Fuse box question

[mridgeelk]

Is this range cable that is attached to the side lug in the box protected by the fuses in the main disconnect or is it a direct tap?

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[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by mridgeelk

Is this range cable that is attached to the side lug in the box protected by the fuses in the main disconnect or is it a direct tap?

I'm pretty sure that those terminals are protected by the main fuse block. Did you take a picture of the schematic on the door - I can just barely see it in the second picture.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[jon_ran]

I believe that both lugs (screws) on either side of the fuse is protected by that fuse, but as Jim said, the schematic on the door should tell.

A concern that I would have is that should one fuse be removed, the other leg of the circuit is still live. I always recommend that the disconnect for a circuit like that be replaced with a double buss fused disconnect instead of the individual fuses.

[mridgeelk]

Jim, This is the schematic. I believe that it shows that the range cable can be connected to the side lugs. Is the power totally disconnected to those side lugs by pulling the range fuse block?

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Originally posted by Jim Katen

Originally posted by mridgeelk

Is this range cable that is attached to the side lug in the box protected by the fuses in the main disconnect or is it a direct tap?

I'm pretty sure that those terminals are protected by the main fuse block. Did you take a picture of the schematic on the door - I can just barely see it in the second picture.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[jon_ran]

The schematic shows that that screw is for the sub feed. I would take that to mean another panel fed off of that panel. If that is the case, those connections are protected by the main buss fuses which may be too large to properly protect that circuit. Range should be fed through the busses at the bottom.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by mridgeelk

Jim, This is the schematic. I believe that it shows that the range cable can be connected to the side lugs. Is the power totally disconnected to those side lugs by pulling the range fuse block?

I can't tell from the schematic. It doesn't really show what feeds what. In fact, it really isn't a schematic.

Since it's a 60-amp fuse panel, I'd guess that the main fuse block protects the range fuse block and the sub-feed taps. But that's just a guess. You could tell easily enough by pulling the main fuse block . . .

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[mridgeelk]

Jon, I spoke with a local electrician, he calls those panels " a range and four" and as you said those center lugs are panel feeds not an appliance feed. He said that if an appliance had the same rating as the mains it would work, otherwise the appliance would be overfused as is the case here, however the problem with that is that any other electrical usage is monitored by those same main fuses and would cause the fuses to blow.

Originally posted by jon_ran

The schematic shows that that screw is for the sub feed. I would take that to mean another panel fed off of that panel. If that is the case, those connections are protected by the main buss fuses which may be too large to properly protect that circuit. Range should be fed through the busses at the bottom.