2 Horizontal Breaker Spaces to 2 Vertical Breaker Spaces

There is an opportunity to weld some hot metal in my garage, if I can get the 50 Amp Homelite breaker into my 10-year old 200-amp panel.

The dilemma with installing the breaker and plug is caused by my lack of open slots in the panel. There are only 2 left. And, of course the slots are horizontal when I need vertical slots.



Things may be able to be moved around. But, I don't know about adjusting panel breaker positions. So, I'm asking the experts.

 

Yes, you can do that. You can wire nut extensions on to the wires if needed.

 

One of my YouTube instructors, AskMeDIY talked about not putting wire nuts in panel boxes. I wasn't sure whether I would need to try my best to stretch the lines, from their origin/appliance, to get several inches of wire to swap things around. My home is in the county in North Alabama, so I don't have any codes or need a permit. But, I don't want to botch anything to risk the safety of my home.

 

There is no issue with wire nuts in a panel to extend a few wires.

 

He may have been Canadian. I have read they don't allow splices in the panel.

 

Why would you need vertical slots?

 

Trying to add a 2 pole 50 for a welder.

 

His panel has horizontal slots to match the busbars, why does he need vertical slots?

 

He needs two spaces for a two pole breaker. I would just move one 20 amp single pole breaker and then just bump the 30 amp breaker on the right down one slot.

 

I don't see any bus stabs below the already fitted circuit breakers in the pictures. Some panel covers have more "twist-outs" than there are bus spaces for circuit breakers. Maybe there ARE stabs and I just can't see them due to the angle of the camera and the lack of light.

 

I though the same thing Furd, but if you look at the first picture of the panel cover off, I think I can see some buses there.

22" monitor FTW

 

Maybe, and maybe it is just a bus assembly mounting screw. Need a better picture taken on the same level (or lower) of the suspected stabs.

 

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Separate issue - Is that a green bonding screw installed?

 

I think I see there bond screw on the left bus. If so it should be removed.

 

If the main breaker in the panel is the first overcurrent device the bond screw should be installed. The ground wire in the SE cable has me a little confused.

 

Here are the pics of the space I'm hoping will allow expansion, to make room for the two pole 50-amp breaker. Thank y'all for all of the advice and the time you took to analyze my predicament.

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Yes, you can move the two single pole breakers as you proposed to make room for the two pole 50 amp breaker. If needed the wires can be spliced if they are to short to reach the new breaker locations.

 

The expansion was successful. The two pole 50 amp isn't wired up, yet. But, the 20 amp Kitchen outlets and Washing Machine outlet breakers work just as before and the 50-amp breaker is in its new space.

The advice received saved me lots of money and I certainly appreciate it! It's over 100 degrees here, so I found time to work on it before dawn and spare my family from sweating it out while the main breaker was off.

After realizing my welder power cord is only 6ft and the leads for ground are 6ft, I've decided not to install the welder plug directly beneath the panel. But rather, I'll head back to my local Supply store for a longer section of wire, 30 ft instead of the current 6ft on-hand, to route the plug near the garage entry. That would provide welding capabilities outdoors or inside. And, I'll run the cable up through the attic and behind the drywall.

Xtreme 4x4 makes it look easy to do the welder power supply, min. 10:25 to 15:35. But, that's why Ian Johnson, the show's host, was born for television and metal fab and my 9 to 5 is at a desk. All in all, it is straight forward and as long as safety is top priority, then it is a job that I would rarely discourage.

 

Good job. Thanks for letting us know.