apartment service question

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jetlag

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Eatonton, Georgia
I have a customer buying a 42 unit apartment. The meters are all in a room in the basement. There are 6 meters in each enclosure with 6 ,60 a breakers. The owner wants to upgrade the apts to 100 amp. The enclosers are rated at 600 amp but dont have a main. There is a main disconnect ahead of all the enclosers but I forgot the amps, I think its 1600. My plan is to take have the meters off the main and supply them thru another main disc. Then install 100amp breakers in the enclosers. Does this seem like the right approach? The apts are at least 25 yrs old should I be able to find breakers to fit?
 
I would do a new load calc for the apartments as well as the main service.Your very likely to need to change all of the wiring involved.As to breakers that depends on brand.That might be the first thing to check on.Good luck
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
I would do a new load calc for the apartments as well as the main service.Your very likely to need to change all of the wiring involved.As to breakers that depends on brand.That might be the first thing to check on.Good luck
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Ok, be looking for another post Im going to try to find my notes to see if you are familiar with the brand of enclosure. Its been several months since I looked at the job
 
jetlag said:
I have a customer buying a 42 unit apartment. The meters are all in a room in the basement. There are 6 meters in each enclosure with 6 ,60 a breakers. The owner wants to upgrade the apts to 100 amp. The enclosers are rated at 600 amp but dont have a main. There is a main disconnect ahead of all the enclosers but I forgot the amps, I think its 1600. My plan is to take have the meters off the main and supply them thru another main disc. Then install 100amp breakers in the enclosers. Does this seem like the right approach? The apts are at least 25 yrs old should I be able to find breakers to fit?
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Can you post a photo ??
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
I would do a new load calc for the apartments as well as the main service.Your very likely to need to change all of the wiring involved.As to breakers that depends on brand.That might be the first thing to check on.Good luck
Click to expand...

I found my notes, is anyone familiar with a sylvania sm9-6 meter enclosure? It is 600 amp 120/240 1 ph -3 wire. It contains 6 , 60 amp breakers and no main. I need to find out if 100 amp breakers can be purchased to fit.
 
My first question would be "Why does the owners want to increase the apartment's panels to 100?" Isn't 60 enough? Are they constantly tripping?
 
jetlag said:
I found my notes, is anyone familiar with a sylvania sm9-6 meter enclosure? It is 600 amp 120/240 1 ph -3 wire. It contains 6 , 60 amp breakers and no main. I need to find out if 100 amp breakers can be purchased to fit.
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Sylvania? Could be the infamous Zinsco design if so expect to pay high dollar for them.
 
480sparky said:
My first question would be "Why does the owners want to increase the apartment's panels to 100?" Isn't 60 enough? Are they constantly tripping?
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He is going to go total electric, now they have gas range and heat.
 
I hope he realizes he needs to install new apartment feeders, new apartment panels or add another, etc. etc. etc. Can I say "cans of worms?"

Zinsco is utter JUNK! Amazed more apartments haven't burned down from them. Humm, maybe they have? Every one I've seen I wonder - HOW!

Is the existing wiring in the apartments aluminum? From what I've seen the two go together, Zinsco panels and aluminum branch circuits. Ughhhh.

RC
 
jetlag said:
I found my notes, is anyone familiar with a sylvania sm9-6 meter enclosure? It is 600 amp 120/240 1 ph -3 wire. It contains 6 , 60 amp breakers and no main. I need to find out if 100 amp breakers can be purchased to fit.
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jetlag, I would think with a 600a rating that six 100a c..b.'s would fit, but

that's just a guess.
 
Ragin Cajun said:
I hope he realizes he needs to install new apartment feeders, new apartment panels or add another, etc. etc. etc. Can I say "cans of worms?"

Zinsco is utter JUNK! Amazed more apartments haven't burned down from them. Humm, maybe they have? Every one I've seen I wonder - HOW!

Is the existing wiring in the apartments aluminum? From what I've seen the two go together, Zinsco panels and aluminum branch circuits. Ughhhh.

RC
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Yes we know all that has to be changed , the wiring is copper, but the feeder to the panel is #6 nm cu. are you saying the 600 amp is a zinsco ? I didnt see that name on it. Will other brands of breakers work in the G E panel? they have not made breakers in many years. The apts are 100 mile away and the day we looked he wasnt sure if he was going to buy so we didnt pull any covers off. Now he says the buy is going thru and Im trying to get info to tell him about the G E boxes when we go back.
 
peter d said:
Doesn't really change the fact that Zinsco stuff is indeed junk, right on par with FPE.
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sorry I made a typo in a couple of my replies Those are sylvania meter enclosures not G E . I wish they were GE so we could find breakers. Does any one know if another brand of breaker will work in the so called zinsco enclosures?
 
jetlag said:
sorry I made a typo in a couple of my replies Those are sylvania meter enclosures not G E . I wish they were GE so we could find breakers. Does any one know if another brand of breaker will work in the so called zinsco enclosures?
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To my knowledge Sylvania owned the Challenger line in addition to Zinsco. The modern replacement to Challenger is Cutler Hammer. That is really stretching it though.

Zinsco should be condemned.
 
jetlag said:
sorry I made a typo in a couple of my replies Those are sylvania meter enclosures not G E . I wish they were GE so we could find breakers. Does any one know if another brand of breaker will work in the so called zinsco enclosures?
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With zinsco there is no need to change anything.They already will hold up to 200 amps.Please dont put your name next to zinsco
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
With zinsco there is no need to change anything.They already will hold up to 200 amps.Please dont put your name next to zinsco
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are you saying the zinsco 60 amp breakers wont trip properly untill 200 amp?
I dont see where the the enclosers are a problem if we install C H breakers.
 
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