Feeder Grounding

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czars

Czars
Location
West Melbourne, FL
Occupation
Florida Certified Electrical Contractor
I have a client that wants to upgrade his residental 100A service to a 200A service and retain his old service panel as a feeder panel. The old panel would be fed from a 100A breaker in the new panel. The old panel is an FPE panel without separate connections for neutral and ground. How do I deal with the ground & neutral connections with the new feeder cable at the old panel
 
Unless you can isolate the grounded conductors from the FPEs enclosure you will not be able to do what you plan without violating the NEC.
 
Suppose the 200 amp conductors are brought into a gutter, and a new MDP is supplied from that gutter for new loads, and the old panel is supplied from the gutter as well? Provided there are less than six throws of the hand to disconnect all loads between the two panels, it could be considered one service.

That said, the old FPE should be replaced anyway. I'd keep it simple, replace the old FPE with one service-rated MDP and get rid of the potential fire hazard.

Square D has an overhead/underground 200 amp 40 space MDP with an integral meter enclosure, it might be right for your application. :)
 
George that could be acceptable.

You could bring the new 200 amp conductors to a gutter and feed both the old and new panels as service panels.

Technically he could feed the old 100 amp panel and a new 200 amp panel with the old 100 amp service conductors but I would at least bump the SECs up to 200 amp rating.
 
georgestolz said:
Square D has an overhead/underground 200 amp 40 space MDP with an integral meter enclosure, it might be right for your application. :)
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What the heck do I do with that? :? :wink:

Everyone knows the meter goes outside and the panel goes in the basement. :lol:
 
Why can't you install and insulated neutral bar kit in the FPE panel. Separate the neutrals and grounds. Run a insulated ground wire to the FPE and install it on the grounded bar and the neutral on the insulated bar and your good to go.???YES??? or am I missing something in the question????? BUT I do agree, so I could sleep at night, I would replace the FPE panel with something else.
 
Cavie said:
Why can't you install and insulated neutral bar kit in the FPE panel.
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You certainly could....if you could find one listed for that particular panel.

IMO you can not use a kit for that panel that is not listed for that panel.

I would be very surprised if one is available for this old FPE.
 
I agree 100% with the "listing" argument however, given that it is an FPE and IF the owner refussed to change it, I could look to other way if a non listed ground bar was used.
 
I don't see a non-listed bar as a true safety issue, but I would not install it for a customer, I might in my own home.

I think we all know the best answer is to deep six the old FPE panel and install new.
 
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