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Old 08-04-2013, 02:14 PM
 
207 posts, read 509,463 times
Reputation: 139

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Quote:
Originally Posted by lvoc View Post
You are saying meters and service feeds are inside?
I originally asked the question and you're distorting it. I'm not asking about the meters or service feeds, but rather the circuit breaker box being on the outside.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoNewk View Post
No. Meters are outside and a main service breaker to turn off all electric is outside, usually on an exterior wall but sometimes on a pedestal near the home (modulars). The circuit breaker box is always inside -- in the garage, the basement or on a wall inside the home when there's no basement and no garage. Am I misunderstanding what "breaker box" is being discussed?
No, lvoc is muddying the waters. The topic is about the circuit breaker box, NOT the meters.
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Old 08-04-2013, 03:18 PM
 
12,973 posts, read 15,793,565 times
Reputation: 5478
Quote:
Originally Posted by nfapps View Post
I originally asked the question and you're distorting it. I'm not asking about the meters or service feeds, but rather the circuit breaker box being on the outside.



No, lvoc is muddying the waters. The topic is about the circuit breaker box, NOT the meters.


Square D by Schneider Electric 125 Amp 16-Space 24-Circuit Outdoor Surface Mount Main Breaker Combination Service Entrance Device-SC1624M125S at The Home Depot

Last edited by observer53; 08-05-2013 at 07:56 AM..
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Old 08-04-2013, 03:22 PM
 
12,973 posts, read 15,793,565 times
Reputation: 5478
Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoNewk View Post
No. Meters are outside and a main service breaker to turn off all electric is outside, usually on an exterior wall but sometimes on a pedestal near the home (modulars). The circuit breaker box is always inside -- in the garage, the basement or on a wall inside the home when there's no basement and no garage. Am I misunderstanding what "breaker box" is being discussed?
In general they are integral with the Meter here in at least low end homes. They can be separated...mine is...but not normally in sequential build homes.
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Old 08-04-2013, 05:01 PM
 
Location: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ ̡
7,112 posts, read 13,152,514 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bayview6 View Post
The main panel is outside homes in Vegas because of hardly any snow, it's cheaper for the builders, and the fire dept can get to it quickly.
This.

I finally got a chance to speak to my cousin-in-law who is a fire fighter for the county. I asked him the questions that's posed in this thread. He immediately said it was to prevent/stop Class C fires(wiring, fuse boxes, electrical motors). Even though his was his best guess, he also added that every Clark County fire fighter goes through Class C fire fighting and prevention training, which involves learning where majority of fuse panels are located in the valley.

Makes sense to me.


Sent from watch
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Old 08-06-2013, 10:48 AM
 
Location: Las Vegas, NV
165 posts, read 209,280 times
Reputation: 153
Well if the builder is using a combined meter/main panel that explains why the panel is outside. The meter has to be outside so the utility provider has access to it. If you don't pay your bill or disconnect your service they shut it off at the meter. I imagine there are many reasons for using this combined meter/panel, most of them connected with cost savings. If the panel and meter are separate then the electrician who installs the panel has to run expensive, heavy gauge copper wire between the meter and panel. The material and labor cost involved is probably the main reason builders choose these combination panels instead. Any other reasons are reasons for them to justify their decision.
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Old 08-08-2013, 10:09 AM
 
207 posts, read 509,463 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NDJeff View Post
Well if the builder is using a combined meter/main panel that explains why the panel is outside. The meter has to be outside so the utility provider has access to it. If you don't pay your bill or disconnect your service they shut it off at the meter. I imagine there are many reasons for using this combined meter/panel, most of them connected with cost savings. If the panel and meter are separate then the electrician who installs the panel has to run expensive, heavy gauge copper wire between the meter and panel. The material and labor cost involved is probably the main reason builders choose these combination panels instead. Any other reasons are reasons for them to justify their decision.

I think this may be the winning answer. Although I'm not sure there are "many" reasons for using a combined panel, I guess there can be some potential cost savings and that's probably what it's all about. In my opinion still not worth the disadvantages to the homeowner (as I don't see any advantage to the homeowner), and can't see any fire or code issues being the reason as there are homes with the breaker boxes inside also built at the same time. I still wish they were inside, but I guess if someone really wanted to they could pay an electrician to move it.
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Old 08-08-2013, 10:19 AM
 
Location: Ohio
15,700 posts, read 17,036,788 times
Reputation: 22091
Quote:
Originally Posted by nfapps View Post
I think this may be the winning answer. Although I'm not sure there are "many" reasons for using a combined panel, I guess there can be some potential cost savings and that's probably what it's all about. In my opinion still not worth the disadvantages to the homeowner (as I don't see any advantage to the homeowner), and can't see any fire or code issues being the reason as there are homes with the breaker boxes inside also built at the same time. I still wish they were inside, but I guess if someone really wanted to they could pay an electrician to move it.
I think you are right.

The builder sacrifices the homeowner's convenience over the lifetime of the home just to save himself a couple hundred dollars or less.
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Old 08-08-2013, 10:22 AM
 
Location: Henderson, NV
5,314 posts, read 7,781,352 times
Reputation: 3568
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annie53 View Post
I think you are right.

The builder sacrifices the homeowner's convenience over the lifetime of the home just to save himself a couple hundred dollars or less.
I think you'll find that trait continues throughout all aspects of home construction here. We live in a very nice home. Looks great, spacious, but you can definitely tell that they cut corners where they could.. particularly on finish work.
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Old 08-09-2013, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
12,686 posts, read 36,340,514 times
Reputation: 5520
If they shut off your power they lock the box. If the lock is cut they know you've tampered with it and are stealing power.
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Old 08-09-2013, 06:12 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
526 posts, read 832,349 times
Reputation: 640
My house {built 2005} has 3 panels. One {outside} attached to meter. Another one {outside} with 18 breakers, one with arc detection.This looks to be 400A service. There is also an inside panel on garage wall with 12 breakers some with arc detection. No main shutoff breaker..
IMHO this system would be more costly than one panel with all the breakers combined.
I have one light in a closet that is controlled by one 20A arc detection breaker in OUTSIDE panel. MAKES NO LOGICAL SENSE IN MY LIMITED BRAIN?????
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