[Leo55]

Hey everyone, I'm wiring a new Square D QO 42 space plug on neutral panel. I am trying to decide how best to arrange the breakers in the panel. The wires are mostly in the panel at this point. But I still have a fair bit of latitude with respect to how I arrange the breakers. I also will have a number of unused spaces remaining on both sides.

Here are my questions:
1. Is it better to put the big double pole breakers at the top near the lugs? Or does it not matter?

2. Is it ok for the big double pole breakers to reside across from one another on opposite bus bars? Or should they all be in a row on one bus bar? Or does it not matter? To place all of the double pole breakers in a single vertical row would involve wires crossing the panel.

3. With respect to the smaller circuits, do you try to give thought to the items that might run at the same time, so that you can arrange them in such a way so that the electrical loads are balanced? Or is that too trivial to worry about with the loads involved in a residential panel like this?

4. With respect to unused spaces, are you better off leaving them at the top or at the bottom? I would imagine it is far more likely I would add a bigger double pole circuit in the future than a smaller single pole circuit.

Thanks for any thoughts. I appreciate it.

 

[CodeMatters]

You're over thinking it. Place'm so it can wired reasonably neatly and
everything will work fine.

 

[HandyAndyInNC]

I like to have all double pole breakers at the top. No real reason. I always have one double pole at the very top for the surge protector. Kinds of defeats the purpose of having that breaker at the bottom. I like to leave as much slack as possible without wrapping the conductors around in the panel. Take the longest route to the breaker without crossing over the top. Even if the source conductors come in from the bottom, I do not like to cross any branch circuit conductors over the source conductors or the lugs.

Like Mr. Matters indicated, make it neat and do not tie the conductors together. Place them as far to the back of the tub as possible, and always ensure they are not twisted with another conductor.
I went into a panel once where the previous person had twisted all the branch circuit conductors. Oh It looked nice and neat. It was a work of art. But I was there to replace a few circuits that they wanted devices moved. Talk about a dang mess. I had to pull the meter and untwist everything and start over with all the conductors.

 

[joed]

Surge protector is the only one that matters. Manufacturer will tell you to install them as close to the main feed as possible.

 

[seharper]

Hey everyone, I'm wiring a new Square D QO 42 space plug on neutral panel.

Sweet panel!

I am trying to decide how best to arrange the breakers in the panel. The wires are mostly in the panel at this point. But I still have a fair bit of latitude with respect to how I arrange the breakers.

Keep that latitude. The grounds only need to reach the ground bar, but have hot and neutral long enough to reach any space in the panel. That’s so you can move breakers around at your leisure, and also retrofit AFCI/GFCI/whatever they come up with next week if that’s ever called for (or if you get red-flagged on that stuff).

If you’re after that “neat” look, easy - run down the edge of the panel, overshoot, do a 180, then come to where you go over to the breaker.

Here are my questions:
1. Is it better to put the big double pole breakers at the top near the lugs? Or does it not matter?

2. Is it ok for the big double pole breakers to reside across from one another on opposite bus bars? Or should they all be in a row on one bus bar? Or does it not matter? To place all of the double pole breakers in a single vertical row would involve wires crossing the panel.

OK, the first thing to sweat is called **stab limits**. Take any space and the space across from it. They share the same bus stab. The breakers using that stab must not exceed the stab limit stated on the label. Square D downplays the importance of this, but keeping it under 125A is probably wise. So don’t put a 60 across from a 100 for instance.

The top rows are places a few key things need to go: Generator interlocks, whole house surge suppressors, and solar panels, to name a few. Don’t be “that guy” who snips off all his lengths to barely reach the breaker, and then, needs to move everything down 2 spaces to accommodate a gen interlock, and winds up with a panel full of wire-nuts lol.

3. With respect to the smaller circuits, do you try to give thought to the items that might run at the same time, so that you can arrange them in such a way so that the electrical loads are balanced? Or is that too trivial to worry about with the loads involved in a residential panel like this?

Yes, it never hurts. For instance having the saw and dust collector on opposite poles is always a win.

4. With respect to unused spaces, are you better off leaving them at the top or at the bottom? I would imagine it is far more likely I would add a bigger double pole circuit in the future than a smaller single pole circuit.

As long as you leave your hots and neutrals nice and long, it doesn’t really matter.

 

[Sparkyb60]

Assuming the feed is at the top of the panel , put the largest amperage breakers at the top. There's no reason to have the higher amperage flow thru the entire length of the bus bar.

 

[Missouri Bound]

I agree that you are overthinking this.
But please put as much thought into labeling.
Where you put them isn't nearly as important as being able to locate them quickly if needed.
Large lettering, a "readable" legend will be the finishing touch.

 

[Leo55]

Thank you guys for the advice.

I left some spaces at the top for a surge protector and a generator interlock breaker, and still have some spaces left at the bottom, should anyone want to add smaller circuits in the future. I have some questions about the surge protector and the generator interlock but think I'll post them in different threads.

I'll leave the wires long enough so that someone could move things a little in the future if they need to. Everything will be very clearly labeled and easy to find.

seharper referenced a saw and a dust collector----not far from the truth! I have a big ole jointer and a dust collector on dedicated circuits.

Thanks again.