320 amp service

[smaddux]

I am doing the rough-in wiring on my house and will be using a licensed electrician to wire my panels, so this is purely a rough-in question. We are installing a 320 amp service, using two side by side 200 amp panels. I would assume that each panel should be fed by a separate service wire from the remote meter base, which will be located adjacent to the transformer.

If someone can confirm that each panel should be fed by a separate service line from the meter, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Megawatt]

I am doing the rough-in wiring on my house and will be using a licensed electrician to wire my panels, so this is purely a rough-in question. We are installing a 320 amp service, using two side by side 200 amp panels. I would assume that each panel should be fed by a separate service wire from the remote meter base, which will be located adjacent to the transformer.

If someone can confirm that each panel should be fed by a separate service line from the meter, I would very much appreciate it.

My friend the first thing after the meter is you need a 400 amp panel with a 400 amp main, there’s no such thing as a 320 amp panel. You need a 40 circuit panel and then you add a 200 amp double pole breaker and sub feed your other panel. What you are suggesting is against the NEC and each panel must be protected by a breaker which opens ALL ungrounded conductors. Under no circumstances do not splice the wire coming out of the meter.

 

[smaddux]

My friend the first thing after the meter is you need a 400 amp panel with a 400 amp main, there’s no such thing as a 320 amp panel. You need a 40 circuit panel and then you add a 200 amp double pole breaker and sub feed your other panel. What you are suggesting is against the NEC and each panel must be protected by a breaker which opens ALL ungrounded conductors. Under no circumstances do not splice the wire coming out of the meter.

Thank you for your reply. As is often the case when someone is not familiar with all of the proper terms in a profession, I did not state my question very artfully. When the local electric company sized the transformer that they placed on the property, they sized it to support a 320 amp service to my house. I now have two 200-amp panels, each supported by independent feeder wires from the permanent meter base. What I was really trying to ask is whether each of the panels needed to be supported by separate feeders, and I now know the answer is yes.

 

[Megawatt]

Thank you for your reply. As is often the case when someone is not familiar with all of the proper terms in a profession, I did not state my question very artfully. When the local electric company sized the transformer that they placed on the property, they sized it to support a 320 amp service to my house. I now have two 200-amp panels, each supported by independent feeder wires from the permanent meter base. What I was really trying to ask is whether each of the panels needed to be supported by separate feeders, and I now know the answer is yes.

Good luck with your project

 

[norcal]

With the 2017 and older NEC's, only one feeder can be brought to a structure, so 2 sets of feeders will not be code compliant unless you happen to be in one of the 8 States as of this writing, that have adopted the 2020 NEC.

 

[Megawatt]

With the 2017 and older NEC's, only one feeder can be brought to a structure, so 2 sets of feeders will not be code compliant unless you happen to be in one of the 8 States as of this writing, that have adopted the 2020 NEC.

NorCal I live in NC and we adopted the 2020 edition in August, what I don’t understand is why quite a few states are still working out of the 2014 edition of the NEC

 

[norcal]

NorCal I live in NC and we adopted the 2020 edition in August, what I don’t understand is why quite a few states are still working out of the 2014 edition of the NEC

50 states, 50 ways of doing things, MA is always the first to adopt a new edition. CA has been on the '17 for a year.

 

[Maji236]

Thank you for your reply. As is often the case when someone is not familiar with all of the proper terms in a profession, I did not state my question very artfully. When the local electric company sized the transformer that they placed on the property, they sized it to support a 320 amp service to my house. I now have two 200-amp panels, each supported by independent feeder wires from the permanent meter base. What I was really trying to ask is whether each of the panels needed to be supported by separate feeders, and I now know the answer is yes.

Right, you would need a set of feeders from each panel back to the meter. Be safe

 

[Maji236]

NorCal I live in NC and we adopted the 2020 edition in August, what I don’t understand is why quite a few states are still working out of the 2014 edition of the NEC

50 states, 50 ways of doing things, MA is always the first to adopt a new edition. CA has been on the '17 for a year.

This ties into what I was saying in a different thread, Megawatt. Not all states require elec. licenses to perform said work. Likewise, not all licenses are reciprocal in all states. Which is why states adopt NEC updates at different times.

norcal is correct, MA is usually the first to adopt newest code updates. In the past, MA has even adopted sections, before the newest book is even published yet.