My New House & Workshop

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, put the lid back on it and just pretend you didnt look in there.

 

[Snoranger]

Yeah, put the lid back on it and just pretend you didnt look in there.

And delete those pics before anyone sees them.

 

[Uncle Gump]

And up your insurance coverage.

 

[saxtech]

Oh my gosh ! Total code violations here in California. Romex can never be exposed. Must be routed behind drywall or in attic .
Your pre-purchase home inspector should have caught that and warned you that it wasn't a permitted breaker box. If an actual electrician did that job, he should be jailed ! If you had a home inspection, I'd confront the inspector and try to hold him responsible if he didn't disclose the potential safety hazards here and lack of permit.

 

[Uncle Gump]

And call your mother... it is Mother's Day after all.

 

[Curious Hound]

Yeah, put the lid back on it and just pretend you didnt look in there.

And delete those pics before anyone sees them.

And up your insurance coverage.

Oh my gosh ! Total code violations here in California. Romex can never be exposed. Must be routed behind drywall or in attic .
Your pre-purchase home inspector should have caught that and warned you that it wasn't a permitted breaker box. If an actual electrician did that job, he should be jailed !

It's probably not THAT bad. It's old. It's sloppy. There are some minor code issues. It should be re-worked by a professional using a new breaker panel and the cables should be protected from damage.

But don't panic. You will want the wiring freshened up anyway.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I was only serious about the call your mother thing...

 

[Curious Hound]

I was only serious about the call your mother thing...

I'm sure he did that first thing this morning.

 

[Curious Hound]

Notable items in those pictures;

1. Wires need to enter the box through suitable romex wire clamps. You can't just poke them through the holes.

2. It's sloppy. That makes it difficult to troubleshoot and repair.

3. Only one circuit per breaker / one wire under each breaker terminal clamp. Even though they are made to hold 2 wires, that is not allowed any more in most places.

4. Looks like Federal Pacific brand. Not manufactured anymore and their breakers have a reputation for not tripping properly when needed.

5. The cables must be supported within a certain distance after leaving the box. I believe it is 12". But I would have to review that.

6. Looks like 8AWG supply wire. Suitable for 40 amps per hot leg maximum. That doesn't mean the breakers can't add up to more amps. There is a calculation for that. Plus, you would rarely use every circuit at max capacity simultaneously anyway.

I would recommend increasing the supply to 100amp capacity and use a breaker panel with room for 16 circuits or more and it would then require a main breaker (no more than 6 disconnects per service). One central main breaker is a good idea just for safety and simplicity.

Then, fasten some 3/4" plywood to the wall between the breaker panel and the ceiling, full width of the panel. That gives you something to staple the cables to for support. Finally, use some vertical 2x4's, one on each side, and a plywood cover that can be screwed in place to build a plenum or box to protect the cables between the breaker panel and the ceiling. I would use PVC conduit components to protect the supply cable coming through the wall below the panel.

 

[sgtsandman]

I should probably do something about this breaker box in my shop.View attachment 59710View attachment 59711

That looks like something we would find at the VFW from when the WWII and Korean War veterans built the place...

 

[Curious Hound]

That looks like something we would find at the VFW from when the WWII and Korean War veterans built the place...

Judging by the breakers and the plastic sheathed romex, I would date that to very late 60's or 70's era.

 

[sgtsandman]

Judging by the breakers and the plastic sheathed romex, I would date that to very late 60's or 70's era.

Like I said... My Post was built and expanded upon around that time several times during the steel mill boom.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Oh my gosh ! Total code violations here in California. Romex can never be exposed. Must be routed behind drywall or in attic .
Your pre-purchase home inspector should have caught that and warned you that it wasn't a permitted breaker box. If an actual electrician did that job, he should be jailed ! If you had a home inspection, I'd confront the inspector and try to hold him responsible if he didn't disclose the potential safety hazards here and lack of permit.

Federal Pacific

It's in my "storage building", not my house. My house has a new box. I should take a photo of the house my neighbor rents across the street. It has Romex running down the side of the house.

Oh. And there's no cover to be found for this box.

The electric isn't turned on to that building. It has it's own meter. I'm thinking I could label everything, take photos, disconnect all the wires, remove the box, put the wires in conduit, feed them in to a new box, drink a pepsi, and then wire everything back in the way it was in the old box. I can use my Black & Decker complete guide to wiring book if I need to.

I'd also like to add a 220 circuit for a welder, and another 110 outlet on it's own circuit for an air compressor.

The building has 2 outlets for air conditioners with 230 plugs. So I'm guessing 2 of those breakers must work those.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Notable items in those pictures;

6. Looks like 8AWG supply wire. Suitable for 40 amps per hot leg maximum. That doesn't mean the breakers can't add up to more amps. There is a calculation for that. Plus, you would rarely use every circuit at max capacity simultaneously anyway.

I would recommend increasing the supply to 100amp capacity and use a breaker panel with room for 16 circuits or more and it would then require a main breaker (no more than 6 disconnects per service). One central main breaker is a good idea just for safety and simplicity.

Let me guess, that involves replacing the wire between the box and the meter.

 

[Curious Hound]

, put the wires in conduit, feed them in to a new box,

Don't put them all in one conduit. If more than 6 current-carrying conductors (hots and neutrals) are in the same conduit, their amp rating is de-rated because they can not shed heat properly in the conduit. Another calculation to be done.

The building has 2 outlets for air conditioners with 230 plugs.

Another violation. 2-pole circuits (230volt) must be on twin breakers where the breakers for each hot leg are physically interlocked to ensure that if one leg trips, it also opens the breaker for the other leg. You really are better off using a new panel where you can do things safely and properly.