bcl
Member
- Location
- Garden Ridge, TX
- Occupation
- Electrician (Owner/ Operator)
Hey all, I'm new to the forum. I've been doing commercial work for 17 years, but recently got hired at an HVAC company that's trying to branch out w/ a new electrical/solar division.
Since most of my experience is commercial, some of the residential "tricks" I've seen make me shake my head. Most recently it seems that when this company has had no room for a new AC on a residential panel, they've been installing insulated splicing-lugs on the load side of the main breaker (where the main breaker and panel are in separate locations) inside the panel and feeding a "side-car" sub-panel with a single 30-amp breaker attached to the meter-housing with an offset nipple. My questions:
1) Assuming the service conductors are large enough to accommodate the new AC, is this just considered a feeder tap (240.21 (B)(1))?
2) If it's legal, why does it seem so sketchy to me? Maybe I just need to loosen up?
Since most of my experience is commercial, some of the residential "tricks" I've seen make me shake my head. Most recently it seems that when this company has had no room for a new AC on a residential panel, they've been installing insulated splicing-lugs on the load side of the main breaker (where the main breaker and panel are in separate locations) inside the panel and feeding a "side-car" sub-panel with a single 30-amp breaker attached to the meter-housing with an offset nipple. My questions:
1) Assuming the service conductors are large enough to accommodate the new AC, is this just considered a feeder tap (240.21 (B)(1))?
2) If it's legal, why does it seem so sketchy to me? Maybe I just need to loosen up?