This breaker kills power to all of the lower section (15 and 20 amp breakers) and is also know as a 'lights main'.

See photo below of this mighty fine FPE stay-Lok

rr