# big house



## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

The few that I have done that big all had feed through panels.


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## te12co2w (Jun 3, 2007)

Done several services like this. Milbank and I think Siemens both have 400a plug in meter bases. You can get them with either a 400a main or two 200 amp breakers. They are rated for 320amp continuous load. Makes short work of the service. Don't know if legal where you are but we have used quite a few of them.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Have you done a service calculation? 10k sq ft is a lot of house for a 400 amp service.


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

You could probably get away with a 400 if all the furnaces are gas and the oven is gas, but if I were you I'd bid it for a 600 and have cushion. 400 would be on the edge. No room for future expansion.

For a 600A find a good wide spot outside and mount a CT can. From there it's up to you how you want to work and place your panels.

For a 400 I use a Millbank meter base and mount one 20/40 200A outdoor panel on each side of the meter and run my sub panels off of that. Or if more convenient (depends on how the house is layed out) one 200 amp panel one one side and on the other side a 200A switch that goes to a 200A panel somewhere else in the house.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

In AZ the services are mounted outside. I have used a Seimans 400 amp all in one panel that has a meter socket (no CT's), a 200 amp main breaker feeding a 40 space bus, and a 200 amp breaker for the 2nd panel that is generally located further into the interior of the house. 

I have also used a 400 amp can (no ct's) that had two simple 200 amp pullouts which you would use to feed your panel however you see fit. There are a couple of local manufacturers here that build these.




> For a 400 I use a Millbank meter base and mount one 20/40 200A outdoor panel on each side


 
GAHH! use a full size 40 space panel!! 

On a several thousand dollar service, which is the heart of the electrical system, it's a few dollars well spent.


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

call you local supply house and talk to your salesman....they will tell you what's available..and whatever you do, bid to the prints...you should have a set of engineered prints, already approved by the town....bid the specs....you can offer an alternative price for a 600a as well, but only as an upsell...


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## TOMWELDS (Dec 11, 2007)

Here, we use a 'trans a' cabinet...meter and ct's. i would hit a 400amp main inside, to a troff and line up all those 200amp disconnects. 400amp should be plenty on that house. The 200amp subs are probably overkill and spec'd only becuase they wanted 40 circuits. Try to get all the a/c circuits in one panel near the service entrance (voltage drop). Give the utility a good load calc so you get a decent size trans and lateral.


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

> GAHH! use a full size 40 space panel!!
> On a several thousand dollar service, which is the heart of the electrical system, it's a few dollars well spent.


I don't need one. For me a 40/40 would be WAY overkill. Even though the price difference isn't much, it's a waste. I don't put much out there but mainly 220v circuits, and those get divided between 2 outside 200A main breaker panels. Most of the time I'll run a subpanel out of both of those into the house....maybe one in the garage and one on the 2nd floor, or one in the garage and one in the basement. It just depends on the house really.


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## Nosparxsse (Aug 12, 2007)

Has any one heard about a 60sp residential... panel coming out?? Realize code wil have to allow this, but have heard rumors of this???:001_huh: :blink:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Nosparxsse said:


> Has any one heard about a 60sp residential... panel coming out?? Realize code wil have to allow this, but have heard rumors of this???


408.35 will be no more.  The '08 dropped the 42-circuit maximum.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Nosparxsse said:


> Has any one heard about a 60sp residential... panel coming out?? Realize code wil have to allow this, but have heard rumors of this???:001_huh: :blink:


 
unforetally it is true the code did remove that section related to the restriction of 42 circuits max.

AFAIK i think one manufacter is allready working on 60 space panel to be approved in USA part [ there is a Cananda verison out on market for quite a while ]

Merci , Marc


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

frenchelectrican said:


> unforetally it is true the code did remove that section related to the restriction of 42 circuits max.
> 
> Merci , Marc


Why is this unfortunate? I'd love more space in a panel!


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## Nosparxsse (Aug 12, 2007)

frenchelectrican said:


> AFAIK i think one manufacter is allready working on 60 space panel to be approved in USA part


The runor I heard was Cutler Hammer(Eaton):thumbsup: 
I personally can't wait:thumbup:


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

yeah myself l like the bigger boxes but with the AFCI will be in effect this will be instering to see where it goes with this.



Nosparxsse:

It is true that one of them i know for sure but i think others is holding it back until the code cycle start then it will relase it in the market.



my ideal box i will like is 60 space 300 amp main i think it will work real well with this combo :thumbsup: 

Merci,Marc


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## jr360 (Dec 7, 2011)

*400 amp service*

I did 200amp boxes side by side in the garage. I wished I had put one of the 200 upstairs and feed from that. All those wires going upstairs conserns me. House 6200sq ft. with 3 car garage. 1800sq ft. in atic.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

9 years, wow!


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

I know it's an old ass post but I had to laugh at.....



gilbequick said:


> For me a 40/40 would be WAY overkill





gilbequick said:


> Why is this unfortunate? I'd love more space in a panel!



Make up your mind man :laughing::jester::laughing:


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Put 2-200 amp disco's inside and install the sub panels where ever they want them. 400 is probably fine but it is hard to answer you when we do not know your general location.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

backstay said:


> 9 years, wow!


It's closer to 8 from the last original post... but whatever.:laughing:


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