Service @Church

[jmellc]

I'm doing a new service for my church. We're putting up an office trailer behind the building. POCO is placing a new transformer. I'm setting up a pedestal next to it & had planned a 400A NEMA 3R service panel there, with 200A breaker feeding the trailer, with room for another 200A breaker to feed a 2nd trailer later. Thought I had a good deal on a panel, but someone gave me wrong prices & it's too expensive. My next thought is coming from transformer to a large J box on my pedestal, run all tx feeds there. Mount a 200A fusible disconnect there & underground from there to trailer. Can add a 2nd 200A disconnect later for a 2nd trailer.

Anyone done a similar project recently? Know of a cheaper panel I can easily get? I like panels for being able to do away with fuses. But cost is important also. Panel is just over $1,000 all told. Disconnects are about $300, fuses about $20 each or so.

 

[jumper]

How is the trailor(s) being metered?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Are these 3 phase or single phase panels? If you are paying $1,000 for a single phase combo meter with 400 amp panel then you are being ripped off. My price is $492.00

 

[jumper]

Are these 3 phase or single phase panels? If you are paying $1,000 for a single phase combo meter with 400 amp panel then you are being ripped off. My price is $492.00

I get meter boxes for free. I see a double lug line side 320/400 meter base and two of these:

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.co...-protection-device/specialty-panels/3015.html

No, I do not buy at ACE, I just found it on a quick search.

Dennis' estimate if you gotta buy a meter base.

 

[wawireguy]

Is this also going to be your temp for the construction site? I'd probably consider a 400 amp meter and two 200 amp 3R panels with feed through lugs. Feed the trailers with the feed through lugs. Put 20 amp GFCI outlets and maybe a 30amp and 50amp outlet below each panel for the construction site.

 

[jmellc]

POCO is installing a 208 3ph transformer & 3 ph meter attached to tx cabinet. Trailer is 200A single ph. 400 A 3ph panel, NEMA 3R is a little over $1,000, with 1 200A DP single ph breaker. Single ph 200A disconnects are about $300 each, fuses about $20 or so. A 200A breaker alone is just over $100. If panel were cheaper, this would be good option for later 2nd trailer.

Only 1 of my regular houses has the panel. 2 others don't. I have 3 more to call tomorrow.

I like panel idea, so not to mess with fuses, but $ is tight also.

 

[cadpoint]

Bank on God

Bank on God

Did anyone other than the power company do a load calc?

If it's just a class room and heat or AC ~ 10000VA + - max. - per

I'll Assume I'm totally missing something!

You will be the benifactor not your Church!

 

[jmellc]

Did anyone other than the power company do a load calc?

If it's just a class room and heat or AC ~ 10000VA + - max. - per

I'll Assume I'm totally missing something!

You will be the benifactor not your Church!

I filled out a Duke Energy worksheet with breakdowns of the loads, trailer served by 200 amp panel, 240 single phs. Met with POCO rep several times on site, as plans changed a few times. He decided size of tx.

Location of the trailers makes feeding from the building difficult and I'd have to put a tx in the electrical room & feed from a 480v MDP. Would have to hand tx from ceiling, no space on floor. Would have to drill a concrete wall, cut across a driveway & compacted gravel area to reach trailer. POCO has lines near there already & THEY pay for the outdoor tx, not us. So we save cost of tx & part of the ditching.

As far as benefactors, I benefit some by having the work & the church benefits by paying my greatly reduced billing as opposed to market rates. Plus, I will donate a portion of that back to the church too. I do smaller quick jobs for the church as a donation. Larger jobs, I charge gently. I installed a remote 100 amp service several years ago for $650 that another electrician in the church quoted $5,000 for. I think the church benefited quite well from that.

 

[kwired]

What is the connected load in the trailer?

Just because it has a 200 amp panel does not mean there is 200 amps of load connected to it.

You only need to supply what you have for load. You could have 1200 amp panel in the trailer but if only 75 amps of load are connected to it, it still only draws 75 amps.

 

[jmellc]

I forget the details. HVAC accounts for approx 19-20 KVA. That's the main load. No kitchen eqpmt, etc. Lights & power about 5 KVA if I recall. I don't have the sheets with me at the moment.

 

[Cow]

Is this also going to be your temp for the construction site? I'd probably consider a 400 amp meter and two 200 amp 3R panels with feed through lugs. Feed the trailers with the feed through lugs. Put 20 amp GFCI outlets and maybe a 30amp and 50amp outlet below each panel for the construction site.

This was my thought as well.

 

[jmellc]

Is this also going to be your temp for the construction site? I'd probably consider a 400 amp meter and two 200 amp 3R panels with feed through lugs. Feed the trailers with the feed through lugs. Put 20 amp GFCI outlets and maybe a 30amp and 50amp outlet below each panel for the construction site.

Thanks for that thought. I just got a good price on a 3R trailer panel, MB w/feed through lugs. That's what I'll do. That helps me still stay away from fuses & 2 200A panels means smaller wire from tx to panels. I'll put a WP quad under 1st panel & that will be good for general use later on. Site is close enough to main bldg for us to get temp power from there, plus most of us have generators too. Tx won't arrive until March 1, so most work will be done by then. I just talked to POCO about AIC ratings & will verify that on panel main as well.