"Bruce L. Bergman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 20:17:12 -0800, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:

Bruce,
Could you please advise what features a panel for a home would require?
I
am familiar with GFCI breakers, but have heard that there are other
requirements in addition. I'm already familiar with ground rods and
how
they're to be installed, just confused on newer breaker configurations.

In keeping with my other panels, I'll likely purchase a Square D, 200 amp
panel, with a main breaker. Any advice?

Egad, that's a 100,000 word answer begging for the time to type it
all out (think "War and Peace"...) but I'll hit the highlights.

Which you did very nicely, and I thank you. I really had only one
question, but didn't know how to address if properly, due in part to not
knowing what it is that I didn't know. :-) I'll comment on that below.

First, SquareD makes good equipment - but it's all based on brand-
locked proprietary designs, which can be a problem in the future if
they go under or stop making the proprietary parts. It happens - try
finding an XO breaker - or Zinsco Q, or Pushmatic, or...

I fully understand. Luckily, I have always used only QO panels, so I
haven't
had the problems you speak of. Everything's cool until they make changes
in the QO, the way it looks to me.

The QO line is bulletproof - where they try to fool you is with the
Homeline series, it LOOKS like a standard form 1" wide "Industrial
Interchange" breaker, but there are subtle differences in the busses
that make other brands not fit in their panel. (Without modifying the
busses - and cutting into the tin-plated aluminum without replacing
the plating is a recipe for a corrosion disaster in a few years...)

If you want to future-proof, use panels that take either the
Cutler-Hammer/Challenger C-series or Crouse-Hinds/Murray/Siemens MP-
series breakers. They will interchange with each other, and (with
exceptions) GE 'Thick' and SquareD Homeline breakers will fit in them.

The concept is sound, but once I start mixing panels, I'll just widen the
number of variables I must address. I already have two square D panels
installed
in the shop, one single phase, one three phase. I'd like to insure that I
don't have to worry about which type breaker to buy, so I'll stick to what,
to me, is normal, a QO panel. Until recently, I had a great connection
for buying at
the wholesale level, so cost wasn't a big issue. Home Depot is likely my
future source now.

snip---
And you can never go too big - if your architect insists that a 125A
panel is plenty, put in a 200A anyway. And the 400A (some rated 325A
continuous) residential services are gaining wider use, you don't need
a standing section anymore - but you do need a wide chunk of wall.
They come with a 200A Main and a 30 to 42-space distribution section
for the house, and a space for mounting a second 200A Main Breaker to
feed another panel at your shop remotely.

Chuckle! Architect? You're lookin' at 'im! g We installed the meter
base on the shop a few years ago and have 2" conduit already stubbed towards
the house. The meter base provides for (2) 200 amp panels.

Space is no issue. The entire basement (approximately 1,000 ft) is for
storage and mechanical use. There's more than enough room to mount any
panel I choose, along with the housings for the low voltage control lighting
system we're going to use.

There are no unreasonable loads expected for the house, not so much as even
light machine use. The shop addresses all my power requirements in that
regard, so all we have to worry about is typical residential power demands,
electric water heating, dryer and stove. It's pretty straight forward.
We live in the country, no cable TV, no natural gas. We have a well and
septic system.

For grounding, again, too much is just about right. Bring up a UFER
ground from the foundation steel, and have all the utilities hit the
house in the same area so you can bond the cold water, telephone, CATV
and the gas to a common grounding point.

By its nature, the steel is not tied in this construction, nor can it be.
Therefore, I will install the necessary ground rods and wire accordingly. We
had to deal with the same issues with the shop, so I'm not unfamiliar with
the requirements. Washington State oversees electrical inspections, so
we're assured of compliance.

PLAN AHEAD.

Inside the house insist on running flex or EMT conduit for the
wiring - at least on the panel home runs and the kitchen circuits,
anywhere that things might need to be changed later and you don't have
attic access. With Romex the initial construction costs are far
lower, but every change or addition is a headache - cut open the
walls, patch and paint. With conduit, adding an extra copier circuit
in the back bedroom that just turned into the Home Office is a lot
easier.

Any electrical in exterior walls is already installed in conduit, along with
steel boxes (provided with proper grounding), and can't be altered. The
house isn't conventional construction. Everything in the exterior walls is
already cast in concrete, including some of the plumbing. I've had to
plan from day one to insure that nothing was left out. The shop was built
the same way.


For feeding the bedroom circuits in new construction they insist on
an Arc-Fault breaker that works like a ground-fault but looks for bad
outlets and cords and Romex staple-pinches in the walls. I think it's
a gimmick, but the theory is sound. Plan on spending extra for a few
fancy breakers.

This is exactly what my question was, but I couldn't remember what the
change was so I was unable to address my question pointedly. I was
afraid that the panel itself would have to meet some particular requirement,
not understanding that a particular breaker addresses the issue.

I thoroughly appreciate the huge number of tips you've provided. Many of
them aren't of concern to me, but it's apparent your insight has already
paid dividends for at least one other person.

Thanks for your time, Bruce. It's very much appreciated.

Harold