Homeline breaker box - breakers

Ohhhhhhh ok wow thats great, i didnt think about that, makes sense.  No they dont all run at the same time, the sewer pump only runs when its full but is quick to do what it does.  Oh thats a big relief... thanks so much SeilerBird   )

djw2112 said:

Ohhhhhhh ok wow thats great, i didnt think about that, makes sense.  No they dont all run at the same time, the sewer pump only runs when its full but is quick to do what it does.  Oh thats a big relief... thanks so much SeilerBird   )

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You are welcome. Don't feel bad, it is a very common misconception and a lot of people get it wrong. Actually you can put as many amps worth of breakers in the main panel as you wish. If you overload it then the main breaker will trip.

So to be clear since i need a main in my new panel i just bought a 100 amp sqD homeline breaker n it should turn the main bar power off when in off position , correct oh

I have 2 black n one black with yellow stripe , which ones do i move to breaker

djw2112 said:

So to be clear since i need a main in my new panel i just bought a 100 amp sqD homeline breaker n it should turn the main bar power off when in off position , correct oh

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If you hook the incoming wires to the main breaker then it will kill the power to the entire bus when you turn the main breaker off.

I have 2 black n one black with yellow stripe, which ones do i move to breaker

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You need to use a meter to make sure before hooking anything up.

There is no power no meter yet . logically if both blacks go to same lug on panel then they should be 50 amps each so i curled up the two aluminum blacks an moved them both to the 2 phase 100 amp breaker it says 100 on both breaker levers so it sounds ok logically

Or should i have done a 50 amp double pole

I was trying to send a pic from the site with my phone but the limitations of this site on image size i could not send it.  I wish they would increase their size a bit.  I guess each of the black wires is 50 amps which makes it 100amps total, so i guess instead of a 100 amp main which is 100/100 (double pole)  i could have done a double pole 50/50, is that correct?    I think the 100 should be fine, too much is better than not enough correct?

By the way just to clear things up, all this time i kept thinking that the main breaker had some kind of special widget on it that turned off the bar, thats why i kept asking what slot it went into lol...  But as soon as i saw the connections on the main breaker i purchased, the light bulb went off, you just break the circut just like any other connection. 

The red wire on the left from the bottom is a dead wire, they used wire that had too many wires in it and just left that one curled up, when i get some more 14/3 i will red do that.   

There are three main lugs at the top, two you can see, the left one the middle one (neutral) and the far right (cant see it its behind the white wire.  All i did was remove the black wires from far right and far left and put them on the 100 am breaker double pole, one on each breaker connection. 

Question, so each black wire is that 100 amp or is it 50 amps each.



So anyway i am home now, here is a pic and even a video.  I hope i did this correctly.

Here is the video, if you see on the bottom where the 3 main wires come in from the meter you can see the white coupling i bought to do the job right.  I also have to rewire from the panel to the sewer control box because of those nipped wires, the water company told me i could open their control box and rewire it. They said they only wire from the pump to the control box, from the control box to the panel is up to the owner.  So ill redo that when i get some more wire as well.  14/3 should do it as well, the sewer is the breaker with the red and black 30/30 double pole.

https://youtu.be/atvZWCKv4Mw

djw2112 said:

I guess each of the black wires is 50 amps which makes it 100amps total, so i guess instead of a 100 amp main which is 100/100 (double pole)  i could have done a double pole 50/50, is that correct?    I think the 100 should be fine, too much is better than not enough correct?

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That depends on the load in amps the panel was designed to deliver. Too large a breaker and if there is a major short or overload on the breaker's load side, a fire could result because the too large breaker may not trip. I assume that the feeder wires are correctly sized coming from the meter pan to your panel.

djw2112 said:

Question, so each black wire is that 100 amp or is it 50 amps each.

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Based on the 100A breaker you installed, the lg feeder wires will be alowed to deliver 100A on each wire before tripping the breaker. This is an appropriate size breaker for this 100A panel.

