Typical AZ service change.

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220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
I took a few extra minutes to document this one today. Before we play spot the violations, it is accepted practice to forgo the romex connectors at the panel in cases where the come from in the wall.

House was built in about 1960 with a 3 phase delta service (for the AC) New AC is single phase so new service is single phase.

Before. POCO disconnected at 7:30 AM
Gailspanel003.jpg



Demo old stuff.
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Nice washers on the toggle bolts.
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Check cables for mythical bundling damage. Pristine as usual.
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Needed bracing for the riser. Difficult in houses built like this. Flat 2x12 roof. POCo requires thru bolts thru framing members. Removed some trim, cut a hand hole and bolted on a couple of minnies. Used 2 1/2" IMC to get the required attachment height without back bracing.
Gailspanel013.jpg


Installed riser and hung new panel, top down.
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Terminate conductors. Used the sim pull wire for the first time on the service conductors. Not good in this application. It felt like it had been sprayed with silicone and was hard to hold onto.
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All done @ 5PM. Pulled new AC conductors thru existing conduit. PVC under panel contains the GEC and gas bond. Water bond is seperate/exposed.

If you look closely you will see that I had to go above and beyond and reroute a 1/2 copper water pipe that was in my way.

Gailspanel026.jpg
 
Buck Parrish

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
That old meter base was a good style. It's made with ceramic, right?
Is that old panel an indoor one? I am suprised it lasted that long.

The new service looks good. I've not used that meter base combo yet, because of cost.
Is that a siemens?
We get by with 2" IMC all the time. Lucky us, though.
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Looks real good, a big panel with lots of extra spaces! And look at those huge ground/neutral bars. Makes an electrician happy:smile:

One thing though, is your mast is leaning to the right? Is the homeowner repairing the extra mast hole?

480sparky said:
Why don't I see anything that looks like a connector or busing around all those old NMs?
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Looks like a black pop-in bushing.
 
2

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
The snap in bushing is my trademark :cool: There is 1/4" behind the panel that could let in some of our 7" annual rainfall if it made it's way past the eave and past the caulking on top. Also, the bushing is about 1/8 thick so it only leaves an eighth back there.

It is a Siemans panel and the cost is still under $150

In AZ there are LOTS of indoor panels mounted outside throughout the 50's and 60's.

Generally we use 2" risers but we can get extra height(50" as opposed to 30")without back bracing if we use 2 1/2.

And.....No 2 poles on MWBC yet....2005 code here.

Mast is dead nuts on. Optical illusion :) I screwed a 5s blank on the bottom, filled the top with caulk and said "roof repair by others"
 
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zappy

zappy

Senior Member
Location
CA.
I take it the inspector passed it?Well if it's good enough for him then it's good enough for the OP.Yeah i like that 180 degree bend.How was that done?
 
kbsparky

kbsparky

Senior Member
Location
Delmarva, USA
Looked like an old split-bus panel there, a single phase one at that. I really can't tell where that 3rd phase wire ended up on your "before" pic ... was it capped off?

How in the world did they get that 3-phase service to work properly with a single phase panel?? :confused:
 
2

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
I don't see any GFCI breakers there.....doesn't that outlet in the 1900/4S box need some help?
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No GFCI's required. All circuits had a (undersized) ground.



I think you're looking at a pair of rotary dimmers in a 2g-sw raised cover.
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Correct. Dimmer and fan speed control. On a service change, we are not required to upgrade/make compliant any existing work other than bonding/grounding but I will fix it up next trip when I add some lighting and replace the exposed romex in the back.


How in the world did they get that 3-phase service to work properly with a single phase panel??
Click to expand...

Delta breaker, also very common for the era. They pick up two legs from the bus and the high leg goes in and out of the breaker.

How do you do BoPeeps/CandyCanes like that under the meter side and comply with 225.22?
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Is it illegal? All I see is back to back 90's at 12".
 
R

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
220/221 said:
Is it illegal? All I see is back to back 90's at 12".
Click to expand...

Could the handhole have helped move that LB to other side of mast, so this conduit could land top side of panel?
Gailspanel013.jpg


220/221 said:
PVC under panel contains the GEC and gas bond. Water bond is seperate/exposed.
Click to expand...

Could that exposed #6 to water pipe have bean eliminated, with direct-burial clamps jumpered from same water pipe to Gnd Rod?

220/221 said:
..reroute(d) a 1/2 copper water pipe that was in my way.
Click to expand...

You sweat copper? Is it better to use Map gas or propane?
 
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