Greetings,
I'm changing my electrical service to underground, and will have a new location for my meter panel. To simplify the change-over, we will put a new distribution panel near the location of the old meter panel. The new meter panel will have a 100A breaker for the feed to the distribution panel. (The new meter panel also has some distribution likely to be used for the "heavy" loads.)
The new service will be 200A, the old service was 100A.
My electrician is on vacation, but I am to pick up the distribution panel. This is not time-critical right now, since the trenching is not done yet.
My electrician suggests that the distribution panel have a main breaker and 20 spaces, 40 circuits (20/40) capability. I can only find such number of spaces/circuits in a 200-Amp panel with main breaker.
Can a distribution panel be installed with a 200A main breaker that is feed through a 100A breaker upstream? I can certainly see that the wire to the distribution panel (awg 2, 3 conductor with ground) is protected and that the 200A main breaker in the distribution panel would become nothing more than a convenience switch. But would this cause confusion or problems later on?
If the distribution panel has a 100A main breaker, then there would be two 100A breakers in series, leading to some uncertainty as to which breaker would trip first - but is that a problem?
Anyone know of a good choice for a distribution panel with many circuits (approaching 20/40) and with a main breaker of appropriate size?
BTW, I have considered replacing the 200A main breaker in the distribution panel (if that's what I get) with a smaller-rated breaker (maybe even 100A). I know that such smaller breaker may not fit in the space provided for the main breaker, but that it could reverse-feed the bus if it occupies two "regular" spaces. I sort of prefer the main breaker to be set apart and so labeled, and not to use up two spaces doing the reverse-feed.
Any thoughts?
Tom
I'm changing my electrical service to underground, and will have a new location for my meter panel. To simplify the change-over, we will put a new distribution panel near the location of the old meter panel. The new meter panel will have a 100A breaker for the feed to the distribution panel. (The new meter panel also has some distribution likely to be used for the "heavy" loads.)
The new service will be 200A, the old service was 100A.
My electrician is on vacation, but I am to pick up the distribution panel. This is not time-critical right now, since the trenching is not done yet.
My electrician suggests that the distribution panel have a main breaker and 20 spaces, 40 circuits (20/40) capability. I can only find such number of spaces/circuits in a 200-Amp panel with main breaker.
Can a distribution panel be installed with a 200A main breaker that is feed through a 100A breaker upstream? I can certainly see that the wire to the distribution panel (awg 2, 3 conductor with ground) is protected and that the 200A main breaker in the distribution panel would become nothing more than a convenience switch. But would this cause confusion or problems later on?
If the distribution panel has a 100A main breaker, then there would be two 100A breakers in series, leading to some uncertainty as to which breaker would trip first - but is that a problem?
Anyone know of a good choice for a distribution panel with many circuits (approaching 20/40) and with a main breaker of appropriate size?
BTW, I have considered replacing the 200A main breaker in the distribution panel (if that's what I get) with a smaller-rated breaker (maybe even 100A). I know that such smaller breaker may not fit in the space provided for the main breaker, but that it could reverse-feed the bus if it occupies two "regular" spaces. I sort of prefer the main breaker to be set apart and so labeled, and not to use up two spaces doing the reverse-feed.
Any thoughts?
Tom