balancing loads in a panel

[wwstrick]

I have a customer who called me to look at some problems with her appliances not functioning and a high electric bill. The home is 1 year old. I found that there are three pass through water heaters (each 11kW) and a pool heat pump (6kW). The water heaters were on the left side of the panel and the heat pump on the right. One breaker from each of two water heaters was located directly opposite the heat pump, putting them on the same bus tabs as the heat pump. Those two breakers had melted the contacts and were only connecting via arcing. I would normally put all the 240 double breakers on one side but in this case they are all at the bottom. Could running 70A or so through one bus tab have caused the melted contacts? I am redistributing the breakers in the panel but would like some comments on the melted contacts.

 

[Coppersmith]

70 amps sounds low to me. You will have to consult the specs for the panel to be sure. I've only seen tabs rated 100 amps or more. I suspect the breaker connection(s) were loose and that's why you are getting arcing.

 

[Sierrasparky]

I've seen some GE and other panels say " 70 amp max per stab. "

 

[Little Bill]

My bet is loose contact on the bus stab.

 

[electrofelon]

I have a customer who called me to look at some problems with her appliances not functioning and a high electric bill . The home is 1 year old. I found that there are three pass through water heaters (each 11kW) and a pool heat pump (6kW). The water heaters were on the left side of the panel and the heat pump on the right. One breaker from each of two water heaters was located directly opposite the heat pump, putting them on the same bus tabs as the heat pump. Those two breakers had melted the contacts and were only connecting via arcing. I would normally put all the 240 double breakers on one side but in this case they are all at the bottom. Could running 70A or so through one bus tab have caused the melted contacts? I am redistributing the breakers in the panel but would like some comments on the melted contacts.

They were expecting a low electric bill? :blink:

 

[MAC702]

What brand and model of panel and breakers?

Are these all 2-pole breakers on a 120/240 V single-phase service?

 

[blkmagik21]

Sounds like a federal pacific to be specific.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wwstrick]

They were expecting a low electric bill? :blink:

The panel is EATON 20A 30 breaker. The model tag is not legible. It has an aluminum bus. It does have a tag stating that it is good for 200A per stab. The breakers employed are GE THQL.

 

[Smart $]

The panel is EATON 20A [Did you mean 200A?] 30 breaker. The model tag is not legible. It has an aluminum bus. It does have a tag stating that it is good for 200A per stab. The breakers employed are GE THQL.

GE breakers in an Eaton panel. Can't imagine why there'd be any problem :sarcasm: :blink:

 

[wwstrick]

The panel is EATON 20A 30 breaker. The model tag is not legible. It has an aluminum bus. It does have a tag stating that it is good for 200A per stab. The breakers employed are GE THQL.

Yes I meant 200A.

 

[kwired]

They were expecting a low electric bill? :blink:

Exactly what I was thinking when I read that.

"Balancing loads" won't change how many kWhrs are used either.