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I’m planning to install a new main service panel – same amps,
just more spaces. Feeder wires will be long enough to reach the panel
but may may not be able to make connection. Counterman at the supplier
said just to use crimp butt connectors, but is this the best practice?
I didnt see anything in the reference books I checked. I’m concerned
about the added resistance at the connector as well as the insulation
quality at the splice. Any advice?
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The "Gotcha" is that you need a special crimp tool to crimp these larger sized butt connectors. Costs for this tool seem to range from $200 to $400.
As for the insulation, wrap with self-vulcanizing rubber tape and then cover with 3M #33 professional black phase tape.
*Consider that when you wire a bunch of convenience outlets, whether you use pigtails or not, you end up with 5 to 10 connections, either wirenuts and/or the screw terminals on the receptacles. And someone might put a high-amp device in the last receptacle. I wouldn't sweat adding an additional good connection to each circuit. (whereas those 39 cent spring-clip receptacles scare me). -David
*JimHow about just adding a sub pannel off the side. MUCH, MUCH less work.However, if you are one of those with an obsolete brand of pannel then it might pay to replace it.That is the boat that I am in. I want to add a high amp circuit and change a couple of other breakers that where baddly miss wired and the replacement breakers are so expensive I will replace the pannel.But how long are the feeder cables. In most case they are only a few feet. Much easier to just replae the cable.
*In most instances where a panel needs to be replaced the drops from the street are also obsolete,e.g., 3 single wires, instead of the 3 in 1; and the guides at the home are equally obsoltete, e.g., insulators instead of a weatherhead. Therefore, I have the utility replace the drop. In our area, this is a $3-500 problem.The panel can be located anywhere within that location. Therefore you move the panel instead of moving house wire and splicing. Much less work, and cheaper.You bring the mountain to Mohamed, so they say.If the panel and the drop are not obsolete, and you just want some more spaces, get 60-100 amp subpanel.
*Are you talking about splicing the feeders from your meter to reach the new panel? NFPA 70 (electrical code) says not to. Section 230-46 "Service-entrance conductors shall not be spliced." You might be able to extend if it is an underground feeder using Exception No. 6 b. "Extension of conductors by special permission of the authority having jursidiction." Since I am not an electrician I leave it to you to interpret the code.
*If yaa are gonna do it....do it right...no splices...near the stream,aj
*Actually the 1999 Code, Sec.230-46, says you can splice or tap onto service entrance conductors by clamped or bolted connections in an appropriate enclosure.It's still a poor idea though as these connections are NEVER as good as the original conductor material. We use crimp sleeves sometimes as a cheap fix,like when a back hoe digs up a parking lot light pole feeder, but in somebody's home, no way.Jim, if you can't get more slack on the entrance cable by changing it's path or moving the panel, my advice would be to replace the cable with a longer run.You'll sleep better doing it the right way.
*On rereading the post, I retract my comments on extending branch circuits, which I thought Jim was asking about. I have used split bolt splices to extend the feeder lines within a distibution panel, but agree with Barry that continuous wire the whole way is the nicer installation. I'm not aware of any reason you couldn't use two split bolts on each line and cover it with more shrink-wrap insulation. (Although the shrink-wrap that come with the split-bolt splice kit is pretty substanial.) Whatever the resistance is (not much at all) for one bolt, it would be half as much for two bolts. Can you shop around more for a new panel with a feeder connection close enough to the feeder cable? Or mount it a bit higher/lower (check limits first) to avoid having to splice the feeder cable? If, for instance, you mount it lower to use the existing feeder cable, you could start filling the upper circuit breaker locations first and not have to splice many, if any, of the branch circuit conductors. -David
*Our utility will give you new drops (assuming they are outdated) for free. That is up to 100' of new three conducter cable from the street to the box Free.New drops from the street are fairly modest in any event, and generally run only about $500-800 for the typical 50-75' run.As I said, call your utility first. New drops are the way to go.
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I'm planning to install a new main service panel - same amps,
just more spaces. Feeder wires will be long enough to reach the panel
but may may not be able to make connection. Counterman at the supplier
said just to use crimp butt connectors, but is this the best practice?
I didnt see anything in the reference books I checked. I'm concerned
about the added resistance at the connector as well as the insulation
quality at the splice. Any advice?