relocating exsting tenet panel

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Riograndeelectric

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Location
Lakewood Colorado
A job I am going to be working on to correct some problems from the previous hack. On a 4plex unit each tenent has there own panel and meter. The building was built in the 1950s. There is no main breaker on the tenets panels. The tenet panels are located inside the kitchen of each unit. The panel is pushmatic MLO panels.

In one of the units, the panel was relocated and the feeder spliced in the attic and new home runs ran to reefed existing circuits. This is a 3 wire service. Feeders run in conduit. When the panel was relocated, should a main breaker have been installed and this panel treated as a sub panel and neutral not boned to the can? Would this also not put the main service in jeopardy of having to be rewired? The service is set up with overhead service going to a 4x4x24 3r gutter with 4 meter tapped off the service conductors.

I would also think that since they ran new homeruns to existing lights and recps that AFCI'S would now be required
 
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Riograndeelectric

Senior Member
Location
Lakewood Colorado
That is the problem there is no service disconnect. The existing service was installed in the 1950s consists of an overhead service conductors (4/0 Al?) not sure of service conductors.

4x4x24 tap gutter with 4 single-phase 100amp meter sockets tapped with #4THW copper then off load side of each meter directly to each tenant panels located inside of each of the units. This is on a multi family dwelling / 4 plex. All tenant panels are MLO
 
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Riograndeelectric

Senior Member
Location
Lakewood Colorado
come to think of it they may be split bus . I will have to look at the panels further on monday but with the relocating of the panel would the split bus still meet the intent of requirng a service disconnecting means ?
I will try to remember and take some pictures on Monday of the other problems I have found.
 
Rewire

Rewire

Senior Member
Location
Lake of the Ozarks
The code is not clear on what the "nearest "point of entry is. Most AHJs will require a disconnect on the outside if the panel is not back to back with the meter.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Riograndeelectric said:
come to think of it they may be split bus . I will have to look at the panels further on monday but with the relocating of the panel would the split bus still meet the intent of requirng a service disconnecting means ?
I will try to remember and take some pictures on Monday of the other problems I have found.
Click to expand...

If you leave it where it's at a split bus is legal because it was legal at the time of installation. The split bus serves as a disconnect with 6 or less motions needed to disconnect.

When you relocate the panel they may make you bring lots of things up to code or they may let it slide as grandfathered-in.

The only way to know for sure is to call the local inspector and have a talk with him/her. In some jurisdictions here they would let the old system stay if the cost was really prohibitive, you know, have to tear half the building down to replace the feeder cable.

The only thing to do is ask, I would guess that they will want the disconnect installed outside and new feeder cable, maybe new ground system. There are other things they can throw in there just for the fun of it. Some cities throw in a few GFCIs or Arc Faults just for fun and even smoke detectors. Don't let it come as a surprise.
 
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