Electrical Ok my question is.. In my garage I am having a electrical problem. The two lines I have coming in to my breaker panel go into a 200 amp breaker. The top line reads 123v the bottom reads 180v. shouldn't both wires read around 180v.?? Could this be a problem coming from the transformer at the pole and a city problem?

Yes it can, however do you have new bryant 200 amp breaker?

these breakers are available from an electrical whole sale business
you may even get them on line at e-bay by typing -- breaker 2 pole 120/240 volt 200 amp -in the search section
if you go google and type in those details you may get manufacturers who have the breakers or list distributors that have that product in stock

Ideally you should run the line straight from the circuit breaker out to your hot tub, but if the line running from your circuit breaker to the box you're using now is 20amp. you can absolutely connected to that. to be up to code it cannot be an open box it needs to be closed After you wire in your 70ft connection. (that's assuming the box that you're using is dedicated already to your hot tub) then the only difference would be is your using extra line and costing you tenths of a penny extra and electricity per hour.

I am pretty sure you would have to order that breaker to get it. if its 200 amp panel it will hold 200 amps. why do you think u would have to derate it for the solar panels. they do not create any electric load as I would think they would actually feed power into the panel and feed it back to the power grid. that would in itself lighten the load on the 200 amp main. I am going to sign up for the mobile app thing. as soon as I read up on it and will be able to discuss this more as u wish and offer assistance if need be.


have a great day and good luck

A 200 amp circuit breaker has a large spring to assist in rapid opening and closing a load of this size to minimize damaging arcing every time is it operated under electrical load

The larger the circuit breaker is and the more poles (1, 2 or 3) that are being opened / closed; the more force it will require to operate - both by hand or when tripping. Compare the tension or force you need to apply to a similar sized circuit breaker at Home Depot, etc.

The troubling issue about this for me is the fact that the 200 amp service disconnect / main is tripping. This is an indication of an overloaded panel / circuit. I usually see individual circuits that trip in a panel - but often find the that main breaker has only 20% - 60% of its rating on it at any given time. If you're tripping a 200 amp service disconnect / main breaker repeatedly - something has got to give - and eventually the circuit breaker will fail. That may be where you are now with this breaker. You may be in need of a service upgrade (if it is the service disconnect) as clearly, you have out grown the 200 amp size one you currently have or need add a new sub-panel to ease the load that this 200 amp main is trying to supply now.

Either way, you should call a reputable electrical contractor to have your service / sub-panel evaluated very soon. Good luck!

This work requires a license (or qualified person) everywhere that the National Electrical Code is enforced.

If you're asking how to wire a single phase 200 amp panel from a larger, 3 phase panel of the same voltage - ONE way is to install a 2 pole - 200 amp breaker into the 3 phase panel. Provide 4 correctly sized conductors with the correct insulation in a cable or conduit between the 3 phase panel and the 200 amp single phase panel. Two of these conductors should be black and red (for 120/208 volt system) and connect to the 2 pole - 200 amp circuit breaker terminals, the third should be white and connected to the neutral bus bar. The forth should be green and is connected to the neutral bus bar as well but *only if* it is "service equipment" If it is a "main or sub panel", the green wire should be connected to the ground bus bar. The other end of the conductors should be terminated in a "main lug only" 200 amp panel. The back and red connect to "line 1" and "line 2" bus lugs, the white to the neutral bus bar that is NOT electrically connected to the panel enclosure (do not install the screw or strap between the bar and enclosure). The green must be connected by installing a separate bar that is securely fastened both mechanically and electrically to the enclosure for ground connections.

There is a great deal going on here - and plenty of variables that can change how to do this work, safely and correctly. This is an example of just ONE of many different ways to do the work for a particular installation. There is no one way that works for all situations. If your situation does not support this method - you will have an unsafe installation and subject the building and people in it to a dangerous fire / safety hazard.

Please, consult a licensed electrician before attempting this work.

See 60 Amp sub-panel image

Above image shows drawing of 60Amp sub-panel located next to main panel. Drawing shows #6 wire... 125' distance to garage calls for #4 wire. I ran #4 to my barn and have no problems.

Give thought to how many new breakers you want at garage.
See photo of subpanel that holds three 240V breakers

Using drawing as a guide. Replace existing 240Volt breaker with new 60 Amp breaker. Two hot wires connect to new 60 Amp breaker. Neutral connects to neutral busbar.

More space: You can free up space in main breaker box using a tandem breaker. Or by doubling up 2 lightly used 120V circuits onto one breaker. Do not double-up on 240 Breakers

Conduit: You want PVC conduit large enough to fit three #4 wires. Bigger conduit is easier to pull wires ... and maybe later ethernet wire, or alarm wire etc.

Ground wire: You can put a ground rod at garage and run #6 bare copper between sub-panel neutral-busbar and ground rod. Attach ground wire firmly with grounding clamp.

I want you to check with local electrical supply for exact code in your area concerning conduit requirements, grounding, and wire size. Tighten all lugs very tight against wire.

I need a liitle bit more info of the house. Total heated square footage and what appliances are electric?

Theres a few different ways to set up the secondary panel. The most efficient way, in my opinion, would be to set it up as a subsidiary. This is a really great way to allow power to be shut off for sections of a house instead of killing everything. This requires wiring it to the main panel on a breaker which will serve as the main for the 100amp subsidiary. Obviously this will require that a comparable breaker be installed in the main 200 amp panel to support the new subsidiary 100 amp panel.
Here's where it gets tricky and you really should either consult or contract a licensed technician. Because the amperage rating does not dictate the amount of power that is supplied to your house on the primary line you are essentially using the new box as a splitter. The danger in this is that just like any common electrical outlet, the more stuff you plug into it the more likely you are to overload the circuit and risk catastrophic failure, like a house burning to the ground or worse.
Knowing that your panel is side by side, you should be fine with #2 AWG, I would confirm electrical code before installing and ensure that grounds are diverted to the main panel to avoid the risk of running live current through the otherwise 'safe' ground.
If you are installing the panel to increase the amount of breakers it is probably safe to assume that there has been some previous work done that fills up the main panel. I would strongly encourage you to talk to an electrician about your needs and the changes in your house that require the additional breaker slots. There is a certain amount of artistry involved in 'designing' the house and you could probably accomplish the same end result with one panel and a more efficient wiring plan.

Before you contemplate doing this I would check to see if the 200 amp wiring to your home can accommodate 300 amps. If not, I would not touch it. If it can then you can do it ever so carefully to make sure you do not light yourself up! I would kill your main 200 amp breaker and then tap into each existing branch a tap that will take at least 50 amps for each of the two legs on your new 100 amp breaker box. Good luck