# 200 Amps Circuit Braker Panel Location



## tk3000 (Nov 8, 2016)

Initially the new panel was installed in a wall cavity where the old 60amps panels was installed (between two studs, but not screwed to any of the studs) and was simply screwed to the 1/2 plywood board, but I understand that proper support would likely require it to be screwed to studs as well.  So, I decided to move the panel slightly to the left in order to screw it to the stud in the left side. Would it be against code to simply have the panel centered and  screwed to the backing piece of plywood and not screwed to a stud?

Overall the behind the new panel there is a 1/2 sheet of plywood, behind this plywood there is a 1/2 sheet of polysterene insulation and behind this insulation there the exterior sheathing (1/2 sheet of plywood) to which the exterior siding is attached. The pic below shows the panel once it was moved to the left:







Instead of drilling holes on the panel to screw it to the stud I simply opened two knockouts on the side of the panel and used two washers to cover the knockout and provide proper support for the screw, as shown below: 







On another thing, the 200amps aluminum service entrance cable neutral filements that make up the neutral wire is giving me a hard time: I twisted it with channel locks, etc, and still can not fit it into the neutral lug in the panel as shown below:


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## nealtw (Nov 9, 2016)

What is the plywood attached to,? Some kind of bracket to affix it?

I have seen a stud with a 1" slot cut out of the center so holes in the panel can be accessed.


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## JoeD (Nov 9, 2016)

Panels are routinely mounted on flat surfaces that are not between studs. I don't see a requirement for it to be fastened to the suds if the back plate plywood is firmly fastened.


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## Mastercarpenty (Nov 9, 2016)

Untwist the conductor and it should fit- if it doesn't then the wire and lug sizes are incompatible. 

As long as the panel is securely mounted that meets code. !/2" ply wouldn't meet my standards though but is probably acceptable. Your altered mounting scheme is more to my liking and much more secure.

Phil


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## afjes_2016 (Nov 9, 2016)

When I am installing any panel that will be in a basement etc where the panel will be mounted on something other than a finished wall (flush mount) I simply surface mount it on a piece of plywood that is large enough to meet code. I anchor the panel to the plywood using fender washers in the holes provided by the panel. If I find I need additional mounting holes I drill the back of the panel a hole just large enough to accommodate the screw and a fender washer being sure that it will not interfere in a location where a ground bar may be placed where the holes for the ground bar screws are located. I may not be using the ground bars at the time of installation but they may need to be installed and used at a later date.

As long as the panel has the proper working clearance according to code there is no issue with mounting it directly onto a piece of plywood. If I am mounting a panel where it will be flush mounted, for example a sub panel on a second floor of a home I will ask the framer to be sure that the studs are placed so that the panel is just snug between them. I anchor the panel to the studs on both the right and left sides. Then I know all my conductors etc must either come in from the top or the bottom as they can't on the side as the studs are there.


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## tk3000 (Nov 9, 2016)

JoeD said:


> Panels are routinely mounted on flat surfaces that are not between studs. I don't see a requirement for it to be fastened to the suds if the back plate plywood is firmly fastened.



I just remember reading it in a book (some passage), but I believe that it did not say that it was mandatory.  

thk!


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## tk3000 (Nov 9, 2016)

nealtw said:


> What is the plywood attached to,? Some kind of bracket to affix it?
> 
> I have seen a stud with a 1" slot cut out of the center so holes in the panel can be accessed.



The backer plywood is attached to the exterior sheathing which incidentally is also plywood (but between them there is a 1/2 sheet of polysterene for insulation purposes only). The exterior sheathing on the other hand is attached to the studs, and then the wood siding it attached to the exterior sheathing from the other side.


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## nealtw (Nov 9, 2016)

tk3000 said:


> The backer plywood is attached to the exterior sheathing which incidentally is also plywood (but between them there is a 1/2 sheet of polysterene for insulation purposes only). The exterior sheathing on the other hand is attached to the studs, and then the wood siding it attached to the exterior sheathing from the other side.



They might look at that funny if they consider that some day the outside sheeting might be removed. I have no idea of code and can only talk about what I have seen. I have never seen one attached only to the exterior.

I can talk about some of the things that sparkies will do that will piss off every other trade.


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## tk3000 (Nov 9, 2016)

afjes_2016 said:


> When I am installing any panel that will be in a basement etc where the panel will be mounted on something other than a finished wall (flush mount) I simply surface mount it on a piece of plywood that is large enough to meet code. I anchor the panel to the plywood using fender washers in the holes provided by the panel. If I find I need additional mounting holes I drill the back of the panel a hole just large enough to accommodate the screw and a fender washer being sure that it will not interfere in a location where a ground bar may be placed where the holes for the ground bar screws are located. I may not be using the ground bars at the time of installation but they may need to be installed and used at a later date.
> 
> As long as the panel has the proper working clearance according to code there is no issue with mounting it directly onto a piece of plywood. If I am mounting a panel where it will be flush mounted, for example a sub panel on a second floor of a home I will ask the framer to be sure that the studs are placed so that the panel is just snug between them. I anchor the panel to the studs on both the right and left sides. Then I know all my conductors etc must either come in from the top or the bottom as they can't on the side as the studs are there.



In my case the panel could not be flush between studs given that I have cables and a device on the otherside of the panel. So, I went ahead and moved the panel slightly to the other side and anchored it to this stud for extra support. 

The panel is located inside an all season room which was an addition done at some point, and it is a wood framing structure (the house itself is made of concrete blocks) . As far as clearance goes, the overall ceiling clearance of the room is of 78 1/2", the distance between the bottom of the panel to the floor is of 30".  Hopefully, it is acceptable.


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## tk3000 (Nov 9, 2016)

nealtw said:


> They might look at that funny if they consider that some day the outside sheeting might be removed. I have no idea of code and can only talk about what I have seen. I have never seen one attached only to the exterior.
> 
> I can talk about some of the things that sparkies will do that will piss off every other trade.



That is exactly where the older panel was installed, and everything converges to this spot; to change it would be a logistic nightmare.


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