Old GE breaker panel

[goldstar]

I've come across this panel several times in my EC career but I'm just curious to know about how old these panels are. It's a 200A service but I see no main breaker. It has a split bus distribution. This was in a house that is all electric. HO claims that the house was built in the late 1960's. This looks like something an EC had in his shop that he wanted to get rid of.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Spit bus panels were very common at one time, for both fuse and breaker panels. The use of two mains was last permitted by the 2005 code.

 

[tthh]

I'm gonna say this also violates the 6 throw rule with the tandem breakers installed and then one set of tandems that was meant to be handle tied.

Hope the folks that live there know they have to stut off all the stuff up top to fully cut power in the house.

 

[goldstar]

Spit bus panels were very common at one time, for both fuse and breaker panels. The use of two mains was last permitted by the 2005 code.

Thanks Don. Any idea about how old this panel is (ball park) ?

 

[goldstar]

I'm gonna say this also violates the 6 throw rule with the tandem breakers installed and then one set of tandems that was meant to be handle tied.

Hope the folks that live there know they have to stut off all the stuff up top to fully cut power in the house.

I don't think it violated the Code at the time it was installed otherwise it would not have passed an inspection (if, in fact, it had one).

 

[tthh]

I don't think it violated the Code at the time it was installed otherwise it would not have passed an inspection (if, in fact, it had one).

I'm going to guess circuits were added along the way.

 

[tortuga]

I don't think it violated the Code at the time it was installed otherwise it would not have passed an inspection (if, in fact, it had one).

There is no way temdem or twin breakers are allowed in section A and
That is a very odd split bus, looks like section B feeds section C



Any way we can get a close up of the panel sticker? We might be able to pinpoint an exact date form it also.

 

[goldstar]

There is no way temdem or twin breakers are allowed in section A and
That is a very odd split bus, looks like section B feeds section C
View attachment 2562203


Any way we can get a close up of the panel sticker? We might be able to pinpoint an exact date form it also.

I wish I could provide a better photo but this came from a home inspector friend of mine who asked whether I've ever seen this breaker panel.

 

[petersonra]

What was the point of using a split bus in the first place?

 

[goldstar]

What was the point of using a split bus in the first place?

I wish I could tell you. I have no idea. Maybe the mfr. figured they shouldn't leave it up to the installer to figure out how to balance the loads.

 

[readydave8]

I thought because larger breakers (so I guess fuseholders and fuses also} were so expensive?

 

[Fred B]

The split bus panel essentially created a sub panel within the same enclosure as the main panel. Big issue was the upper bus had no main disconnect and essentially every breaker on upper bus was a "main breaker", one or two of which broke the lower bus(es) and some would be used on your 240V appliance. It would limited the lower panel(s) capacity by the size of the feeder breaker. Kind of an off shoot of the old main/range fuse panels, that generally predated these.