Question on this panelboard

[Marc M]

Hey Jerry, when referencing this panel board, how would you describe it? Or call it? Haven't seen one of these as of yet. It appears to be two separate panel boards split in the center but not interconnected such as a split bus. Upper 100A lower is 90A service.. Thank you.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Marc,

Do you have a photo showing both sections with both covers off?

[Marc M]

This is the best image i could get. They had rows of hedges 10 feet in from of the panel. I do have a huge image but it wont load on this site.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Marc,

What you have is a combination meter enclosure/service equipment/panelboard.

The meter section is on the left, the service equipment section is in the lower right section, and the panelboard is in the upper right section, at least that is what it looks like if the bus bars are as they appear to be - the bus bars appear to be continuous from the lower right service equipment section, through the divider, then into the upper right section - is the divider continuous between the upper and lower right sections, or does it have an opening through which the bus bars go?

From your photos, it looks like it is being used as follows: the lower right section as one panelboard and the upper right section as another panelboard, with each being service equipment as each looks to be supplied through the left side into the meter section. That makes each of the two sections service equipment, however, both may not be listed for use as service equipment.

Are the neutral terminal bars grounded to the enclosure in each of the upper right and lower right sections as the neutral would be required to be for service equipment?

[Marc M]

The two panels appear to be separated, at least from within the panel board. Also, the neutrals are connected together via jumper and, they are fed from the meter side.
Side note..I have another panel I saw today that is weird. Old FPE..I will post it in a few.

Thanks
Marc

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

If you were to take the first photo and the last photo (from the last post above), what would be good would be a photo aimed down from the upper section, and aimed up from the lower section, showing the separation between the two sections as being continuous and the bus bars as being discontinuous.

The bus bars are so close to the bottom of the upper section/top of the lower section that it looks like the bus bars are continuous between the sections.

That combination set up is one that I have not seen before, but the number of double pole breaker spaces in the bottom section is 6, which is the maximum number for service equipment; while the number of breaker spaces in the top section far exceeds what would be allowed for service equipment.

The number of breakers is overcome by the fact that each of the two sections is fed by a back-fed breaker - which would need to be secured in place with a clip or screw so the breaker could not be removed without tools as the back-fed breaker would expose live parts if it were removed and was accidentally bumped to 'on'.

I suspect that someone is using both as back-fed mains to each of the two sections and that each of the two sections is now serving as service equipment, which means the neutral in each section needs to be bonded to ground. However, even if that has been done, if the equipment is not rated for that use, it would still be wrong. Without a label or wiring schematic, it is difficult to know for sure.

[Marc M]

The service feeders to the upper panel are #2/0 I think, so the panel may be a 200A service panel... Yea, I should have taken pics up and down. I attached a new image that shows the bottom of the upper panel. So it looks as if the two panels do not meet (bus bars). Click image to enlarge..