110V Electrical Question

[dcyrilc]

It would be nice if you had a head-on picture that showed the breakers a bit closer. It's rather hard to tell with the picture you provided, but it looks like your well and receptacles are on 120V duplex breakers rather than 220V double pole breakers you indicated. It also looks like you have the black well wire on the bottom empty space of the receptacle pair (#6 above), leaving #7 blank. You might want to clarify that. Your white wire for the well (#8) should have some red tape on it for 220V ID purposes.

Good eye. It does look like the well is not on a common trip breaker set as it should be.

Ask your electrician what he recommends should be done to bring it up to code and make it safe. Any good electrician should give you valid recommendations and we can tell you if his evaluations are valid or bull. After that, it's your decision how much you want to have done.

 

[dcyrilc]

Might not hurt to take a picture of the inside of the meter panel while he has it open either.

 

[Inspector507]

Is the panel a FPE panel? because they have been known to have problems.



tom

No, that is a Zinsco brand. No longer made.

 

[captaincrab55]

No, that is a Zinsco brand. No longer made.

I'll second that on Zinsco... If you have a bad breaker (which you may) and need a breaker, they are big $$$ compared to new other brands.. I have a few old/used ones... If you need one, its yours for postage.. Send a PM if you need one, that is if I have it... IMHO, Retire that Civil War electric panel and get it replaced with either Square D (not home-line, but QO) or Cutler Hammer...

BTW, You could ebay the old breakers...

 

[Steve_Miller]

I'll vouch for a corroded crimp on the neutral at the pole at the roadside connection or at the top of the service mast.

Steve

 

[Transit]

JD ... What I am saying is my welder is 220 on a 50 amp breaker and I can use it anytime. The 110 outlets are my problem.

220 volt circuits do not use a neutral conductor [white wire] only ground, phase A 120 v, phase B 120 v. phase A + B, 120 + 120 = 220 v.

120 v circuits use phase A or phase B, or phase A and phase B to create two 120 v circuits with the white wire and a ground.

There could be a problem on how the white wire is connected or only one phase is wired to supply 120 v.

 

[dcyrilc]

I'll second that on Zinsco... If you have a bad breaker (which you may) and need a breaker, they are big $$$ compared to new other brands.. I have a few old/used ones... If you need one, its yours for postage.. Send a PM if you need one, that is if I have it... IMHO, Retire that Civil War electric panel and get it replaced with either Square D (not home-line, but QO) or Cutler Hammer...

BTW, You could ebay the old breakers...

Around here, Siemens and GE are pretty common and good quality right along with the Square D QO panels. About all you can find for CH here are their homeowner panels. Tough to find the commercial ones.

As for ebaying the old breakers... I wouldn't sell them to my worst enemy. Just to much history of problems with them. The Zinsco panels and breakers are junk and have been since they were made. Even so, there are still a lot of them out there. Just shows that trading cost for quality isn't a new thing.

Currently I'm more curious what he has for a meter panel and what condition it's in.

A good quality Siemens, GE, or Square D 100 amp main panel should be about $60 though I haven't priced one in a few years. About the same for a meter panel. Maybe $20 for new wire from the meter panel to main panel, $20-50 for new breakers, plus labor... I would think he shoud be able to replace the whole system for under $500 on the top end if he needs to go that far. Anyone want to give their thought on my figures?

 

[tommu56]

I am am industrial electrician and any thing I install is SQD.

Even for my friends at there home OQ panels are the only way to go.

tom

 

[captaincrab55]

A good quality Siemens, GE, or Square D 100 amp main panel should be about $60 though I haven't priced one in a few years. About the same for a meter panel. Maybe $20 for new wire from the meter panel to main panel, $20-50 for new breakers, plus labor... I would think he shoud be able to replace the whole system for under $500 on the top end if he needs to go that far. Anyone want to give their thought on my figures?

Will one need a permit ???

 

[dcyrilc]

I am am industrial electrician and any thing I install is SQD.

Even for my friends at there home OQ panels are the only way to go.

tom

I'm right there with you Tom. My specialty is traffic signals and street lighting. All our panels are custom made with bolt in breakers. Most components are required to be spec grade.

I build to the same standards at home as I do at work. The state electrical inspector usually looks something like this :confused2: after inspecting my stuff and comparing it to residentual requirements.:laughing: