I am being forced to switch my gas furnace to an electric one and need to upgrade my mobile home from 100a to 200a. I would like to leave the 100a panel with all the load connections that run throughout the house intact. Can I add the 200a panel box near the 100a panel, install a 100a breaker, then run the wires it to power the 100a panel box, creating a subpanel? I am also concerned about redundant breakers, the 200a main breaker at the meter loop, the 200a main breaker on the interior 200a service panel, the 100a breaker in the 200a panel that will connect to the existing 100a service panel, and the 100a main breaker on the existing panel, that my house is wired to. Will I need to have any of them removed? Yes, I plan on having an electrician do the work but I want to explore/understand all my option before I hire one. So my questions are 1.) can use a jumper wire to power my existing service panel, and 2.) do I need to fear having all the redundant breakers? And 3.) will I need to remove the ground from the sub-panel so that the 200a controls the ground? Thanks to all for any advice.
1 Answer
Yes, this can be done.
No, you don't have to worry about redundant breakers.
The bond between neutral and ground will have to be removed in the existing panel, but that shouldn't be a problem for the Electrician to do.
answered Jan 18, 2016 at 0:55
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1I agree if you have a new primary panel, your old panel will be a sub panel and the neutral and ground wires have to be isolated. If the new panel is in close proximity to the old and conduit between them , you will not need redundant breakers .– Ed BealJan 18, 2016 at 2:27
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1@EdBeal You may not need redundant breakers, but there's nothing wrong with them being there. If the original panel was a main breaker panel (as it sounds like it is), you don't have to remove the breaker or install a main lug panel instead. Jan 18, 2016 at 2:33