I’m racking my brain here

[Rcelectric1]

I’ve been reading for while now and may just be getting confused. But I have a situation in a home built around 1910 that had an old 100 amp meter base on the outside with the old style AC disconnect panel and a small fuse panel inside around 1990 or so someone changed out the inside fuse panel to a 100 amp main breaker panel and changed the outside panel to a 100 amp four circuit panel with no main breaker. My question is the meter has tapped lugs with an SEU 1/0 service cable to the inside 100 amp main panel with no ground and neutral separation and a separate conductor to the outside four circuit panel with no main breaker how can this be allowed?

 

[ptonsparky]

It's there. Someone allowed it.

 

[Rcelectric1]

But is it allowable by NEC? I doubt it was inspected by anyone

 

[jim dungar]

But is it allowable by NEC? I doubt it was inspected by anyone

'Is it' or 'was it' will be two different answers.

You likely need to see what the AHJ allowed 30 years ago.

 

[ptonsparky]

Did your area have inspection at the time?
The NEC did not always require a single main. Up to six disconnects were allowed. I installed quite a few split bus panels before someones decided they were terrible.

 

[tom baker]

I installed a split bus panel in 82 in my house. There were allowed as a single main breaker was expensive

 

[Rcelectric1]

This is not split buss this is an electrical meter with two service cables coming out of it one goes into a panel right beside of the meter the other goes 40 foot under the house to a 100 amp main breaker panel in the center of the home. It will take three breakers to shut the house down two outside and one inside

 

[ptonsparky]

This is not split buss this is an electrical meter with two service cables coming out of it one goes into a panel right beside of the meter the other goes 40 foot under the house to a 100 amp main breaker panel in the center of the home. It will take three breakers to shut the house down two outside and one inside

Ah, those little details...

 

[retirede]

What is fed by the outside panel.
I’d contend that if it’s anything in/on the house, that could never have been compliant.

If it only goes to a separate structure, that’s more of a debate.

Also, where is the GES?

 

[Rcelectric1]

The situation is a 125 amp meter base outside with a 1/0 service cable to a four circuit weatherproof panel beside of it with no main breaker in the panel just two AC and heat breakers and then a separate 1/0 seu service cable from the 125 amp meter base 30 foot to an indoor 100 amp main breaker panel with the grounds and neutrals not separated

 

[jap]

Believe it or not, there was a time when the inspectors simply put a tag on electrical work because they didn't know any more than the installers did, and, the installers didn't know enough to know what they were installing was wrong.

Multiple wires under lugs, service disconnects not grouped, service conductors entering structures longer than they should, etc....

Still holds true in some places.

I use the word "installer" instead of "electrician" because an actual electrician wouldn't have done this.

If you have to change it, and, your under an inspector that knows his stuff, you'll have to bring it up to modern day code to satisfy him.
If not under inspection, and, you know your stuff, and you're actually an electrician, you'll have to install it to satisfy yourself.

JAP>

 

[sparky1118]

I’ve been reading for while now and may just be getting confused. But I have a situation in a home built around 1910 that had an old 100 amp meter base on the outside with the old style AC disconnect panel and a small fuse panel inside around 1990 or so someone changed out the inside fuse panel to a 100 amp main breaker panel and changed the outside panel to a 100 amp four circuit panel with no main breaker. My question is the meter has tapped lugs with an SEU 1/0 service cable to the inside 100 amp main panel with no ground and neutral separation and a separate conductor to the outside four circuit panel with no main breaker how can this be allowed?

Someone probably did it without a permit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Hv&Lv]

Here is one of those situations where we have something that is definitely wrong.
Problem is, in order to fix it “right”, does it need to be fixed right by the codes in the year it was installed incorrectly, or brought up to todays codes.

Pull the wires out from under the Meterbase lugs going to the inside panel and install an outside disconnect marked “not service equipment” for them.
Will it solve every problem? No.
But it will make the installation safer than it is presently.

Problem with that approach is the AHJ will want the entire structure brought up to code, and the homeowner can’t afford it.
So the electrician walks away not because he doesn’t want the work, but because he can’t see charging a person $25-50K to retire a house that’s worth about 60K, and the HO lives on a fixed income and will never be able to afford upgrades to something that has worked for years…