Strip Mall House Panel - ECN Electrical Forums

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This was a house panel on the back side of a strip mall. I was called out to trouble shoot and repair parking lot lights that were not working. After researching, I found the panel. First the total enclosure had been hit numerous times by trucks. I could barely access it with out pulling it from the wall. The problem, it turns out, was a loose main lug which eventually destroyed the conductor. But, as I looked at all the controls, nothing was right...

The conductors coming from the meter terminated at a 150 amp main breaker. (Barely held on by short screws) >From there the went to a old contactor which was operated by a time clock. The time clock in turn was powered by the load side of the main.(no inline fuse) back to the feeders. From the contactor they terminated to a federal pacific main lug panel. So the whole panel was being shut down during the day. The last 2 pics is what I did to repair it...

- John Cole

Nice looking rework. [Linked Image]

I do have a question, other than the unfused time clock feed whats wrong with shutting the whole panel down by time clock?

Contactor controlled panels are common for lighting circuits.

I do not want to seem critical here however do I see all the branch neutrals leaving the panel near the top and all the branch hots leaving from the bottom?

This can / will cause the metal enclosure of the panel itself to get warm or hot depending on the load carried by those conductors.

It is also a violation of 300.3(B).

Unless the case is non-ferrous.

iwire posted:

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I do have a question, other than the unfused time clock feed whats wrong with shutting the whole panel down by time clock?

After wondering the same thing and looking at the new installation, my guess would be that the individual contactors on each group of parking circuits would tend to last longer, as the stress of load make/break is distributed instead of concentrated on one contactor.

Also, failure of any one contactor would not leave the entire lot in the dark.

Good call on the hot/neutral separation.

This isn't a violation of300.3(B)

........contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or cord.......

I don't see this as being any of the above.
This is in an enclosure.

It is a violation of 300.20, though. "Induced Currents in Metal Enclosures or Metal Raceways"

electure

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It is a violation of 300.20, though. "Induced Currents in Metal Enclosures or Metal Raceways"

Good point, I gave the wrong reference. [Linked Image]

Bob

[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 05-14-2005).]