Overloaded panel help

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jrz126

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Bought the house in 2008. Didn't notice at the time, but previous owner had wired up 7 breakers with 2 wires. My plan was to someday upgrade the service and replace the box.
Just bought another house and I'll be moving in a month. So I'll be putting this house on the market. Looking to resolve this quickly/cheaply so it wont come up at inspection time and possibly delay the sale. Or the buyers want it done their way.

The box has 4 220V breakers, 50A for the 120V breakers below, Range, Dryer, and a 40A one that i put in for a welder in the garage.
Thinking about removing the welder circuit and mounting a subpanel next to this one, and move over 5 of the doubled breakers? (I'd install another dual breaker for the other 2)

Thoughts?
 

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jrz126 said:
No. This is fed right from the meter. Have to open the 4 top breakers to fully disconnect.
House/panel were built in 1970.
Click to expand...

It is a split-bus panel.
As a buyer I would want it replaced. As a seller, I would use replace the 2 wires per breaker with wirenuts and a single pig-tail.
 
jim dungar said:
It is a split-bus panel.
As a buyer I would want it replaced. As a seller, I would use replace the 2 wires per breaker with wirenuts and a single pig-tail.
Click to expand...
Would that pigtail meet code? As a buyer, I'd want it fixed too. And I would replace it if I wasnt bleeding money and short on time.

Dont want to get an agreement signed and have them back out after 2 weeks or spend a boatload for it to be fixed how they want it.
 
Home inspectors will look for several things, the infamous "double taps" or two conductors under a single breaker, EGC's and neutrals under the same screw on the neutral bar and neutral double taps on the neutral bar. As mentioned just pigtail the CB double taps. The EGC's can be corrected by adding an EGC bar in the panel or splicing several together and pigtailing to the neutral bar. The neutrals will require a hole in the neutral bar for each neutral. If all that is fixed I would leave the split-bus panel.
 
We have them all over the place around my area. I hate them. Replacing one of the 6 breakers on top scares me. If installed properly they are probably fine, though in my area that is not the case it seems. The SEC are always coming in from the top and water gets in from the meter. 30 years latter the panel is corroded and I have to change a bad breaker that looks like a rusty nail and won't come out. If I am doing a remodel and a split buss is there its gone or I am.
 
infinity said:
Home inspectors will look for several things, the infamous "double taps" or two conductors under a single breaker, EGC's and neutrals under the same screw on the neutral bar and neutral double taps on the neutral bar. As mentioned just pigtail the CB double taps. The EGC's can be corrected by adding an EGC bar in the panel or splicing several together and pigtailing to the neutral bar. The neutrals will require a hole in the neutral bar for each neutral. If all that is fixed I would leave the split-bus panel.
Click to expand...
Thanks! That clears up a lot.

texie said:
The terminology and type of question of the OP indicate to me that this may be a non electrician and rather a DIY.
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DIY. But also Electrical Engineer, so more knowledge than most DIY'ers maybe.
Work application (1000HP VFDs for locomotives), is much different than residential wiring.

480sparky said:
Yeah... joined over 10 years ago just to ask this question.
Click to expand...
I bought the house in 2008, and been thinking about upgrading the panel since then, probably browsing the forum on how to do it back then. But looks like i made a post back when i was working at a lighting company.
 
Finally getting around to following up on this. All double taps have been fixed, each neutral wire has its own screw. EGB added.

Panel label says not to exceed 125A. the 50A range, 30A dryer, and 50A lower section puts me 5A over that rating. Will that be an issue?

I had added a 40A circuit for a welder. The outlet/wiring has been removed. I left the breaker in place to fill in the hole.
Any recommendations for that?
 

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Since the OP is admittedly a DIYer and the questions were answered we will close this thread.

Roger
 
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