I have a 100 Amp Service and do not want to upgrade to 200 amps at this time. I may upgrade in the future to 200 amp. Can I install a panel with a 200 amp main and not use the 200 amp main breaker? I would install a 100 amp breaker and use that as the main for the panel.
Residential
- Thread starter Bassholes
- Start date
- Status
mopowr steve
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Ohio
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
Sure
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
No, Because when an inspector is looking at it. He or she is looking at it from a home owners perspective whom may not be you 10 years from now.
Then they're going to say "why did they do that?" Because you may have never changed it to 200.
But in Indiana the inspector won't care unless it's North West Indiana. So in that case, you're fine.
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
What code year is that? Did it get moved in the 2020?
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
First, it is legal.
Second, is the concern someone may think they have a 200a service when they don't? Anyone who really needs to know will know.
Third, anyone turning off the interior will correctly presume the line terminals are still hot. There is no increased danger as the feeder is protected.
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
So if the fire dept comes in at night, sees the large 200 amp main breaker on top of the panel and pulls it down thinking they have turned the powwer off. You're okay with that.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
They will have interrupted the power at the same point regardless of the outside disconnect. I'm sure they realize that turning off the main breaker in a panel does not de-energize the wires feeding that panel. But that's not what is being discussed here.
This thread is about whether a 200a breaker in a panel that is being used as a sub-panel means it can not be supplied by a properly-protected feeder of lesser ampacity. What would be different to the firemen if the inside main breaker was labeled 100 amps?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
You have wrong thread, BP does have posts in another thread that this reply would be appropriate response, but this thread is about a 200 service panel and only a 100 amp feed to it, and most of us are presuming OP is backfeeding a 100 amp breaker in this panel as the main.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
If there is a back fed 100 amp main in this panel then the "Service disconnect" label should be at that breaker and not the large 200 amp breaker.
That said many firefighters will likely turn off every breaker in the panel.
shortcircuit2
Senior Member
- Location
- South of Bawstin
Needs a breaker lock down kit too
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
For typical "loadcenters" with plug on breakers, yes. Bolt on type breakers already meet the requirements and need no additional accessories.
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
You cannot have a 100 A service protected by a 200A breaker.
You might be able to use a 100A back fed breaker in the panel as the main disconnect, which I agree meets code but is also an ugly design choice.
The service could be upgraded to have an external disconnect providing the 100A protection, rendering the 200A panel the subject of the other thread and improving safety.
Jon
You might be able to use a 100A back fed breaker in the panel as the main disconnect, which I agree meets code but is also an ugly design choice.
The service could be upgraded to have an external disconnect providing the 100A protection, rendering the 200A panel the subject of the other thread and improving safety.
Jon
GerryB
Senior Member
- Location
- woodbridge, ct. USA
The OP sounds like he might be the owner and it is his house? If so and he is an electrician then why bother? Make room for what you need and upgrade later. Even though what is being discussed (I think), a backfed breaker with lock down, I would not do it for a customer except like the previous post asked is there is a breaker or fused disco ahead of the panel.
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
If you backfeed, don't forget 406.36(D)
At my age, I'm accustomed to restaurants asking me to pay in advance, but now my bank has started sending me their calendar one month at a time.
how do you apply the caption at the bottom of your post, I tried to figure it out but haven't yet .. is it a hotmail attachment.
Thanks
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Was another thread about this just past few days - in your account settings somewhere there is a "signature" section, those that currently have one had it carry over from the previous forum software but it was mentioned there is a problem with being able to edit your signature at this time and they will be working getting that feature fixed but other things currently have a higher priority.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
And you stopped buying green bananas.
If it were me, I would just remove the 200 amp and then make sure to label the 100 amp backfed breaker as the main and secure it in place. That way there wouldn't be a 200 amp breaker that appears to me a main breaker for someone to get confused with.
Does the manufacturer supply closure plugs for main breakers?
- Status