Odd Panel install

[jap]

I came across a 400 amp Main Breaker Indoor 42 circuit panel today that was being fed from a 200 amp outdoor fused disconnect.

The 400 amp Main had parallel lugs per phase.
They brought (3) 3/0's (1) 3/0 Neutral and an EGC in and landed on the first panel.
Then used the remaining open lugs in the first panel to jumper over to a 400 amp Main lug panel nippled right next to it.

At first glance it looked like a 400 amp 2 section panel where the Main in section 1 would kill both sections.

Not that I can see that it's wrong, just that it seemed misleading to do such.

JAP>

 

[iwire]

I had a more confusing one.

I was trying to find the feeder breaker for a 208/120 - 225 amp panel I had to replace I could not find it, the old prints showed it being supplied by a dedicated transformer right above it.

Nope.


So I start killing 208 volt feeders and finally the panel I wanted to shut down went down along with another one no where near it.

So I go to that other panel it is a 225 as well with a factory installed main with "MAIN" embossed into the trim beside the breaker.

Long story short someone tied the incoming feeder directly into the bus with random used lugs they bolted on and used the 'main breaker' as a subfeed to the panel I needed to work on.

Not sure if I could say it was a violation but it sure was a poor installation.

 

[kwired]

I came across a 400 amp Main Breaker Indoor 42 circuit panel today that was being fed from a 200 amp outdoor fused disconnect.

The 400 amp Main had parallel lugs per phase.
They brought (3) 3/0's (1) 3/0 Neutral and an EGC in and landed on the first panel.
Then used the remaining open lugs in the first panel to jumper over to a 400 amp Main lug panel nippled right next to it.

At first glance it looked like a 400 amp 2 section panel where the Main in section 1 would kill both sections.

Not that I can see that it's wrong, just that it seemed misleading to do such.

JAP>

Maybe they upgraded the panel at some point, but didn't have enough load that they really needed more then 200 amps - but maybe planned to do so sometime later? Future plans never came through and upgrade was never fully completed?

 

[jap]

Maybe they upgraded the panel at some point, but didn't have enough load that they really needed more then 200 amps - but maybe planned to do so sometime later? Future plans never came through and upgrade was never fully completed?

It's more of the way the 2nd panel was jumpered off of the main of the 1st, instead of the 1st having a subfeed breaker or feed thru lugs to feed the 2nd was what was odd but not so much wrong.

One would 9 times out of 10 feel that when they shut the main off in the 1st panel it would kill the 2nd but not the case.
The 1st would be killed by the main but the 2nd would still be energized from the outside disconnect.
JAP>