On Tue, 31 May 2011 16:24:54 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 31 May 2011 14:36:01 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

On Mon, 30 May 2011 18:46:01 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 30 May 2011 17:50:19 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

Do they make a circuit breaker panel that will mount in an old fuse
box? I have a friend that wants to get an old house ready to rent.
The house is small but it is really nice. Here are two pictures of
the fuse box. It has a GE cover that is listed at 150A. The box
measures 14.5 by 24 by 3.75. No markings on the service entrance
cable that tells what size the wire is.

He wants to just remove the old guts and update it to circuit
breakers. The bottom left fuse block is hot on both sides even with
the fuses removed. In the extreme lower left there is a fuse block
that is not being used.

Since he is an old friend, I offered to have a look at it for him,
but I really don't know what to tell him short of tearing the house
down and start from scratch. I know that is not what he wants to
hear. The insulation on the wire looks so brittle I don't want to
touch it. The house is in rural Georgia.

http://imgur.com/NP8xV&UucAD
http://imgur.com/NP8xV&UucADl

Cuttler Hammer has some retrofit panelboards.

Do they fit GE boxes? I called two GE supply places in Atlanta and
both people gave me a direct "no"

It seems unnecessary to remove a perfectly good box that was made for
electrical connections and replace it with a box made for an
electrical connections.

I don't expect the mounting holes to match, but the box could be
tapped to hold a new set of guts.

Legally the only issue is if the box is big enough. A sanity check
would be to see what box size C/H puts that panelboard in and see if
yours has the same basic dimensions. The question is total cubic
inches and wire bending space at the breakers (usually width) . If it
was close I would think about going for it ...

BUT,

you might find a complete load center with a handful of breakers in a
package deal is cheaper than the retro panelboard and you will still
need breakers.
The internet can be your friend on this. I found a deal on the net for
a 150a Square D QO bundled with a bunch of breakers, shipped, cheaper
than Home Depot could do for Homeline and no breakers.

If you don't have a business relationship with a supply house (AKA
discount) they probably won't be close because they usually cite list
price for strangers. YMMV Times are tough so call, but call knowing
exactly what you want. Act like a pro they might treat you like one.


**He would have to find the guts, and the cover, to fit the existing box.
The box he has is huge, but I doubt you can find a retro fit for it. He
also has to determine the size of the entrance cables. The current fuse box
is a split buss, 150 amp, but those SE conductors don't look like 2/0 to me.
He may wind up with a 20 circuit 100 amp panel, which will be considerably
smaller than what he has

I am afraid you are going to be right, but that is not what I wanted
to hear.

I actually told that to the girl at the supply house. I told her that
I had already talked to two people that said they didn't make them. I
wanted to talk to someone else. We had a pretty good laugh.