Looking for some options...

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1793

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Occupation
Inspector
I have a customer who would like to change out their Federal Pacific panel. The panel is marked 150 amp, about 6 years ago an additional panel was installed just below this original panel. These panels are mounted flush with the drywall.

I have counted up the circuits needed and I have 39 mixed between 2p and 1p. The only 150 amp MB panels I can find are 30 circuit max. and even these are quite expensive. I have pondered moving up to a 200 amp MB but I'm not sure if the size of the current Service conductors, they are the older cloth type and I can't tell their size nor can read any markings.

1. Is there any way of knowing the Service rating of the Meter Socket?

2. I don't feel comfortable installing a 200 amp MB without knowing the Service conductor size. :confused:

Options and or opinions welcome.

Thanks in advance. :)
 
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Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
change the se cable and upgrade to 200 amps. The meter is probably 200 amp as I have never seen a 150 amp meter base. You would have to break the seal and read the info inside the base to be certain. The other option, which I don't like is to change the panels and install 2 as they are now keeping the service at 150 amps.
 

resistance

Senior Member
Location
WA
You do not have to remove the meter to know the size. Some meter's will have the marking on the outside of the meter, just inside the glass. You can also call the serving utility, and they will tell you.
 

resistance

Senior Member
Location
WA
2. I don't feel comfortable installing a 200 amp MB without knowing the Service conductor size.
You should always change the service entrance conductors when doing a panel or service change. We also install a new EGC (With new ground rods) and GEC.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
Aww. You're always Special!

Take a scrap of #1 and 2/0 copper along to the site and hold them up. Should be obvious.

My experience with meter sockets is that they are either 100 A or 200 A and strange exceptions for older smaller services going back to K & T days. But for your case, the socket is probably a full 200 A. The real question is the wire guage.

Even though the markings are lost on the visible insulation, if the service looks like it was inspected and approved, then I'd trust that the wires are a RW or RHW or newer.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
It looks like a legacy 200 Amp socket used in the areas I've worked in. (The 100 A sockets were square.) And the panel looks like a Split Bus unit. I've found, upon occasion, that the installer had larger conductors, than what made sense, now. But I can't tell from this side of the screen, without a side-by-side comparison of #1 or 2/0.
 
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