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Joined: Dec 2000
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From Scameron81I got a call from a lady who wanted to see about upgrading her service.
When I walked into the basement needless to say I was a little surprised. I told her that the whole house needs to be redone because it is old and dangerous wiring. This looks like one of those jobs where you start with the panel and before you know it you end up rewiring the whole house.
The house is fed with a 50A 240 single phase service. There are 3 subpanels coming off this main panel. I don't know who installed the "new" main panel, but I am guessing it probably only had a tailight warranty. Scameron81 ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/forum/el/sron1.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/forum/el/sron2.jpg)
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Joined: Nov 2001
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electure , the old meter is a GE I-14 Ait is usually rated at 15 amps.maybe 25 at most. is that 3 phase panel got the neutral going through a fuse?
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Joined: Dec 2001
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Wow! I'm at loss of words here!
Still, they bothered to use a box for splicing the K&T to the THHN!
What suprises me most is the fact the PoCo never swapped out the meter! Here they are swapped every 15 years for recalibration!
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Joined: Feb 2004
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3 subpanels on a 50A service??? Doesn't make alot of sense... The meter looks to be literally around 100 years old.. Fused neutral? ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/eek.gif) Scameron, is this in CA??? I'm curious where she got the idea to upgrade her service after someone installed the new panels ![[Linked Image]](https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif) (I'm guessing the handyman would only mess with what he could shut off, (which in itself is bittersweet).. He took the money for the subpanels and probably muttered on his way out the door, "Oh you need an electrician to change the rest")
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Gotta love that 3/4" compression connector used to 'protect' the knob & tube conductor.
The old school meter is also pretty priceless.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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My god is that a meter in the middle on the first picture.
Luke McCoy The NEC Crazy Boy
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My god is that a meter in the middle on the first picture. That's what it is, Luke. What I would like to know is, what is that wierd looking black blob at the top of the panel? A joint of some kind? That's an interesting sort of a termination method on the meter tails feeding that new panel.  I also get the feeling this is 3Ø, after all, who in their right mind would fuse a neutral?
Last edited by Trumpy; 06/17/09 04:43 AM. Reason: Typo's
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Joined: Aug 2006
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Luke McCoy The NEC Crazy Boy
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Joined: Apr 2002
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Trumpy:
I'll venture a guess for the black blob....
What I've come accross over the years, it may be a split bolt 'bug' wrapped in many layers of rubber/ friction tape and overwrapped in vinyl.
Basically, something you would not want to 'take apart'
It may have been a 'more is better' thought.
John
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Joined: Aug 2002
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Looks like a fused neutral. If you look at the wires under the meter the two hots come up into the meter and the neutral appears to pass by into the panel. It even sort of still looks white.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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I also get the feeling this is 3Ø, after all, who in their right mind would fuse a neutral? Who said anything about somebody was in their right mind when this cluge was installed? Don't you think that the disconnect is a wee bit oversized for the service? My guess is that initially the whole thing was cobbled together by someone who did not need to meet any codes at the time the structure was built. Larry C
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That can't be a 3Ø meter. Unless you guys do things very differently in the US with 3Ø supplies, wouldn't there need to be more wires on the LOAD side of the meter? Now you've gone and got me all confused. 
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That can't be a 3Ø meter.
Unless you guys do things very differently in the US with 3Ø supplies, wouldn't there need to be more wires on the LOAD side of the meter?
Well, there is corner grounded delta, but that was never done in houses. My grandmother's house, built in the 1890's, had a 120V 15A service, and fuses in the neutral, as well in the hot wires. Back in the early days, there was some concern that neutrals might get overloaded somehow. The house had the earliest form of BX cable, but no knob and tube. ------------------------------------------- measure once, cut once, then redefine the requirement... 
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Joined: Dec 2001
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My guess? 3 phase disconnect and single phase 3 wire meter! Just some moron who scrounged some old disconnect and fused the neutral. Baaad idea in my book - in a single phase 2 wire circuit a fused neutral is not that dangerous unless the neutral fuse blows and someone thinks: "The lights are off, that means I can work safely!" or only removes the phase fuse. When it comes to three wire or three phase circuits things get nasty! Floating neutrals aren't nice.
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