Electrical panel question

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ESP47

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I'm stumped here so I'm hoping one of you guys have ran into this issue before and know what to do.

I've got an old 125A Zinsco combo main panel w/meter that I need to replace. The panel is mounted to the outside of my house, just left of the garage door. The feed from the power company comes up from the ground and enters the panel smack dab in the middle of the bottom of the panel.

Every single panel I've come across online has the entrance hub on the bottom left side of the panel. If I tried to install one of these, the panel would protrude to the right into the garage door opening because of the entrance hub being on the left side of the panel instead of coming up in the middle.

I figured I could find a panel that has the bottom hub either in the middle or on the right because at least if it was on the right, I'd be able to keep it away from the garage door opening.

I've searched for a couple days and can't find a single panel made like this. I called a couple of local electrical houses and they gave me a pretty quick "no", which makes me believe there is no such a thing anymore or they're just too lazy to even look into it.

Was wondering if you guys had any ideas?
 
So I’m guessing here but you have the side by side combo panel?
Would you be able to use the combo with the meter in the top and panel in the bottom?
 
I have only encountered meter cans with hub provisions on top center. Can you just use a knockout punch and create the correct size hole on the right side bottom of the panel?
 
Use an electrical knockout, probably a 2" and pull a new inlet hole where the location needs to be.

He would have to be able to use chase nipple and be able to do a 2” knockout in the center divider as well unless it is open behind center brace.
 
I have a Zinsco panel as well. Installed new meter can and 200 amp distribution panel. Had issue with breaker wiring length so I made the existing Zinsco panel a sub panel.
 
Here's a couple pictures of it. When I talked to the county, they advised to not modify the box and to not run the entrance feed in on the same side as the loads.

20200621_142729.jpg


20200621_142718.jpg
 
If you can pull the wire back out of the conduit easy enough you could cut
the conduit off at 6” or so above grade and thread it and install an offset.
 
How about 2x 45s to offset the feed to the side you need it.
 
It looks like you have a “Smart Meter”. The power company will know that you pulled the meter. Hire a professional.
 
Or if you can’t thread it use a rigid compression fitting and change it over to schedule 80 pvc.
 


MBE24L125B TSMETER CENTER, 125A, 2/4, OH/UG, BR TYPE, 10 KAIC, SURFACE
ic-made-in-usa-item-2.svg


  • MBE24L125BTS.jpg
  • MBE24L125BTS.jpg

Maybe you could use something like this. You need to look for panels that are bottom fed for an under ground service. This one doesn’t have many breaker spaces but you can get similar one with more spaces. You would need to put an offset in the conduit coming into the box. Looks like the conduit is threaded coming in and if there is room to move the box up you may be able to use a coupling and a offset nipple to move it over far enough to get it into the box. The wire may need to be extended to reach the lugs in a new meter I’ve had to do before. I don’t know what the electrical code is in your area so you would check with the authority having jurisdiction. I don’t know if you will be able to find a box that will fit the existing hole you have when you take the old one out. If you have a Platt Electric Supply, North Coast Electric or Consolidated Electric Supply in your area the have a lot of options. Home Depot and Lowes a lot of the time don’t have people that will look any further than what is on the shelf but they do have access to a lot of stuff on their websites.
 
I've never seen a meter can integrated into a breaker panel directly. Interesting.
 


MBE24L125B TSMETER CENTER, 125A, 2/4, OH/UG, BR TYPE, 10 KAIC, SURFACE
ic-made-in-usa-item-2.svg



Maybe you could use something like this. You need to look for panels that are bottom fed for an under ground service. This one doesn’t have many breaker spaces but you can get similar one with more spaces. You would need to put an offset in the conduit coming into the box. Looks like the conduit is threaded coming in and if there is room to move the box up you may be able to use a coupling and a offset nipple to move it over far enough to get it into the box. The wire may need to be extended to reach the lugs in a new meter I’ve had to do before. I don’t know what the electrical code is in your area so you would check with the authority having jurisdiction. I don’t know if you will be able to find a box that will fit the existing hole you have when you take the old one out. If you have a Platt Electric Supply, North Coast Electric or Consolidated Electric Supply in your area the have a lot of options. Home Depot and Lowes a lot of the time don’t have people that will look any further than what is on the shelf but they do have access to a lot of stuff on their websites.
Is there enough room on side of meter can to route wires to top line side?
 
All I have to offer is to get or borrow a knockout punch set. drill a hole centered where you want the pipe or nipple to come in, then use the punch set to make a hole the size you need. OR possibly using the "guts" of a new panel in the existing metal enclosure

To anybody else, if you have a Zinsco or Federal Pacific (FPE) panel, get it replaced before your place burns down. THEY ARE FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARDS. Google images of those brands, because there are other companies that bought them and rebranded them. (GTE Challenger or GTE-Sylvania)
zinsco fpe fire hazard - Google Search

Sorry, just re-read OP, and see the combo meter/panel. I'd get 2 separate units. It sucks because then its a much bigger project.
 
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Aren’t the zinsco panels identified as fire hazards now? Seems like I had to replace a couple years ago for that reason.
 
It's not just Zinsco and Pacific. In the early 90's I worked for a local Lennox dealer. One of the boss's son's just bought a nice manufactured home. This is not a trailer. All electric house, one of the box breakers failed for "I forget" I think the dryer? The finger contacts on the breaker that engaged the buss failed. That whole deal should have been recalled.
 
It's not just Zinsco and Pacific. In the early 90's I worked for a local Lennox dealer. One of the boss's son's just bought a nice manufactured home. This is not a trailer. All electric house, one of the box breakers failed for "I forget" I think the dryer? The finger contacts on the breaker that engaged the buss failed. That whole deal should have been recalled.
I have a few that failed in the same way. Trying to transfer the big loads to new distribution panel.
 
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