electrical main panel / best place

[steeve]

hi there,
what would be the best place to put the main electrical box, usualy they're in the basement,front ,back,center...what about the garage... :idea:

[VALENT]

the best place would be out of the way but as central as possible to decrease the length of each circuit run in my opinion. I've seen lots of them in garages and utility rooms.

[steeve]

by code...does it have to be on the outer walls...thanks

[VALENT]

do not know

[Tom R]

Don't know the exact code on it, but yes, usually it would 'have' to be on an exterior wall because I believe the service panel has to be within 3' of where the service enters the house.

Wait for an answer from Vector, or someone more qualified than me.

[Rich]

Not sure if it's code - but you probably won't get any utility company to install interior of the house or garage as they'll need to read the meter for one and maintain it at some point - so they'll need access to it.

[Vector]

The "Main Disconnect" has to be as close as reasonably possible to where the service enters the building. Generally. the main panel is the main disconnect also, but it doesn't have to be.

You could install a breaker (1 breaker in a smaller panel), rated for your service, then extend from that to a panel that housed all of your feeder circuits.

Plus: You get to put your panel wherever you want it (but there are accessibility requirements).

Minus: Cost (and difficulty) of running heavy gauge service wire through the structure to the sub panel, which can easily run $3-4/foot. Cost of a separate breaker for the main (easily $200 for a 200A breaker). Grounding rules are different and require a separate ground bus (cheap, $5-10, but important to know).

I can't say I'd recommend it unless it's extremely problematic to have the panel on an exterior wall.

In the case of the house I'm wiring right now, even though the garage wall is the farthest point from anywhere else in the house, it's not so far as to cause voltage drop issues, and I personally always prefer to have the panel in the garage anyhow.

[Vector]

Not sure if it's code - but you probably won't get any utility company to install interior of the house or garage as they'll need to read the meter for one and maintain it at some point - so they'll need access to it.

The meter socket has to be accessible outside the dwelling. But in most cases, the meter socket is a separate panel from the breaker panel.

[Tom R]

Thanks, Vector, we knew you'd be up on the 'current' answers! :lol:

[Dragon]

Firefighters like them in easily accessible locations.

[steeve]

thanks guys...

[Mike44]

My panel is in my garage, but not the exterior wall. It's about 4-5 feet in on an interior wall. The main feed from the power company runs underground to the house, up the wall on the outside of the house to the meter, and directly into the garage and electrical panel from the back of the meter. It passed inspection 4 years ago (in Nova Scotia), so unless the NEC has changed this, it should be okay.

Mike

[PAJJ]

You can find some good deals on loadcenters on Ebay. Do a search for Cutler-Hammer (the "Cadillac" of loadcenters, in my opinion). I've got one for sale w/AFGF/AF breakers still new in the box. (http://cgi.ebay.com/200A-Cutler-Hammer-Load-Center-w-cover-var-breakers_W0QQitemZ110127097360QQihZ001QQcategoryZ1 04232QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

That's a good point about locating them for firefighters' convenience. In some parts of the country they are installed outside.