[Shockdoc]

So I caved in and mounted a GE 32/40 panel upside down. Every wire made it to the neutral bar and breakers without any wirenuts or extensions. I started late and finished early.

 

[360max]

...do the breakers read 'no' when turned on?

 

[Shockdoc]

No, GE turned their mains sideways back in 03'. Branch ckts remain sideways. I always prefer the main on top but for upgrades, it's easier to deal with short amounts of wire having the branch circuits up top.

 

[MHElectric]

Whats the cost difference between a GE and a homeline in a small 200 amp upgrade?

 

[Shockdoc]

119 including 10) 20 amp breakers, a dp 30 & dp . I'm sold on the copper bus, length wise neutral bars and individual half size slots.

 

[MTW]

I can't believe you didn't do this before for all the ways you try to save time and material.

 

[MHElectric]

Speaking of cheap and fast methods on panel upgrades...do any of you guys twist all the grounds together and slam them under a large lug on the the ground bar?......:shifty:

 

[Shockdoc]

I can't believe you didn't do this before for all the ways you try to save time and material.

I wish I would have, the German side of me kept me stubborn for a long time.

 

[MTW]

Speaking of cheap and fast methods on panel upgrades...do any of you guys twist all the grounds together and slam them under a large lug on the the ground bar?......:shifty:

I thought the cheap and fast method was to cut the grounds right off. :whistling2::laughing:

 

[Shockdoc]

Speaking of cheap and fast methods on panel upgrades...do any of you guys twist all the grounds together and slam them under a large lug on the the ground bar?......:shifty:

I always slam 6 grounds under the same lug .

 

[MTW]

I wish I would have, the German side of me kept me stubborn for a long time.

If you have any neighbors who are electricians, check their garbage for good usable material. :laughing:

 

[MHElectric]

This is a late thought, but,....have you noticed how much faster trimming out a panel is when you completely disregard putting it in neatly?

I always hear electricians say the panel should be your signature ....really, notice how fast and sloppy most peoples signature is next time they sign your paperwork. Its usually anything but neat.

I know this is a terrible analogy, but, more and more I just dont see any benefits from making up a panel nice & neat. And yet a quick trim out in the panel, assuming you have a method to make sure its done right (just sloppy), pays off with less labor and more money in your pocket......

Deep thoughts. Deep thoughts......:jester:

 

[daveEM]

I'm usually not concerned about the inside of a panel, after all once the cover is on... Still I do them neat and with no extra wire. I've only moved one breaker since '68 and as luck would have it I had a 'big blue' in my pouch and a piece of wire I found somewhere to extend it.

The wires coming into the panel, that's where I shine. :thumbup:

 

[Mshea]

Speaking of cheap and fast methods on panel upgrades...do any of you guys twist all the grounds together and slam them under a large lug on the the ground bar?......:shifty:

Fail
If you look at the listing for ground wires most panels limit the number of bonding wires to 2 or 3 of #14 or #12 . Only 1 neutral per terminal unless the terminal is made for parallel feed but the load terminals are 1 wire per terminal.

Here we do not require the main breaker to be at the top or the bottom, only that no breaker be higher than 5 1/2 feet (1.7 Meters). and even the branch breakers may be mounted sideways as we do not have an up is on rule for breakers.

 

[chicken steve]

Fail


Here we do not require the main breaker to be at the top or the bottom, only that no breaker be higher than 5 1/2 feet (1.7 Meters). and even the branch breakers may be mounted sideways as we do not have an up is on rule for breakers.

Interesting, especially given we went with 6'7" instead of 6'6" (our current 404.8)for the metric contingents ease of 3 meters about the time the NFPA declared the NEC an 'international standard' Mshea

~CS~