Way Beyond Improvised

[Brian G]

Yesterday I did a house with a detached garage, both just 2 years old. In the garage I found where someone had taken a panelboard out of a commercial/industrial breaker panel and mounted it in a wall cavity (the walls were sheathed inside with OSB). It still had the interior covers to keep fingers out, but no enclosure at all. Wires were just run into the cavity, stripped, and hooked up. This was a 200 amp, 30 circuit Square D panelboard with bolt-on breakers. The main was a big ole' shunt-trip unit. I've never seen anything like it. Anybody else?

Of course, I told them how lucky they were to get such an expensive panelboard in the deal. []

Brian G.

"Further Investigation Recommended" [:-mischie

Heck, I can't remember ever seeing a bolt-on panel in a house before.

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[John Dirks Jr]

Woah!!! Thats like a junction box without a cover x 100 to the tenth power. When you consider that heated wires from overloaded circuits are most likely to happen in the main panel, its quite dangerous to say the least.

[Brian G]

Hey Jim, 'zacktly what is shunt-trip breaker good for anyway?

Brian G.

Shunt 'Cho Mouth (I'z Just Talkin' 'Bout Shaft) [:-censore

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Brian G.

Hey Jim, 'zacktly what is shunt-trip breaker good for anyway?

Brian G.

Shunt 'Cho Mouth (I'z Just Talkin' 'Bout Shaft) [:-censore

In this case, I have no idea. Was it set up to be switched off from the house or something?

Shunt trip breakers are just remote control breakers. I believe they use a solinoid to literally kick the breaker off. I think they only work one way. That is, once tripped, you've got to reset the breaker manually.

The only place I've heard of them being used is in conjunction with fire systems. A fire system might be set to shunt trip an exhaust fan or an elevator for instance.

If the shunt wires aren't connected to anything, I don't see how it would cause anyone any problems in a garage though.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Jim Katen

In this case, I have no idea. Was it set up to be switched off from the house or something?

No, I think this is just a case of someone getting their hands on a panelboard that had no enclosure, which they decided to use anyway. I suspect it walked off a commercial or industrial jobsite someplace; a shunt-trip main and bolt-on branches? On top of everthing else there was nothing in the garage but plain ole' 110v outlets and switches.

Shunt trip breakers are just remote control breakers. I believe they use a solinoid to literally kick the breaker off. I think they only work one way. That is, once tripped, you've got to reset the breaker manually.

Ah-so. It's a remote control crazy society we live in, no?

The only place I've heard of them being used is in conjunction with fire systems. A fire system might be set to shunt trip an exhaust fan or an elevator for instance.

Interesting. One system controlling another.

If the shunt wires aren't connected to anything, I don't see how it would cause anyone any problems in a garage though.

They weren't, and I don't have concerns about that part. It's the "no enclosure" thing that concerns me most, with all that entails.

Brian G.

Get A Can or Get a New Panel [:-bigeyes

[Scottpat]

Brian,

When I looked at those pictures I could not get your wooden water heater pan out of my mind. Are you sure that you are not teaching a wood working class at North East Mississippi Junior College?[]

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Scottpat

When I looked at those pictures I could not get your wooden water heater pan out of my mind. Are you sure that you are not teaching a wood working class at North East Mississippi Junior College?

Hah! If I were and this guy was student, I'd give him a big fat F- on this project. Any smart TIJ'er could've done much better.

Brian G.

Home Project Improvisation 101...Sign Up Now! [:-graduat

[Phillip]

This is one I run into the other day. A 3 phase panel some one tried to rig as a single phase.

It is not like yours but it is another case of someone using the wrong panel.

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