ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum 200A Breaker Conversion

aww jezz randy where did that handyman end up got ahold of 200 amp breaker ?? yanked off from other 200 amp ite box ?? and i look at the busbar it sure don't look hevey engouh to handle 200 amp load at all.. i am sure it will catch on fire one of the day and btw how did that stupid handyman make " double connection " for 4 pole breaker set up with out blowing it apart ??


merci , marc

In the third picture, is the third wire from the left (on the 200a. breaker) flipping off the handyman as a last act of defiance?

Whoever installed that 200A breaker also did a poor job striping those wires... he cut through some of the strands.

Is this double lugged on the meter?
What kind of a gizmo is this C/B?
I don't recall seeing them with 4 line lugs before.
It looks like the original installer did a neat job on the service (#s and all), but that main breaker setup looks really stupid. Gotta love the 2/0 X #4 reducing strip job. I can't help but LMAO

Scott,

That "4 pole" breaker comes from a commodity 120/240 Volt 200 Amp single phase residential load center. There are a lot of these installed. The 4 pole breaker lug side, in the factory assembly, is connected to the load center breaker buss bars. The other side of the breaker pressed onto a small bus that connected to a 250 Kcmil lug, two lugs, one on the left half and one on the right half of the breaker.

The creativity of this handyman for applying this breaker in this manner impresses me, but what takes my breath away is the profound lack of appreciation for resistive heating, and the obvious disregard for whether the breaker will be able to work at all when hooked up like a standard double pole. The handyman set up each half of the breaker to have 240V across it, while, as originally manufactured, it would be connected to the same buss.

Al

If the picture shows the panel as it is actually oriented, than the top row of breakers is a violation of 240.81

Pierre

Alright Pierre, now ya got me thinking... Was the bus assembly frankensteined just like the breaker?!?!!
Scott, I'm assuming the meter is double lugged... Meter was locked, so I couldnt get in to look... The quad 200A breaker is from a Murray 200A panel... I wasn't sure if to laugh or cry at this!

I'm really not sure about this breaker working properly... As Al pointed out, this is usually connected with the same phase using each end, not alternating.. I'm curious if this affects the internal common trip at all?

-Randy

Just curious... Would the 200A breaker installation be qualification for the coveted "Darwin Award"?

-Randy