I figure I may as well start at a very obvious point, where the power enters the house. The service comes from the hydro pole via an aboveground wire and mast,
then down the side of the house and into the basement. Upon entering the basement, it enters a main 60 amp main fuse box, and then directly into a 60 Amp breaker panel. The main fuse may or may not be original, but the breaker panel was probably added sometime in the 'seventies. I have included a picture of it to show those interested what an atrocious mess it is. A hodge-podge of poorly run wires, wires added and marretted (joined) to other wires within the breaker section (a definite no-no!) and even two hots running into a single breaker (another very bad idea, both illegal and dangerous!). This was just a completely ugly mess, a definite instance where Mike Holmes would have wanted heads to roll!
Now I have the new panel in place, as pictured. This is a large 200 Amp combination main breaker / circuit breaker / generator panel. This means that the main service line will come straight into the panel which has a built in 200 Amp breaker, and also all the circuits breakers in one unit.
Additionally, it has a sub panel built into the bottom which provides for a generator to be tied in to supply those circuits wired to the bottom portion if the power ever fails. Sweet! Also notice the very nice, consistent wiring inside the breaker area, with hots, neutrals, and grounds seperated, looped and run with sufficient excess to give a nice, neat look. The panel was bought at ROTH ELECTRIC just outside Tavistock, and I am definitely happy with it, as I have completely forgotten what it cost, either $300 or $400, but worth every penny.
then down the side of the house and into the basement. Upon entering the basement, it enters a main 60 amp main fuse box, and then directly into a 60 Amp breaker panel. The main fuse may or may not be original, but the breaker panel was probably added sometime in the 'seventies. I have included a picture of it to show those interested what an atrocious mess it is. A hodge-podge of poorly run wires, wires added and marretted (joined) to other wires within the breaker section (a definite no-no!) and even two hots running into a single breaker (another very bad idea, both illegal and dangerous!). This was just a completely ugly mess, a definite instance where Mike Holmes would have wanted heads to roll!Now I have the new panel in place, as pictured. This is a large 200 Amp combination main breaker / circuit breaker / generator panel. This means that the main service line will come straight into the panel which has a built in 200 Amp breaker, and also all the circuits breakers in one unit.
Additionally, it has a sub panel built into the bottom which provides for a generator to be tied in to supply those circuits wired to the bottom portion if the power ever fails. Sweet! Also notice the very nice, consistent wiring inside the breaker area, with hots, neutrals, and grounds seperated, looped and run with sufficient excess to give a nice, neat look. The panel was bought at ROTH ELECTRIC just outside Tavistock, and I am definitely happy with it, as I have completely forgotten what it cost, either $300 or $400, but worth every penny.
No comments:
Post a Comment