I am not an electrician and I know nothing about the rules in Florida,
so take this with a grain of salt.
I think you should be able to install a splitter box (which is basically
a metal box with terminals inside to connect wires ) where the old panel
is and then run new wires up to a new panel, or perhaps up to 2 new
panels. A friend has a set up like that in his house. He has 2 100 Amp
panels. The ability to have an actual 200 Amps likely depends on how big
the wire coming in is and the size of the meter box but often the issue
is not so much the need for 200 Amps as it is the need for space for
more breakers etc. Who uses all of their electrical stuff at one time?
You are likely not allowed to do it but if you can remove the meter from
the socket, then there would be no power feed into the house and you
could install the splitter box and a new panel quite safely. Then just
push the meter back in. Around here the meters are glass or now plastic
covered bowl shaped things. There is a ring around the outside that
holds it onto the meter socket box. Remove the seal and the ring comes
off. Then you should be able to pull the meter out if you wiggle it a
bit as you pull. It just has male metal terminals that go into female
terminals on the inside of the meter socket box. To re-install you just
push it in tight to the socket frame and put the ring clamp back on.
Leave the broken seal on the ground under it so the utility company
thinks it fell off?
You should get permits for this sort of thing and/or hire an
electrician, but lots of people do things like this themselves. Just be
careful and know what you are doing.
A friend actually changed out his panel while it was live. He did not
want to pull the meter because he knew there was a broken part in the
meter socket and it would have to be replaced. He disconnected wires in
the panel and taped rubber spark plug boots over the ends in order to
get them out of the panel and into the new panel while they were live. I
thought he was crazy to risk it but he did it without killing himself.
On 14/07/2021 6:48 PM, dan penoff.com via Mercedes wrote:
Wondering if anyone here has experience with relocating an existing
distribution panel in a house?
In this case the existing panel, a 1970s 100A service panel, has been partially
obstructed by “improvements” to the house that place it at or near floor level
of an exterior deck.
[cid:0852C906-A70E-43D0-A951-22936A1E8C78][cid:BA5F3A9B-D003-4A56-A2DF-E8D575390C6D]
Ideally, I would want to raise it up to the proper height as well as possibly
increase the size to a 200A service. I realize the service capacity would be a
utility thing we would have to work out with them. From my experience with
utilities, it shouldn’t involve any changes to speak of as I suspect the
transformer and service drop is probably good for 200A.
I guess my primary concern is if this can even be done. And how would they
connect the existing cables to extend them? Split bolts? Crimps? Or is this
even feasible without rewiring the whole house?
TIA,
-D
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