Additional electrical panel question

[Bird]

Jerry, when I bought that 10 acres in the country, there were no codes, inspections, etc. beyond what the electric co-op required, and their specifications only included the pole, weatherhead and conduit from the top of the pole to the meter and beyond that, anything you want to do. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] So just below the meter was a 100 amp panel (when I opened it, the "cover plate" (not sure of the name) was missing. There was a 100 amp breaker and wires from that breaker to the 100 amp panel inside the mobile home. Then from that same breaker was 12-2 romex running directly to an electric water heater (he had replaced the original gas water heater with an electric one and didn't know how to wire it). Then, in addition to the 100 amp breaker in the main panel, there was a 70 amp breaker with what I believe was 8 gauge stranded aluminum wiring running to a 200 amp panel in the workshop (lots of breakers in that panel). And from one 30 amp breaker in that 200 amp panel was 12-2 romex in PVC about 4" deep running out to the barn. That breaker was off and would kick off immediately if you tried to reset it (I found that the PVC he used for conduit was full of water and he didn't have a continuous wire, but instead had spliced it just by twisting the wires together and wrapping them with some black tape. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

I've seen some scary electrical wiring, but never anything that bad.

[Inspector507]

If I'd have found that.......I would cut the wires off the breaker and RUN [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I have enough experience in electric, that if I'd seen the 12 wire connected to the 100A breaker and then another 70A connected too.........I'd have been done. But some don't.

And I hoped I could have helped soneone with my experience but it only takes a few to ruin it for all the others
I loved TBN and the help I could provide. I actually mentioned to Muhammad that he needed a forum dedicated to electricity here on CBN, but then again there is INSIDE, OUTSIDE, HOMEBUILDING, BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS, well you see where that could go.

[poorboy]

Jerry, I hate to hear that about posting over at tbn. I for one enjoy reading your posts and I am sure I am not by myself when I say what an asset you are there. I think your info carries alittle more weight than you think.

Patrick

[Inspector507]

Thanks Patrick........that means a lot to me [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[EJB]

>>EJB.........sorry to hijack your post.
How many circuits do you need to add? What brand of service panel do you have? What are you connecting to it?
Give me some specifics and I'll try to help you out a little more.

No apologies necessary...you answered my question. I don't have a specific problem that needs to be addressed at the moment, it was more of a general planning need(and my education). I will need to add more circuits down the road, and I just needed to know if I should add a 100amp box off the feed from the meter, or add a 100amp circuit off the box to a new sub-panel...I figured it would work either way, but now I know it would be safety issue(and probably a code issue) if I did the first way.

Thanks! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Inspector507]

Probably would be [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

There are no codes in Warren County MO where I'm building. But fortunatly for me, the electrician is licenced in IL and normally works on industrial and commercial jobs.

I'm satisfied in my mind that the work is correctly done. As an example of his work, all the Romex coming to the two 200A panels is marked with what it serves, as well as the breaker number it's hooked to. That's probably not required, but it'll make any future work easier.

[Inspector507]

Gary,
That is a good thing to do. And even tagging them inside the panel helps in the future as well.