Wire size

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jyohnyb

Member
Location
wilmington nc
If i have a main panel with six throws of the hand but no main breaker what do i size the wire on? Say it has a 100 amp to a subpanel and a 125 amp to the heats. Do i use 125% of largest breaker?
 

jyohnyb

Member
Location
wilmington nc
Nah.

Nah.

They are using the 6 throws of the hand rule. Its a 3/0 copper from the meter to the lugs. Then it is a 125 amp breaker to a heat subpanel and a 100 amp breaker to the house subpanel.
 

jyohnyb

Member
Location
wilmington nc
The wire from the meter to the lugs is 3/0.

The wire from the meter to the lugs is 3/0.

3/0 copper is good for 200 amps. However you have a total of 225 with the 2 breakers. How do i size the feeder
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
3/0 copper is good for 200 amps. However you have a total of 225 with the 2 breakers. How do i size the feeder

You don't size it by adding the breakers, you size the main by doing a load calculation. I doubt you're other two panels will pull the rated load. You already have the 3/0 for the MLO panel. Just size the wire for each load/subpanel respectively, 125A for one and 100A for the other.
 

ggunn

PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Occupation
Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
There is no OCP ahead of the MLO?
In many residential services, especially in San Antonio, even in new construction, there is no OCPD ahead of the MLO panel. It seemed strange to me the first time I saw it, but now I have seen lots of them.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
3/0 copper is good for 200 amps. However you have a total of 225 with the 2 breakers. How do i size the feeder


Terminology is important. The wire from the meter to the MLO panel is aa service entrance conductor and NOT a feeder. So if you have 3/0 copper then the wire size is fine in all probability.

If this is a residence then 3/0 is good for 225 amps. As stated above you don't add the breakers but you add the calculated loads of those feeders or branch circuits.
 
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