# what do i do in this scenario?



## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

Im doing a home that has 46 circuits.. I have to get two 150 amp panel to have enough breaker spaces.. Can i feed both panels with 150 amps off of a 200 amp service? If i go to a 400 amp service meter main the utility company in utah wont allow any spare circuits in the meter main, only breakers that feed panels. I need spaces in my meter main to feed some electrical in the yard and out to a small shed.. Do i just feed my two subpanels with 100 amps? suggestions?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

highlandele said:


> Im doing a home that has 46 circuits.. I have to get two 150 amp panel to have enough breaker spaces.. Can i feed both panels with 150 amps off of a 200 amp service? If i go to a 400 amp service meter main the utility company in utah wont allow any spare circuits in the meter main, only breakers that feed panels. I need spaces in my meter main to feed some electrical in the yard and out to a small shed.. Do i just feed my two subpanels with 100 amps? suggestions?


ASk your AHJ doing the inspection...nothing wrong with feeding two panels from the same service.


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

but can i feed two 150 amp panels off a 200 amp service?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

If it's a 200 amp service why do you have 150 amp panels?


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

because 100 amp or 125 amp panels dont have enough breaker spaces


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

highlandele said:


> because 100 amp or 125 amp panels dont have enough breaker spaces


and you can't find 200 amp panels that do?


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

I have 48 circuits, so i got two 150 amp subpanels (30/40) what would you recommend?


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

my plan is to have my meter main outside of the house then have 2 panels in the basement


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## Murphy (Dec 10, 2009)

highlandele said:


> because 100 amp or 125 amp panels dont have enough breaker spaces


square d qo makes pretty large 100 amp panels


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

large enough for 48 circuits?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

If the service is 200 amps at the meter/disco, you will want the proper feeders going to the panels in the house, and those feeders should be rated at 200 amps, thus the panels also. Think of it as putting a #12 on a 30amp SP breaker.


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## Murphy (Dec 10, 2009)

highlandele said:


> large enough for 48 circuits?


 
i think its 30 spaces.. maybe 40... but you said two panels will be used, so in that case two should be fine


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

so you are saying i cant have 150 amp subpanels off a 200 amp meter main?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

You can feed two 150 amp panels from a 200 amp main as long as those feeders are protected by 150 amp OCP devices....they would need to be in the meter/disco itself, however.


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

ya that is what i meant, thanks for clearing that up... I can feed two 150 amp panels with 150 amps off of my 200 amp service, correct? thats my question


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## Murphy (Dec 10, 2009)

highlandele said:


> so you are saying i cant have 150 amp subpanels off a 200 amp meter main?


not too sure but as long as the service entrance conductors are large enough to handle the load.. do the load calc and see what service is needed


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

highlandele said:


> ya that is what i meant, thanks for clearing that up... I can feed two 150 amp panels with 150 amps off of my 200 amp service, correct? thats my question


just make sure those feeders to the 150 amp panels are protected by 150amp OCP devices in the main.


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

thanks buzzkill... kind of a hard concept to picture, technically the panels could be pulling 300 amps total and only have a 200 amp service, does this make sense/?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

highlandele said:


> thanks buzzkill... kind of a hard concept to picture, technically the panels could be pulling 300 amps total and only have a 200 amp service, does this make sense/?


yeah but that's with everything on full blast/worst case scenario which very rarely happens, and if it does, then the OCP's will do their respective duty.


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## electro916 (Jan 16, 2009)

Why go through all the trouble of doing that when yoou can just feed a 40space 200a panel then feed a 20space 125a main lug panel off of that protected at 100a.

That would give you 60 circuita and be a hell of a lot easier.


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## moman (Apr 15, 2010)

highlandele said:


> thanks buzzkill... kind of a hard concept to picture, technically the panels could be pulling 300 amps total and only have a 200 amp service, does this make sense/?


Yes, but you can do it. You could do a load calc if you want. I think it is unlikely that they will be pulling more than 200 amps at one time. If you think differently then you may want to consider upgrading the service. Hell, they may have electric heat throughout the house and motors and elecrtric appliances all on at the same time.


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## highlandele (Aug 9, 2008)

good idea electro, alot less wire to pull, thanks


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Why go thru all that ? Use a 200 amp m/b in your metermain, go to a troft ,tap and feed two 200 amp main lug panels.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

Or just use a SQ D 40/60 200 amp panel.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

You could use (6) 150 amp MB panels if you wanted, but what matters most is the calculated load.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Shockdoc said:


> Why go thru all that ? Use a 200 amp m/b in your metermain, go to a troft ,tap and feed two 200 amp main lug panels.


A TROUGH??? Why go through all THAT?


This is being made out to WAY more trouble than it needs to be. 
The simple and easy solution is a 200A panel off a meter/main/feed-thru outside, with a 100A sub panel right next to it. 
IMO why bother at all with a meter/main? Unless of course it is required locally.

Absolutely NO need for two 150's and all that mess, extra sub-feed breakers, etc? :001_huh:


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## jsb (Apr 5, 2009)

you could use a tap rule if they are close enough and feed 2 150a mcb panels off the 200a service

there are a million ways to do this. doesnt seem like an uncommon issue


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## vos (Apr 1, 2010)

electricmanscott said:


> Or just use a SQ D 40/60 200 amp panel.


hey what dose the 40/60 mean in space how come its not just the number of spaces?? 
could some one explain the 40/60 / full 40 thing to me?


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

vos said:


> hey what dose the 40/60 mean in space how come its not just the number of spaces??
> could some one explain the 40/60 / full 40 thing to me?


 I think it means that you can install tandem breakers.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

vos said:


> hey what dose the 40/60 mean in space how come its not just the number of spaces??
> could some one explain the 40/60 / full 40 thing to me?


40 Full size circuit breakers or 20 full size with up to 20 tandems for a total of 60 circuits. I have used this panel for panel replacements. In the right situation it is a great solution.


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