Splice service conductors in panel for ATS

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LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Title basically outlines the question: meter outside, 200a MB panel inside.

Is it permissible to remove bottom incoming conductors from main breaker, splice on new conductors in panel to reach ATS above panel, return on new conductors to main breaker.

I imagine the neutrals and grounds must be separated since the ATS will now be the main disconnect, so I'll need SE up and SER down, unless there's a way to avoid having to do this.
 
Good one Larry

I'm imagining a few scenarios, but have to ask, is nippeling the this ATS alongside the main panel possible?

~RJ~
 
augie47 said:
It would seem 408.3(A)(3) might prohibit it.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't consider what he's describing as a residential loadcenter a Switchboard, but, I could be wrong.

I'd be more inclined to think that the Service Conductors passing through the panel would be mixing those conductors with branch circuits in the now
"Panel as a Raceway", and, the service disconnect not being at or nearest the closest point of entry as before when they were landed on the Main in the Panel.


JAP>
 
One would imagine the service entrance SE's bare noodle something of a chore to isolate here.....?

~RJ~
 
I did another genny install not too long ago where I nippled between an existing exterior disconnect and the ATS. The incoming conductors came down from the meter and stayed on the disco. In fact, I didn't even disturb the incoming neutral and outgoing neutral and EGC conductors at all.

The SER continued in from the disco. I only had to install new conductors from the disco to the ATS, and extend the load conductors in the SER to the ATS. I landed the genny neutral on a terminal of the neutral bus in the disco that I made available by split-bolting the rod GEC to the water GEC.


This job is obviously different. If I could, I'd splice onto the existing SE conductors in the meter base and nipple over to the ATS outside. However, we're not allowed to make splices in the meter base. In fact, the power company won't even do it; they'd rather splice underground to reach new terminals.

This is a case where the existing cable between the meter and panel is inaccessible, and the panel is in a wall perpendicular to the exterior wall. I'd have to extend it for either end to reach the ATS whether it's installed outside or inside, and the customer needs to keep it within a relatively low budget.

With the ATS outside, I'd have to install a splice box below the meter to extend the ingoing SE. With it inside, I'd have to mount it higher than the panel, so the incoming SE would have to be extended. Ideally, I'd just run four conductors (plus genny-sized neutral and one EGC) between the panel and the ATS.

However, the GEC's would have to be extended to the ATS, as the new main disco, unless a single large conductor between the panel neutral bus and the ATS GEC/EGC bar would be allowed. Perhaps I should ask the AHJ how far I can stretch the NEC without breaking it. The bid price depends on all of this.
 
romex jockey said:
One would imagine the service entrance SE's bare noodle something of a chore to isolate here.....?
Click to expand...
As I see it, as the service side of the disco, the bare neutral can be extended bare. It only needs to be insulated after the ATS/disco, which is why I thought of SER returning in my first post. That would end up with redundant bare conductors, which is why I thought of alternatives in the second post.
 
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