On your photo you make reference an orange arrow and mention a plug installed, possibly over a lug? Perhaps this relates to using a back feed breaker, as you have done, to have a "main" breaker in the panel.
The panel is designed to allow the feed wires to connect to the L1 and L2 lugs but a provision is provided to attach a back feed breaker at the left side, with a required kit, to allow an alternate feed to the panel from a generator if the main power is lost. Of course, a lockout of the back feed breaker is required so it can't be turned on unless the main feed is disabled. Sorry for running on.
For your install, no power feed wires are attached to the feed lugs and you've instead attached the feed wires to the load side of the 100A main breaker.
Looks like your good to go. Once your meter is installed, measure the voltages on the feed wires before turning the 100A breaker on.
Stay safe.

Thanks regval - really appreciate that, yes its a 100amp panel.  Yeah if i can catch the electric company there tomorrow morning when they come ill ask them if they want me to shorten those main wires so they are not curled up inside the panel, they might just do that for me to make it clean, if not ill do it. 

I already have my testers in the truck and ill test everything before turning on the main breaker.  I know there will be a challenge again at some point because i am out of slots and i still need a 30 amp for my shed when i get it, but ill cross that bridge when i get to it.  I may just have to go without power in the shed or use a generator.  In a perfect world i wish i could have pig tailed the two power lines and used a single pole main, that would give me the slot i need.  But thats too dangerous for me to do with my experience and i would not know how to do it anyway. I mean i can do a pigtail but im sure there are rules to doing it correctly.

I am so glad to be done with this project, i learned so much and thanks you again everyone that helped... you all are awesome - even old gator lol

Just as a footnote here looks like my logical guess was correct each hot has 50amps. 

The electric company came by and talked to me for a bit while they installed my meter.  He looked at the panel and said yes it would have been better to go with a 50 amp main double pole instead of a 100 amp double pole.  The reason being is that the hundred amp main breaker will not trip until 200amps so he said your panel  is rated for 100 amps so each line is 50amp in your case so one hot to each 50amp lug on the breaker. 

He said the 100amp main that i got will work until i can change it as long as everything (other circuts) under that is covered.  He also explained to me how to remove the meter and put it back and then just call him for a re-seal no problem, he said make sure everything is turned off before removing the putting the meter back. 

He also suggested that i can either put a new panel and have it just for the main and then feed my current panel which will give me those two extra space or he said to just put in a 200amp outdoor panel and then ill have all the room i would ever need.

He also told me that curling up  the hot wires up like i did is ok and that he sees alot of people do that so they dont have to cut the wire (in case they need it later). 

Overall he said i did a fine job and everything looks pretty dang good.  (thank you guys and gals)

So since i cant exchange the 100amp main now ill leave it for now and ill revisit the issue after i add my shed and see what direction i want to go in then. 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a ground rod for this panel. The electricians out there can tell you if you need one.

The reason being is that the hundred amp main breaker will not trip until 200amps so he said your panel  is rated for 100 amps so each line is 50amp in your case so one hot to each 50amp lug on the breaker.

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When I was an electrician we always use to laugh at the utility workers who thought they were electricians and here is one of the reasons why. It does not take 200 amps to trip a 100 amp breaker. 100 amps on either leg will trip the main breaker.

SielerBird is right on.
Power companies don't need to follow NEC code as they are covered by a different regulatory agency so employees may not know as much as they think they do.  Your panel is rated for 100A.  Just look at electrical panels that are rated for 100A or 200A and come with the main breaker installed in the panel.  A 100A panel will come with a 100A breaker installed.  My home has a 200A panel, main breaker is 200A.
As mentioned earlier, the size of the feed wires from the meter pan and the panel rating are the limiting factors for that load center panel. For 100A, the feeder wires from the meter pan need to be #4 or larger copper or #2 or larger if the feed wires are aluminum.
My suggestion is when time to upgrade your panel and you want more circuits, choose one with more breaker capacity, like a 100A 20 circuit. You can use your existing breakers and have extra capacity to add more circuits.
Anyway, good job. Stay safe.

Reggie

Alaskansnowbirds said:

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a ground rod for this panel. The electricians out there can tell you if you need one.

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The photos supplied by OP appear to show a bare copper wire exiting the bottom of the panel on the left side and I assume that it goes to ground rod(s).  Definitely needed for a main panel install.

Regval is correct. No need for a ground rod at a sub panel, only the main panel.

Thanks all...  the ground rod is in the back of the support post and goes into the earth, the white wire on the right side of the panel goes down to the clamp on the ground rod. 

Appreciate the info, so ill leave it as is...   perfect!