(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

First attempt at wiring a panel

P

Philip d

Well-known Member
We?re using reused panels and breakers for practice.there wasn?t enough single phase ones so some of us used 3 phase and winged it. We had to tie in a 40A range branch circuit,30A dryer,a 15A afci for a bedroom a split 15 A for counter top,20A 120 for a counter and a few more. I?m hoping as I do more I can get the wires running a bit straighter and smoother looking but I?m happy for my first attempt.
cvphoto39845.jpg
 
If you run your linemans pliers over the conductors it will straiten them out. Make sharper 90 degree bends. You should see my friend Mike Boswells panels . Amazing neatness. Cap off all holes.
 
I think it looks nice and pretty. You should see some of the stuff at work. If you can keep it nice 45? and 90? stuff then that should do it. Your lead in wires is where you want a little curve so you have a tiny bit of slack. There is nothing more annoying if you need to reassign a breaker and there is just no slack. Here is my "Power Station" in the basement. Yes....mains have lockouts on them so when I run the welder or generator evrything is safe. This is 240 10/3 and it is 120 double lines. Three different breakers and ALL have lockouts. Looks like something from Westinghouse, the early days. Even my furnace has an indicator on it. That main box shows if you have full 240 or if one leg dropped out. Just something to over do it with. The last one is some of the junk we need to fix after they hose it a few times. Now the photos aren't loading.
 
Hey in years in the business I'VE SEEN A LOT WORSE not bad looking routing !!!!! I cant tell from the picture how everything is configured. Of course if that's the main service entrance distribution panel the Neutral Buss is bonded to the Equipment Ground Buss and the metal frame is bonded to the Equipment Ground, plus, of course, try to balance the loads. Especially for residential applications I never liked multi wire branch circuits. Being electrical in nature you will likely get a ton of opinions.

Best wishes

John T
 
When I was a kid the old feedmill in town... I can remember the top of an ancient fuse box that had a couple of knocked out holes. They were plugged with a couple of tapered sticks cut with a penknife and twisted in. Had been there since the early days of Rome! That little mill is very very long gone now. Sad.
 
Those are very impressive looking switches and recepticals,I?ve never seen ones exactly like that before.
 
Looks good. Courtesy loop when there?s room and expansion is likely.

cvphoto39870.jpg

Of course you have to imagine this white wire is black and inside
Duane?s panel. Is such a thing allowed by the electrical inspectors?
Is It ok to use a wire nut to lengthen a wire inside a panel?
 
This was just for practice, the panels ready for the recycling bin except for teaching purposes. Had it been a good panel there wouldn?t be near so many holes
 
looks like your becoming an artist...wires as straight as the potato rows...:)
around here i know who has worked the panel before me, as he trims the wire insulation off enough to,
lay it back over the uncut part under the connector set screw. it gives a little extra
protection to the cable when the screw/clamp is tightened on the cable, whereas your sheath is run
into the panel interior.
pick and choose your style, and the utilities inspector is happy...life is good.
stick on the ice dude
 
DR is correct, wire nuts are allowed where a cover can be removed to access them.

Sometimes this is only way changes can be made inside panel.
 
Just for giggles. On my own stuff it just looks really neat. The cover on the furnace box I even made it krinkle finish paint. That power station can be run in both directions when you hook in the generator. With the breakers locked out you can draw 240 and multible 120 branches. Just like a mini utility service. The neons are set so you just glance at them and you know the state of the system. I under stand that some RV generators are this way. You have a two plug outlet and each plug is it's own 120 side of the generator. You plug in an adapter plug and you now have 240. Neat!
 
Like that loop idea. That is why I said about putting a curve at the input side. Guess what ever the codes allow. That book is how many inches thick by now ???? Don't you just love it when the insurance company threatens your parents to get the fuse pannel replaced with a breaker box OR ELSE!!!
 
(quoted from post at 22:04:54 10/24/19) I remember Dad sticking pennies in the fuse sockets if we didn?t have any lol
Click to expand...
ho could afford a penny?!......and, it was closer to 20A rating than a penny, too. :)
a5h63q1.jpg
 

Installing electrical equipment on your own and learning by trial and error ,,,,,,,,,,...???
What are trying to learn and what are you trying to save ?
Better question . Are you serious or just trolling for a response ?
 
Haha fair enough comment when you are unaware of the
background. Yes this was just for learning purposes at trade
school. Just old junky beat up panels and breakers. They
really aren?t hooked to anything, it was just an exercise to see
where the group is at in terms of being able to wire a panel.
 
When the connection at the breaker goes bad the end of the wire burns off the breaker or burns up. If you have a loop you have make up wire to fix it. No loop you will have wire nuts in the panel.
 
(quoted from post at 11:02:13 10/26/19) When the connection at the breaker goes bad the end of the wire burns off the breaker or burns up. If you have a loop you have make up wire to fix it. No loop you will have wire nuts in the panel.
Click to expand...
Might want to replace the breaker at the same time so as to not "burn up" the end of wire again due to a faulty breaker.

Assuming of course the lugs screw were sufficiently tight to begin with.
 
(quoted from post at 16:16:37 10/24/19) Umm no wire nuts allowed inside a panel far as I know lol
Click to expand...

Sometimes you have no choice but to use a wire nut. Like when the buried wire from the well pump is not quite long enough to reach the breaker inside of the NEW meter box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
3 Phase, Revisited.
Replies
18
Views
3K
Greg 2N (TX)
G
J
Baseboard Heater Revisited
Replies
9
Views
2K
John T
J
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top