Curious about house wiring

[qmavam]

While contemplating having a transfer switch installed at my home,
I was looking at the outdoor power meter setup.
Underground utilities go into the meter box, the meter box
is connected to a circuit breaker box. The CB box has
1-100 amp breaker, 2- 60 amp breakers and 1-40 amp breaker.
The 100 amp goes inside to the main breaker box,
the 2-60 amp breakers go to the electric heater and
the 40 amp breaker goes to a conduit that goes underground,
I think to the air conditioner compressor.
My question, is it normal to have an external CB box like this,
or could this have been an add on? The house was built in 1973,
I wonder if it didn't originally have air conditioning.
Thanks, Mike

 

[mcclary's electrical]

While contemplating having a transfer switch installed at my home,
I was looking at the outdoor power meter setup.
Underground utilities go into the meter box, the meter box
is connected to a circuit breaker box. The CB box has
1-100 amp breaker, 2- 60 amp breakers and 1-40 amp breaker.
The 100 amp goes inside to the main breaker box,
the 2-60 amp breakers go to the electric heater and
the 40 amp breaker goes to a conduit that goes underground,
I think to the air conditioner compressor.
My question, is it normal to have an external CB box like this,
or could this have been an add on? The house was built in 1973,
I wonder if it didn't originally have air conditioning.
Thanks, Mike

Perfectly normal, and an advantage because the AC and well pump don't have to come inside

 

[LarryFine]

Mike, a quick clue as to whether the outside panel was an upgrade would be whether the inside panel has a main breaker. If it does, the outside panel was likely added.

 

[qmavam]

Mike, a quick clue as to whether the outside panel was an upgrade would be whether the inside panel has a main breaker. If it does, the outside panel was likely added.

Ah, no main breaker inside.
The CB box outside has about 50 chameleon skeletons inside.
I guess they get in and can't find their way out.
Thanks, Mike

 

[mivey]

Perfectly normal, and an advantage because the AC and well pump don't have to come inside

...or outbuilding. Pretty common here too.

 

[mivey]

Ah, no main breaker inside.
The CB box outside has about 50 chameleon skeletons inside.
I guess they get in and can't find their way out.
Thanks, Mike

Maybe they just go there to die, like an elephant graveyard.

 

[mbeatty]

Maybe they just go there to die, like an elephant graveyard.

Maybe, like an elephant, they forget how they got in.
Mark

 

[LarryFine]

"I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.
"An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!"​