On Jul 5, 8:08*pm, "RBM" wrote:
"WhiteTea" wrote in message

...
On Jul 5, 5:34 pm, "RBM" wrote:



"WhiteTea" wrote in message

....
On Jul 5, 8:35 am, aemeijers wrote:

John Grabowski wrote:

"WhiteTea" wrote in message
...
On Jul 4, 9:45 pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:
A friend has a breaker box with Cutler Hammer breakers. in a 125 Amp
box

I saw some 20 and 40 amp breakers but no main breaker.
One of them is BR2020 for the 20 amp breaker.

Where is the main breaker located located?

Thanks,
Andy

*Anything is possible. As RBM said if there are six circuits or less
no
main is required. Also as mentioned before the panel could be a split
buss
and no main would be required for the entire panel, but the 40 amp
breaker
could be the main for the lower half. You can remove the panel cover
to see
if it is a split buss. If this is an older house it is possible that
this
is a sub-panel and the main panel or main disconnect is located
somewhere
else. It is possible to have the main disconnect at the meter
location.
Where is this panel in relation to the electric meter? Is this a
single
family house or a multifamily dwelling such as a condominium.?

I have a customer who has an older Cutler Hammer panel with circuit
breakers, but the main disconnect in the panel is a set of pull-out
fuses.

When I took the panel off, I saw that the 2 wires from the meter go
right to the bus bar.

I am sure that it was built to the current code at the time.

The house is a single family.

The house is 2600 square foot, the 40 amp breaker may feed the central
AC unit.

*I guess that there is no main disconnect. Maybe the house is located
in an area where there aren't any code requirements.

What year was the house built? Is this the original service panel, and
the original meter base? Unless this place is post-1960s, I suspect one
or the other has been changed, maybe both. Maybe different electricians
did the swaps, and each assumed there was a main shutoff at the other
location. A 2600 foot house presumably has a drop sized for at least 150
amps. If it was all wired at the same time, they would have put a
shutoff somewhere. I have seen meter bases with an extended lower
section, and the shutoff is a pullout block in there, and it is not at
all self-evident, especially if it got painted to match the house.

--
aem sends,,,

Thanks for a helpful response.

I looked up the appraisal and found it was built in 1965.

I think the important thing is that the circuits are protected.

In the box there are 4 breakers(among others) next to each other with
a bar attached to all of them with the number 40 on it.
I tried to see where the wires led to, but there were too many wires
in the box.

Another interesting thing is the ground wire for the box.

Instead of an insulated wire going to the copper ground rod, it
APPEARS that the uninsulated ground wire goes behind the brick
and comes out a hole close to the grounding rod.

There is also an uninsulated wire going from the grounding rod to the
outside AC unit.
I am not sure that is up to snuff. :-)

Take care,
Andy

FWIW, grounding electrode conductors can be either insulated or bare. Even
houses built in 1965 were required to have service disconnects. I suspect
that you may not be understanding the wiring in the panel you have, and
that
it may very well be a split buss type. A picture would clarify your
situation

Using the picture at this site, I determined that the panel is NOT a
split bus.http://www.aohomeinspection.com/pdf/FPE_Panels.pdf

or the other has been changed, maybe both. Maybe different electricians
did the swaps, and each assumed there was a main shutoff at the other
location.

When I do repair work, I don't make assumptions.

If you cut corners on plumbing you may have a leak.
Mistakes in electrical work can be deadly.

Andy

Split buss panels will look different for each manufacturer. Sometimes the
internal set of wires from one of the mains to the bottom section is pretty
well hidden. Certainly an easy enough thing to figure out, by killing each
double pole breaker and seeing if any single pole breakers go dead
simultaneously

Killed the double pole breaker and none of the other breakers went
dead.

I will try to anticipate your next question.

No, I will not send you the box because you don't believe it's not a
split bus panel. :-)

Andy