Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
![]() |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are
JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? |
#2
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() |
#3
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
Joe FPE panels have KNOWN BAD BREAKERS THAT OFTEN DONT TRIP
![]() a serious fire hazard! So the benefit is not having his house burn down! besides just swapping the panel is a DIY project for a couple neighbors. they will do it safe. mess with the drop other than pulling the meter will cause all sorts of troubles. besides many around here want a permanent standby generator that will require a new panel anyway. this is a interim step to prevent a fire and add more breaker slots, his panel is jammed |
#4
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() |
#5
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() "Joseph Meehan" wrote in message . .. wrote: A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? Why? You don't get the benefit until you get both parts so why pay for one now and not receive any benefit until you pay for the second. Put the money in the bank until you can do it all. It will be less labor and maybe you can save a couple of dollars as well. I'm *STILL* waiting......... For the ONE time to occur where you would actually ****ing THINK before blurting out some pathetic excuse for a response....... You dont know ****ing ****-all about electricity and your naive answers here border upon being extremely dangerous....you dont even understand what the OP's proposal was, for Christ's sakes Lay down the frickin bottle, ( if applicable )...and above all, STFU already. -- SVL |
#6
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() wrote in message oups.com... A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? The mains breaker only protects the buss that it's being tasked with feeding....and so it follows that it's utility as to providing overcurrent protection has absolutely nothing to do with the ampacity of the circuit that it's being fed from. IOW, your overcurrent protection likely resides at the primary transformer connection..... Kapish ??? -- SVL |
#7
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
PrecisionMechanical wrote:
wrote in message oups.com... A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? The mains breaker only protects the buss that it's being tasked with feeding....and so it follows that it's utility as to providing overcurrent protection has absolutely nothing to do with the ampacity of the circuit that it's being fed from. IOW, your overcurrent protection likely resides at the primary transformer connection..... Kapish ??? -- SVL Partly true. The main breaker in the panel not only protects the panel bus, it also provides a level of protection for the service drop by disconnecting large faults from that service drop. The protection for the drop itself is basically the fuse on the primary side of the utility transformer which only has a chance of protecting the service drop in the event of a dead short which might blow the fuse before the drop melts. Since the utility transformer is normally supplying multiple homes and indeed the utility transformers are rated to handle a 100% overload for 24 hours without damage, it is entirely possible to overload and incinerate the service drop without any harm to the utility transformer or it's primary fuse. Pete C. |
#8
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() "Pete C." wrote in message ... PrecisionMechanical wrote: wrote in message oups.com... A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? The mains breaker only protects the buss that it's being tasked with feeding....and so it follows that it's utility as to providing overcurrent protection has absolutely nothing to do with the ampacity of the circuit that it's being fed from. IOW, your overcurrent protection likely resides at the primary transformer connection..... Kapish ??? -- SVL Partly true. The main breaker in the panel not only protects the panel bus, it also provides a level of protection for the service drop by disconnecting large faults from that service drop. The protection for the drop itself is basically the fuse on the primary side of the utility transformer which only has a chance of protecting the service drop in the event of a dead short which might blow the fuse before the drop melts. Since the utility transformer is normally supplying multiple homes and indeed the utility transformers are rated to handle a 100% overload for 24 hours without damage, it is entirely possible to overload and incinerate the service drop without any harm to the utility transformer or it's primary fuse. Very good. Now, suggest read NEC 230.9....because nobody here can give out the correct answer until the service entrance conductor size has been determined. -- SVL |
#9
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
PrecisionMechanical wrote:
wrote in message oups.com... A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? The mains breaker only protects the buss that it's being tasked with feeding....and so it follows that it's utility as to providing overcurrent protection has absolutely nothing to do with the ampacity of the circuit that it's being fed from. IOW, your overcurrent protection likely resides at the primary transformer connection..... Kapish ??? -- SVL The Over Load Protection for your service entry conductors is your main breaker or fuses. The only fault protection for your service drop/lateral and service entry conductors is the supply fuse for the transformer. Given that it is sized to the entire ampacity of the transformer a lot of damage will occur before it opens. That is why it is so important that the load calculation be carefully done and the main Over Current Protective Device be properly sized. If the Service conductors are properly sized the likelihood of an overload, that will lead to insulation breakdown, and a fault condition developing, is very small. -- Tom Horne "This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use." Thomas Alva Edison |
#10
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]() wrote in message oups.com... A good friend has a FPE 100 amp cabinet. Obviously the breakers are JUNK! He lacks the $ for a new service right now. He wonders if he could replace the 100 FBE cabinet with a 200 amp new service but install for now a 100 amp main breaker till he has the bucks to replace the service completely. Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? Absolutely nothing at all wrong here--he'll just need to have the utility shut down power to the mains for long enough to make the panel replacement. Though, ( IMO ) even more "creative" would be to try and finish the job in a single shot--Bring out a new mast in order to allow the utility transfer power to.......in essence, you've now replaced everything, but you are temporaraliy sub-feeding the new panel until the actual utility feeder transfer takes place...regardless, the new mast isnt ever energized from either direction unless the 200 amp mains breaker has actually been thrown. -- SVL |
#11
![]()
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
" wrote:
Anything unsafe about this rather creative idea? It isn't un-safe, it may be un-needed. If you replace the main panel, you can put in a sub-panel right next to it, which is fed off the main breaker. This allows more breakers than a standard 100 amp panel can support. (or do the same with a 200 amp). This was the suggested way of supporting more breakers than the panel could handle, by the village inspector, who was inspecting my panel upgrade, when I asked about it, 100 amp in a 200 amp panel. As other have pointed out, and I have also done, is to upgrade to 125amps, which in the case I did, only required a size bigger on the ground wire. -- NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Question on adding 220V and 110V circuits to garage | Home Repair | |||
DIY Installing Whole House Transfer switch at Service Entrance | Home Repair | |||
Main circuit breaker causing me problems | Home Repair | |||
boiler / central heating problem - main burner weak and cuts out | UK diy |