Moving and/or installing new panel board
I have two separate panels, or breaker boxes, in my house. One panelboard is much newer than the other, and I want to probably replace both and move one of them. I fear that the older panelboard may fail and I don’t want to spend big $ on a “no longer available” replacement breaker, and the other panel board may be moved/removed because I may remodel my basement so my, you’re going to love this, mother-in-law can move in with us, since we have our first newborn. At this time, it seems like a good idea to have the extra help around.
In any case, how do you splice and contain all the wires that are located in that one area where the panel was removed and reroute them to another panel? I think the new junction box will have to be between floor joists cause i’m not planning on having a wall in that area anymore. And, what if one of the wires is too short to make it into the new splice and/or bus bar type panel? Do you just use a smaller metal box and make a splice for that individual wire and run it into the new junction box?
Thanks in advance for the input on either the panelboards or my mother-in-law.
Replies
The usual approach is to just use the panel itself, removing the guts and replacing the cover with a solid piece of metal.
In any event, remember that all splices must be "accessible" (ie, can't be behind drywall or other "permanent" surfaces). That is, unless you can convince your EI to allow modular building connectors.
I had the new panel relocated underneath the kitchen and bathrooms which meant that 80% of the wires that were relocated were just shortened. Wires that were too short to reach the new panel were connected with a few runs of 12/3 and 14/3 to j-boxes in the ceiling joists near the older panel.
I had the electrician come by to look at everything first, and then went with his suggestions as to what was easiest and best.