Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

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L

lady sparks lover

Senior Member
If you have a two floor dwelling, and you want to use one panel to feed 2 floors, would it be easier to:

A) Put the panel on the First Floor

B) Put the panel on the Second Floor

C) Doesn't matter

Which would be easier?? :)

[ October 29, 2003, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: lady sparks lover ]
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Hummm...

I think that to help comply with the code as far as the service disco being right inside of the drop, the first floor would be closer.

.......Most emergency personnel would be looking on the first floor.

......Usually most larger loads are at ground level.

Because "thats the way it has always been done"!
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Yup, is a silly question. It all depends on the construction, where everything has to be run etc, etc. The answer is whatever is less costly in terms of labor and material unless there is some other compelling reason.
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

If you don't have a basement,the first floor is usually easier. The garage works good if you have one,'cause nobody wants "that thing" in the hallway or bedroom.

We don't usually get to choose the panel location,unless where the customer wants it is a code violation.They all want the service and breaker panel out of sight as much as possible,and are usually willing to pay to get it that way.

I wouldn't say it's a silly question. It's amazing how much time and money is spent "hiding" the service and panel.

Russell

[ October 29, 2003, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: russellroberts ]
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Russ:
It's amazing how much time and money is spent "hiding" the service and panel.
Click to expand...
I once wired a new house and when we were ready for the final inspection we got red tagged. I couldn't belive my eyes when I read the tag. It said he couldn't find the panel! When I went into the laundry room where we left it the home owner had paneled the wall where the panel was. I had thought they had covered it up. but to my dismay they had actually made a hidden cover that was made out of the paneling and it blended in so well you didn't know it was even there.
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Originally posted by lady sparks lover:

Which would be easier?? :confused:
Click to expand...
D) add a sub on the second floor, so you're not pulling multiple long lengths of wire up there.

My philosophy is that subs are cheap and install quick compared to the hassle of dragging/attaching multiple long homeruns all over the place and drilling holes for same. I want to suffer that pain only once, not run multiple track meets around a place carrying a ladder. Keeps the main panel less cluttered making for a neater looking installation too. Breaker trips on the 2nd floor branches can be resolved without a trip to the basement.

There are significant voltage drop advantages to having a largish (usually) lightly loaded feeder rather than than a bunch of long #14 and #12.
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Originally posted by hbiss:
Yup, is a silly question.
Click to expand...
Hey, I'm just trying to make it easier for you all in the field, when I put things down on the plan. This is for your benefit, not mine.... :)

[ October 30, 2003, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: lady sparks lover ]
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

The goal is to centrally locate the distribution. The closer the branch circuits are to the panel, the less the voltage drop. It should cut many wire runs in half. Maybe upstairs would be better because it puts you closer to the attic? Or, maybe downstairs would be better because it puts you closer to the crawl space (or basement) and closer to the kitchen, laundry, etc.? The main thing is to get it centrally located-- whatever that means :) Put it where the majority of runs will be shortened, and where it will reduce any crawling and/or drilling when pulling wires.

Hey, THANKS for ASKING! That's really thoughtful!!!
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

In my area, inspectors now allow only 6 feet between meter and panel, residential, w/o extra disconnect/fuses.
Could be a factor...
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

I agree with TONYI about adding a sub panel in the second floor if you want to make it easier in the electrician,(wish I had more customers like you,Lady) :) .

It's just a real time saver to have that convenience to have that subpanel on the second floor.

Just a pain in the butt to haul homerun circuits ALL THE WAY FROM THE PANEL FROM THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE GARAGE OR WHEREVER YOU MAY PUT IT. :D
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Lady,
You really need to ask the homeowner. In my experience, few homeowners want to see the panel in the living area. They want it in the basement, garage or utility room.
Don
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

I just found this string of messages and think that I may have something to add. The corner of the house nearest the power utility stub or pedistal usually gets the meter or the custumer pays for additional trenching and lateral conductors. So the sevice ends up at that corner too. That may be the front corner of the garage(long homeruns) or the basement. In my region there are very few houses without basments.
andyrob
 
Re: Silly wiring question for electricians and installers..

Hmmm.....funny because i rarly get a plan pre-layed out for the electrical installation in the homes I wire.

I end up doing the layout myself at the job and from the plans submitted.

In regards to the Sub Panel, I really have to look at how the floor joists and so on are run and the factors that would lead me to want to put a sub on a second floor.

If the home is HUGE it may be worth it but around here the homes mainly are between 1,900 and 3,000 SQ FT so the runs are not too bad.

We look at all the factors when we bid the job and that may be one of them but again I have not had the issue of a engineer supplying me with residential wiring layouts personally so I can't comment on that part.

I know I have done some sub-panels in certain situations because of the panel layout and we simply put a main disconnect and relocated the main panel to a central location and the disconnect was not real expensive considering in that certain install the runs would have killed us...

A good electrician can make that choice on the fly from my experience.
 
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