Split Bus Panel Board

Status
Not open for further replies.
Saturn_Europa

Saturn_Europa

Senior Member
Location
Fishing Industry
Occupation
Electrician Limited License NC, QMED Electrician
Please see attached picture. Where it is labeled main, there is no operating handle. Can anyone describe how this works?

It looks like it's a split bus load center. How do you kill power to the panel if the main has no operating handle?

​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
That doesn't look like a split bus. Did you take the cover off?
As it is, the panel is legal because there isn't more than "6 throws of the hand" to turn all the breakers off.
 
Little Bill said:
That doesn't look like a split bus. Did you take the cover off?
Click to expand...

I did not. I don't do residential work. I was at a friend's for the holiday and just opened the load center cover out of curiosity. I saw the space labeled "main" didn't have an operating handle, which I have never seen. It's an older house.
 
jumper said:
Wierd, I can see it but when I click on it to enlarge I get an error message.
Click to expand...
Not seeing a link, attachment, or anything else besides the text in the OP.

Is an apparent deleted post that shows up between post 1 and post 2, possible moderators see more information of that one then other users? Comment I can see in that deleted post indicates Little Bill possibly tried to merge an image from that post into the OP? Must have failed though?
 
kwired said:
Not seeing a link, attachment, or anything else besides the text in the OP.

Is an apparent deleted post that shows up between post 1 and post 2, possible moderators see more information of that one then other users? Comment I can see in that deleted post indicates Little Bill possibly tried to merge an image from that post into the OP? Must have failed though?
Click to expand...

I have no clue what's up with the pics.

Mods do not see anything more in a post then others, Infinity posted he cannot see pics.

It is either a problem with the post/pics or our IPS are not sending the same info to all.
 
Saturn_Europa said:
Whats up the space labeled "main" with no operating handle?
Click to expand...
Now I see pictures from your recent post. Older QO breakers 80-125 amps used to take up 4 spaces in the panel, not 4 adjacent spaces but rather two adjacent spaces along with 2 spaces across from them, but the handle was only on one side - Pretty sure that is exactly what you have there.

Both factory installed mains as well as branch breakers rated 80-125 amps were like this at one time. Don't know when they changed to current design which only uses two spaces of the panel - current design has been around at least as long as I have been in the trade which is about 30 years.
 
kwired said:
Now I see pictures from your recent post. Older QO breakers 80-125 amps used to take up 4 spaces in the panel, not 4 adjacent spaces but rather two adjacent spaces along with 2 spaces across from them, but the handle was only on one side - Pretty sure that is exactly what you have there.

Both factory installed mains as well as branch breakers rated 80-125 amps were like this at one time. Don't know when they changed to current design which only uses two spaces of the panel - current design has been around at least as long as I have been in the trade which is about 30 years.
Click to expand...

It appears you are correct. If you enlarge the pic you will see a label (sticker) that has been added. Someone wrote on it "inside panel" with an arrow pointing to that top right breaker, which is directly across from the one labeled "main".
 
Last edited:
Little Bill said:
It appears you are correct. If you enlarge the pic you will see a label (sticker) that has been added. Someone wrote on it "inside panel) with an arrow pointing to that top right breaker, which is directly across the one labeled "main".
Click to expand...

The "main" label isn't a left side of panel breaker, look carefully there is no handle on the left side top two spaces. It is older QO 100 amp breaker that fits full width of panel.

It maybe is possible this is a main lugs only panel and that 100 amp breaker is a feeder breaker for the "inside panel" of the house. That makes all the breakers in this panel a service disconnecting means if that is the case. Don't know if the panel was listed for use as service equipment without a main breaker at that time, today's equivalent QO loadcenter to that one would not be.
 
kwired said:
The "main" label isn't a left side of panel breaker, look carefully there is no handle on the left side top two spaces. It is older QO 100 amp breaker that fits full width of panel.

It maybe is possible this is a main lugs only panel and that 100 amp breaker is a feeder breaker for the "inside panel" of the house. That makes all the breakers in this panel a service disconnecting means if that is the case. Don't know if the panel was listed for use as service equipment without a main breaker at that time, today's equivalent QO loadcenter to that one would not be.
Click to expand...

The 100 amp breaker feeds a subpanel in the kitchen.

What I didn't understand is how you would kill power to the panel to add a breaker or service it without pulling the meeter.
 
The 100 amp breaker was what they called the Q1 series breaker. It was replaced with same QO breakers that in use today, I think they were available 50 amps and up, majority I see are top fed (TF suffix) and used as main breakers but there were branch breakers as well with lugs in the conventional position on the side the handle is on. I do run into some branch breakers of the 80-100 amp range both two and three pole occasionally on installations prior to about 1975-1980ish , so I would guess that is somewhere near the time they were discontinued.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top