On 8/1/09 11:08 , William Miller wrote:
Our best solution would be to install a 200 amp meter panel with a 100
amp breaker. The application is an agricultural based residence, so
based on how one interpreted this, the back feed allowance would be
either 100 amps or 120 amps, enough to cover our back feed.
We were told by a supplier that we could purchase a 200 amp m/m/c and
field retrofit a 100 amp breaker into it. We requested the supplier
contact the manufacturer (GE) and obtain confirmation of this claim.
We were assured that this was possible.
Based on the assurances, we bid the job and won the contract. When we
purchased the equipment we found that the 100 amp breaker could not
physically fit into the 200 amp m/m/c. We spent a full day calling GE
and then other manufacturers only to find out that no one builds a 200
amp m/m/c that can fit a 100 amp main. All of the panels we looked at
were cleverly configured to not allow the smaller breaker to be held
in place.
Has anyone out there found a 200 amp m/m/c that can fit a 100 amp
main? If so, I want to know.
Not yet, and I would also be quite interested as we have a green
subdivision project in the wings which could use them.
I ran into a similar situation last year replacing an old 100A Zinsco
panel. I selected a 150A Siemens (which is really a relabeled 200A
unit) for its 24 breaker spaces, leaving room for PV tie-in plus main
panel surge suppression plus a little room for future expansion. The
utility was willing to allow a 125A service using the existing feeders,
but refused to do 150A ("that's not a standard size for us") without
upgrading quite a bit of overhead feeder. We bought the 125A main kit
for the same series of panel, only to find out what you did - that it
does not mount in the 150A or 200A versions of the panel. Because the
customer has a pending underground service (future residence, which will
supply the existing dwelling as a subpanel) they eventually agreed on a
backfed Q2100H (even more expensive) for the interim overhead service.
This was a separate meter application, not an all-in-one.
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