Can I Install Subpanel From Here

Inky86 · Aug 27, 2022

So I have this mess here in the picture. I have never seen a meter like this and don't know why the buss for spare breakers are before the the disconnect breaker. This is in a mobile home I just bought and the 2 breakers that someone put in, go to an outlet and the 30a 240v goes to a water heater. Doesn't seem right to me. I don't want to run from main panel as it is about 30' away from shop. The main service panel inside the home is 150a. The outside meter base is made by Milbank.
What I would like to do, is pull these 2 breakers out and put a subpanel in a wood shop next to the water heater. This meter is 2 feet from shop wall so I wouldn't need much wire. I would feed the subpanel with one 100a breaker. So I would have a breaker on the meter buss and a breaker inside in the subpanel. Seems redundant but I don't see any other option if this is even possible.
in the wood shop, I need 3 dedicated 20a outlets for a window ac, a table saw and a dust collector. There are already a few 15a outlets in the shop already and the water heater would be the only 240v breaker needed. I would feed the subpanel from meter buss with #1/0 aluminum.
Any advice which direction I should go. I have worked in a manufacturing plant for 20 years as a maintenance tech and have quite a bit of electrical experience so I am comfortable working with wiring and respectful as a person should be working on this stuff.

Megawatt · Aug 28, 2022

Inky86 said:
So I have this mess here in the picture. I have never seen a meter like this and don't know why the buss for spare breakers are before the the disconnect breaker. This is in a mobile home I just bought and the 2 breakers that someone put in, go to an outlet and the 30a 240v goes to a water heater. Doesn't seem right to me. I don't want to run from main panel as it is about 30' away from shop. The main service panel inside the home is 150a. The outside meter base is made by Milbank.
What I would like to do, is pull these 2 breakers out and put a subpanel in a wood shop next to the water heater. This meter is 2 feet from shop wall so I wouldn't need much wire. I would feed the subpanel with one 100a breaker. So I would have a breaker on the meter buss and a breaker inside in the subpanel. Seems redundant but I don't see any other option if this is even possible.
in the wood shop, I need 3 dedicated 20a outlets for a window ac, a table saw and a dust collector. There are already a few 15a outlets in the shop already and the water heater would be the only 240v breaker needed. I would feed the subpanel from meter buss with #1/0 aluminum.
Any advice which direction I should go. I have worked in a manufacturing plant for 20 years as a maintenance tech and have quite a bit of electrical experience so I am comfortable working with wiring and respectful as a person should be working on this stuff.

Like you said just add a 100 amp double pole breaker and purchase a 8 space 20 circuit main lug only panel. If you do in fact add a main breaker in your sub panel then you would also install a tie down kit for it. As far as your main panel goes I’ve seen worse and your wiring from the main panel to your sub panel needs to be 4 wire. Your main panel looks odd to you because it is a bottom fed panel.

Inky86 · Sep 11, 2022

Megawatt said:
Your main panel looks odd to you because it is a bottom fed panel. Wiring from the main panel to your sub panel needs to be 4 wire

I flipped off the breaker today and the bottom breaker goes to the home so the buss above the breaker is always hot, guess i'll have to pull the meter off to kill all power below.
I can't use 4 (Hot, Hot, Neutral, ground) #3 copper wires. Meter is only 2 feet from wall where the wires go into the wall and then another 2 feet to the sub

Megawatt · Sep 11, 2022

Inky86 said:
I flipped off the breaker today and the bottom breaker goes to the home so the buss above the breaker is always hot, guess i'll have to pull the meter off to kill all power below.
I can't use 4 (Hot, Hot, Neutral, ground) #3 copper wires. Meter is only 2 feet from wall where the wires go into the wall and then another 2 feet to the sub

My friend it is required by code that on all sub panels you pull a 4 wire service from your main panel. I’ve looked at your picture of your panel and if you turn off that main breaker on the bottom it will turn everything off. Turn it off and then check your voltage on the wires feeding that breaker and you will still have power. Them wires come from the meter outside. Never pull a meter with out letting the power company know what your doing. If it is a smart meter and you pull it the power company will instantly know and will be at your house in less than hour. You can go to jail for tampering with the power company’s meter and have to pay a big fine and also have your power cut off. Yes if you turn off the bottom breaker it should kill all power

Inky86 · Sep 11, 2022

Megawatt said:
My friend it is required by code that on all sub panels you pull a 4 wire service from your main panel. I’ve looked at your picture of your panel and if you turn off that main breaker on the bottom it will turn everything off. Turn it off and then check your voltage on the wires feeding that breaker and you will still have power. Them wires come from the meter outside. Never pull a meter with out letting the power company know what your doing. If it is a smart meter and you pull it the power company will instantly know and will be at your house in less than hour. You can go to jail for tampering with the power company’s meter and have to pay a big fine and also have your power cut off. Yes if you turn off the bottom breaker it should kill all power

I did turn off the breaker on the bottom and it does turn off power to main meter in house, it does not turn off power on the buss that is above the breaker, i verified this

Megawatt · Sep 11, 2022

Inky86 said:
I did turn off the breaker on the bottom and it does turn off power to main meter in house, it does not turn off power on the buss that is above the breaker, i verified this

Could you please take a picture of the top of your panel

Megawatt · Sep 12, 2022

Megawatt said:
Could you please take a picture of the top of your panel

If that breaker doesn’t turn the power off to the panel in your picture, what does. It appears to be tied in to the buss on top

Inky86 · Sep 12, 2022

Megawatt said:
Could you please take a picture of the top of your panel

it's a milbank meter, pretty old i'm guessing

Megawatt · Sep 12, 2022

Inky86 said:
it's a milbank meter, pretty old i'm guessing

I’m guessing that when your service was installed they double tapped the meter base. By code and your house was to catch on fire a disconnect has to be outside for the fire department can turn one breaker off to kill all power. My advice to you is thinking about replacing the whole service and bringing it up to code. Good luck my friend