Making room for breakers for subpanel


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Old 10-15-18, 06:52 PM
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Making room for breakers for subpanel

Presently my main panel is full, all slim or single width breakers so I don't have the option of pulling any of them to make room. In adding a new sub panel what options do I have in adding a 50 amp sub panel? From my understanding, I will have to put in two 50 amp double pole breakers and will need to remove four of the slim breakers that are already there to make room.

I have two slim 30 amp breakers that serve the A/C. If I move them to the subpanel that gives me one space in the main that I need. I have one other breaker that serves a submersible pump. These three breakers are the only ones where the wiring enters the main panel thru conduit so they would be easy to rework into the subpanel. So, my problem is that I need to move one more circuit over to the subpanel but the wiring enters the main panel from behind. Any suggestions on how I can make a space available?
 
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Old 10-15-18, 07:33 PM
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You should only.need to move.two poles of breakers out to make room for the 2 pole 50 to feed the sub.

I would move smaller branch circuits and.leave.the.larger.circuits in the main panel.
 
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Old 10-15-18, 08:42 PM
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Ok, so one 50 amp double pole breaker will fit the space of two slim breakers? Moving the two 30amp breakers would be simple for me but if I leave them in the main panel as you suggest, how do I move two other circuits over when their wiring enters the main panel from behind the panel itself? As I mentioned, the two 30amp breakers enter thru conduit outside so quite easy to do. By the way, I'm adding the subpanel for baseboard heaters so I would have the A/C and heater circuits in the subpanel. They will not be in use at the same time.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 04:19 AM
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Hi, you can make splices in the panel to the other circuits you want to move to the sub panel, as mentioned try to leave the larger loads in the main panel.
Geo
 
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Old 10-16-18, 06:38 AM
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Make sure you are not mixing up your breaker type descriptions. Single pole breakers are either full size of half size. A full size double pole breaker uses two full size single pole breaker spaces. Half size single pole breakers allow two single breakers to fit in one full size space.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 07:34 AM
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To clarify, all of my breakers in my main panel are half size. My main concern was whether by removing two of those thin breakers would allow me to fit a 50amp double pole breaker. As PCBoss and Geochurchi suggested, I will leave the larger circuits in the main panel. I didn't realize you could make splices in the panel. That will make it much easier.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 08:58 AM
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all of my breakers in my main panel are half size
Is this a GE panel? If so special care must be taken when installing 2-pole breakers. They can easily be put in wrong.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 02:11 PM
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Also be aware that splicing doesn't create a circuit that overloads the breaker.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 03:53 PM
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Yes Ray, it is a GE panel. I didn't do the A/C and I was mistaken on the two 30amp breakers. The guy that put the AC in has two 15amp breakers not tied together. Are there only certain places in a GE panel that accommodate two pole breakers? Also, Pattenp, did your comment about splicing mean that when spliced, a circuit won't overload therefore won't trip the breaker?
 
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Old 10-16-18, 04:03 PM
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What I mean is when you take two separate circuits that are on two breakers and splice the two circuits together to use only one breaker in order to free up a space that the combination of the two circuits don't have to much combined load as to cause tripping of the breaker.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 06:34 PM
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Pattenp, I understand. Thanks for clarifying.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 08:01 PM
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Are there only certain places in a GE panel that accommodate two pole breakers?
If it is a half size 2p breaker it is possible to put both connections on the same leg then you don't have 240 volts.
 
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Old 10-17-18, 04:54 AM
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The splicing I was talking about was not intended to double up circuits, but to lengthen the conductors so they could be moved to the sub panel to make room for the 2 pole breaker .
Geo
 
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Old 10-17-18, 10:07 AM
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Ray, thanks for confirming what I thought. I was looking at both type of breakers at HD and was thinking that the thin breaker would not be on two poles. So, what exactly is the purpose of a double pole breaker that only connects to one pole?
 
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Old 10-17-18, 10:13 AM
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Geochurchi, when you mentioned splicing I first thought you meant what you confirmed by your last message----lengthening the conductor. Thanks for clarifying. When Pattenp referred to splicing for the other purpose it threw me off a bit as to your meaning.
 
 

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