moving load center and connecting existing wires ?


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Old 11-20-13, 12:54 PM
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Question moving load center and connecting existing wires ?

I have been doing a lot of reconstructing on a house and now I need to move the load center that is on a wall that has to be removed. I am moving the load center ( main lug-no main breaker) with a Cutler-Hammer 42 circuits in board, seven feet to another wall. I have 18 wires in the ceiling from the second floor that I have to splice in and join and 24 wires coming from the crawl space that also have to be moved over. These are all 12/2 wire except for the 12/3 for the electric stove/oven that was never put in but the wire remains in the floor and wall so we left it unattached and in place in case of any need for it. The well pump is 240v and also runs from the crawl space. I have purchased 2 small 125amp boxes from GE and was thinking of removing the interior parts are re installing separate netural bars and ground bars and plastic insulated load wire connectors for splicing in the ceiling and have access to the wiring for inspection or testing. The same would be true for the crawl space. Is this acceptable and is it the best and safest way to extend the load center ?. We are living in the house and it is 15 below zero out so we have kerosene heaters to keep the house warm. I have a remote main breaker on the service meter that I will turn off. I was planning on using the old Load center and I have all the ceiling wires in place for the new ceiling box and ran to the new location 7 feet away. Could you please suggest a correct way if possible, and or would using twist caps on wires be acceptable for splicing in a box other than using neutral bar and ground bar and load wire splicer ?. thank you cj
 
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Old 11-20-13, 01:22 PM
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I have purchased 2 small 125amp boxes from GE and was thinking of removing the interior parts are re installing separate netural bars and ground bars and plastic insulated load wire connectors for splicing in the ceiling and have access to the wiring for inspection or testing. The same would be true for the crawl space.
I'm not quite sure I understand your plan with the two new 125A GE boxes. Are these actually smaller loadcenters you want to use as junction boxes? I think you would be better to just install juntion boxes in order to extend the existing circuits to the new loadcenter location seven feet away.
 
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Old 11-21-13, 10:24 AM
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After going to home depot and lowes and looking for 2 metal boxes that can be purchased without special ordering, I settled on these 2 load centers because of their size. I am rethinking this because they look a little small after putting 1 of them in place. The other reason was for the knock-outs that I could use to bring the wires in. The only other boxes I found were the large gray plastic type used for outdoor work and they had no knock-outs even though I could drill holes for them. I wanted this to be fireproof if need be and I am not sure if the outdoor ones would work for this.
 
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Old 11-21-13, 10:39 AM
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Is there a diagram that shows a electrical load center and alternate splice boxes and gives code compliant distances for splicing ?.
 
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Old 11-21-13, 10:42 AM
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moving load center and splicing

correction on the 12/2 wire. The well wire and stove are 10/3 and all other wires are 12/2.
 
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Old 11-21-13, 12:14 PM
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I would have used something like this in various sizes, available at almost all supply houses from Wiegmann or Hoffman, with or without knockouts.

Frost - WIEGMANN SC151506G 15 X 15 X 6 INCH GALVANIZED NEMA-1 SCREW COVER BOX W/ KNOCKOUTS


Is there a diagram that shows a electrical load center and alternate splice boxes and gives code compliant distances for splicing ?.
Not sure I understand the question. Distances between splices?
 
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Old 11-21-13, 04:43 PM
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A large junction box is all you need. I would not gut a new panel.
 
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Old 11-21-13, 04:51 PM
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stove are 10/3
10-3 is small for a stove. What size breaker?
 
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Old 11-21-13, 05:44 PM
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A large junction box is all you need. I would not gut a new panel.
I wouldn't either and in this case, it was 2 new panels!
 
 

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