Extra Breakers in Service Enclosure

[randynavarro]

1972 Mobile Home (yikes already!)

Service enclosure in this picture is outside. Service cables come up the gutter in the left-hand side of the box and feed to the main lugs.

Then, the 200 amp breaker feeds the sub-panel inside the home.

The breakers below the 200 amp main feed a detached building.

The added breakers are illegal, yes?

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[Phillip]

If it takes more than six throws to shut off all of the power to everything. yes

Some of the exterior panel do not allow 110 volts circuits in them.

[hausdok]

You've got one too many breakers there Randy and you need to make sure that both panels downstream - the manufactured home and the detached structure - are configured as sub-panels.

It looks like a Sylvania-Zinsco main panel; I'd recommend replacement on that basis alone.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[randynavarro]

No, this isn't a "manufactured home"--that's too nice. This was a mobile home! Still had the axles and tires underneath it!!!

I've fixed the wording in my original post; the breakers below the 200 amp main are feeding the detached building. There's one main panel and one sub-panel.

[Richard Moore]

Make note to self...

Randy does mobile homes. Forward all requests for same to him. []

I did one once early in my second year. Did a bunch of research, even made a special check list for it. POS!!! It was like inspecting a 30 year old Yugo, and one in poor condition for its age. Never since and never again.

Just say no!

[randynavarro]

Yea, baby. Seattle's a funny place ain't it.

One day, I'm on the waterfront running my hands over some exotic stone in someone's powder room and the next day I'm in a mobile home scratching my head trying to figure some jury-rigged Zinsco setup.

Funny thing--mobiles pay the same as a SFD!!

[randynavarro]

Well, looks like I need to get educated here. I'll stick my foot in it again.

The reason this looked so funny to me is a) exterior enclosures are rare here and I've certainly never seen one set up this way and b)I've never really pondered how a main breaker actually works.

I've always though that a main breaker was an "overcurrent" protection for the breakers it was supplying. The reality is its just a way to shut the electricity off when needed. True? If yes, then the 6 hand-movement rule is glaringly obvious.

[hausdok]

Well,

It's supposed to trip if you exceed its rating, but how likely is that going to be with most homes that we do? Yeah, like I said, one too many.

OT - OF!!!

M.