# 200 Amp Breaker to a 150 Amp Load Center



## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

At a home I'm working on has a 200 Amp Breaker plugged on a 150 Amp Load Center, is there a code to balance this combination, or this is not safely at all??
What do you recommend? Change the Load Center or it's safe?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Before even getting into your question, we need to know what residential panel is this that has a 200A breaker "plugged" on it??

This sounds fishy. Have you seen it or are you just passing along info that someone else gave you?


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## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

*House Type*

This is a Townhouse 3 Levels with 240 volt service


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

ace1807 said:


> This is a Townhouse 3 Levels with 240 volt service


That doesn't answer either of my questions.

I think you need to have a real electrician look at this and make the determination.


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## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

Passing along info that someone else gave us from a home inspection


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

ace1807 said:


> Passing along info that someone else gave us from a home inspection


It sounds like bad information, which is common from home inspectors. Have an electrician look at it.


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## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

*HackWork*

Did you understand what's going on? HackWork


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Ace are you an electrician? Did you read the terms of service? We don't take kindly to hacks doing dangerous work.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

Do people not read terms and conditions anymore? You are obviously not an electrician, but clicked a box saying you were to join this forum. Call an electrician or go to a DIY forum and stop cluttering up our professional electrician forum.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

He says that he is the Project Manager for an EC company.

I believe it.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I guess I've been at this 30-some years now, and I've never seen a 150 amp load center in my life. Must be a regional thing.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> I guess I've been at this 30-some years now, and I've never seen a 150 amp load center in my life. Must be a regional thing.


I hate when a customer wants a 150A service. It's the same meter pan and riser size as a 200A, so what's the point? The difference in aluminum conductors is minimal, and sometimes finding a 150A panel is harder and more expensive than a 200A.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

I put 150's in all the time. You only need 1 1/4 and can hand bent it. Nothing wrong with them.


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## PaddyF924 (Feb 2, 2017)

They were fairly common where I live. In fact, my uncle was an electrician before having a stroke and he put in a 150 amp panel in his own home when he first bought it.


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## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

HackWork said:


> I hate when a customer wants a 150A service. It's the same meter pan and riser size as a 200A, so what's the point? The difference in aluminum conductors is minimal, and sometimes finding a 150A panel is harder and more expensive than a 200A.


The Panel is working fine with the 200 Amp breaker to a 150 Amp Load Center. The enclosure does say 150 Amp Maximium, but we don't know if they changed the load center when they upgrade the breaker (most of the times you get a breaker like this it comes with its load center). I just found out that it used to be a 150 amp breaker installed. If I call an electrician to take a look at it, what do you believe they are going to say?


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## PaddyF924 (Feb 2, 2017)

The op needs to look at the panel in question himself and see what it is fed with.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Here is what we need to know

IS THERE A 150 AMP MAIN BREAKER IN THE PANEL

IS THE @)) AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE SAME PANEL

WHAT DOES THE 200 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER FEED.

If you have a 150 amp main breaker panel and the 200 amp circuit breaker is in the 150 amp panel and this 200 feeds another 150 amp panel and the wire size is 150 amps or 200 amps this is legal BUT UNUSUAL.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

ace1807 said:


> . If I call an electrician to take a look at it, what do you believe they are going to say?


He’s going to give you the correct advice for the question you asked.
He’s not going to give you blind advice for free on a forum when you don’t know all the details.


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## ace1807 (Mar 21, 2018)

brian john said:


> Here is what we need to know
> 
> IS THERE A 150 AMP MAIN BREAKER IN THE PANEL
> 
> ...


This is a single panel, the main circuit breaker(150 amp to 200 amp), was upgrade from the load center 150 amp. is this common or legal/safe? 
I have a panel originally 150 amp, they changed the main circuit breaker to 200 amp, does the load center need to be upgrade to or it can stay at 150 amp holding the 200 amp circuit breaker (new)


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

See the other post you made. CONSIDER THIS POST CLOSED.


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