Panel with Upgradeable Main Breaker


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Old 09-11-18, 06:52 AM
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Question Panel with Upgradeable Main Breaker

I need to upgrade my panel but cannot afford the 200A service upgrade right now, so does anyone know of any panels that have a 100A main but can be swapped out for a 200A later?
 
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Old 09-11-18, 10:05 AM
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You can buy a 200 amp Square D load center that has a convertible main.
You can buy a 100 amp main breaker and switch them. Save the 200 amp main for later.
What brand panel do you have now?
Will you be using the old breakers or getting all new?
How many spaces do you need for breakers?
Is there a space limit for the panel size?
 
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Old 09-11-18, 10:17 AM
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I am not sure if this is allowed and if your local inspector will allow it, but here is what I think is the cheapest solution.

Get a 200A panel with 200A main breaker pre-installed.
Get a 100A breaker and tie down.
Feed user service to this 100A breaker and use this breaker as the main breaker.

If you choose to go for 200A, you can just move feed to 200A main breaker and remove 100A breaker (or use it for something else.)

If having 200A main breaker is not allowed for any reason, get a 200A main lug panel with a space for main breaker.
You can add 200A main breaker later to this panel.
You will have to check with electrical supply store for this because some main lug panel will be missing more than just a main breaker and purchasing all the extra parts may cost more than a whole new panel.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eaton-BR...200G/300839165

This would be a option.
 
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Old 09-12-18, 04:35 AM
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Hi, that can be a nightmare later unless your wire size is also changed now, if I understand what you have now is a 100 Amp service and you are planning to put a 200 Amp panel and backfeed the 100 Amp breaker, now when it comes time to increase the service to 200 Amp , pipe size or cable size will need to be increased, panel may need to be repositioned to acomadate these changes.
Just something to consider.
Geo
 
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Old 09-12-18, 08:28 AM
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Understood, thanks for all the replies.
 
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Old 09-12-18, 12:30 PM
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I'm not aware of a panel manufacturer that makes a panel which will accept either a 100A main or a 200A main. I'm most familiar with a Siemens product lines and theirs you can swap out 100A and 125A panels and mains; or 150, 200 and 225 panels and mains, but nothing is rated to go between those classes.

While the plan to backfeed a 100A breaker is perhaps OK -- the inspector and/or power company does have reasonable grounds to reject it. The biggest problem is that real main breakers are rated for 22kAIR and regular plug on breakers are rated 10kAIR or below. Power company service standards almost certainly require the 22k rating on the main.

I don't think you'll be that far off if you just buy a discount 100A main panel pack with the understanding some of it will be scrapped in the future. For example you can get a Siemens ES series 100A 30 space main panel kit that comes with the panel, main breaker and a handful for branch breakers for like $70. Even if you scrap the panel and the main breaker when you heavy up to 200A you can still reuse all the branch breakers assuming you stay with the Siemens brand. At most you've lost about $50.
 
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Old 09-12-18, 01:49 PM
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Square D.
You can buy a 200 amp panel like a QO140M200. It uses a QOM2 type breaker. They are available in sizes from 100-225 amps. You can install a 100 amp QOM2100VH in the panel until you up size the service.
 
 

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