Dual Panels

[enigmapaul]

Hi Folks,

The home I just moved into has a pair of 200A load centers, with one fused 200A disconnect switch with a 225A splitter trough underneath the panels. See attached photo.

I was wondering if this is a common setup in Canada and does it present any concerns with the current CEC?

Am I understanding correctly that this is really equivalent to having one larger load centre with double the number of branch circuits available? Said in another way, its not the same as splitting up a larger electrical service (400A for example) into two sub-panels (200A) to handle half the loads in each panel.

Many thanks

Paul

 

[Fred B]

Generally speaking, not familiar with Canada code, but there is nothing physically from picture and statement that makes such inherently unsafe. Can't speak to CEC requirements or compliance but generally speaking.
Considerations not mentioned:
What is service conductor sizing?
Feeder conductor sizing?
Also no matter how many panels are present, loads will be limited to maximum allowed by the fused main disconnect so if SE and feeders sized appropriately the worst that you get is the main tripping due to overloading. (If everything is working.)
If your concern is capacity, do a load calculation or better yet a load survey to see actual peak demand and see if the system is undersized.
Have one I'm working with currently, residential, it has multiple panels that if you were to add up all the breakers would look to be over 320A, but when doing an actual demand time study at full load getting only 106A peak, so the 200A service is adequate even though it has 4 panels.

 

[enigmapaul]

Thank you!

 

[tortuga]

I agree with Fred B and ill add that 8-200 is the load calc section for single dwellings
Note that under the CEC 8-108 1) has a minimum number of breaker positions required for single dwellings, and its 40 for a 200A service.

d) 40 — of which at least half shall be double-pole, where the required ampacity of the service
or feeder conductors exceeds 125 A and the dwelling is not heated by a central electric
furnace.