How Do I Know if My Panel is 200 Amps? (What Makes a 200 Amp Panel 200 Amps)

Описание: What part actually makes a 200-amp panel a 200-amp panel? With an almost infinite choice of panel types, ratings, sizes, and circuit quantity, we can lose track of what is all inside of a panel and how some of those ratings are achieved. In today’s episode of Electrician U, Dustin takes a look at and explains a few of the items that a panel is comprised of.

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Does the panel having a main breaker actually make it a particular size (say 200-amp)? Not necessarily. You can have a main breaker in the panel, or your panel can be an MLO (Main Lug Only), so the breaker by itself doesn’t define the panel rating. As a matter of fact, one of the panels Dustin uses in the video, you can actually remove the 200-amp breaker from the panel and put in a different size one (say, a 125-amp). That breaker is in there to provide overcurrent protection for the buss of the panel.
The bussing itself is actually what makes a 200-amp panel a 200-amp panel. The buss is the metal portion of the panel on the inside that “receives” and distributes what we put into it (electrically wise). This distribution takes place in the form of breakers that are either bolted to or snapped onto the buss. If you take a close look at the bussing, you will notice that the phases repeat themselves from the top to the bottom. So, in the case of a single-phase panel, circuits 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, and so on are on the same A phase, while circuits 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, etc. are on the same B phase. Same is true for a 3-phase panel, except in lieu of skipping one row, you skip two for the additional phase that is added. Circuits 1,2 are on A phase, 3,4 are on B phase, and 5,6 are on C phase, then we start over and repeat for all the spaces available.
All the busses are rated equally within the same panel. So, in the case of our 200-amp example A, B, and C phase busses are all rated at 200 amps. But something to remember is that we do not just ADD all of those together and get a 600-amp panel. The reason for this is that many times we will use multiple phases on a single piece of equipment to make it function. If we were to have a 2 pole 20-amp breaker, the piece of equipment wired to it would be able to utilize 20 amps on A phase and 20 amps on B phase. Same would be true for a 3-pole breaker.
For most panels, the interior buss assembly is made to be removable so you could replace it if necessary. In some instances, it is better to leave the existing enclosure in place (along with the associated wiring, conduit penetrations, grounding, etc.) and just replace the offending buss portion. Each manufacturer is different, but in the example Dustin uses, a screw can be simply removed holding the non-metallic backplate to the enclosure and the entire buss/backplate assembly can be slid upward and removed.
There are many other parts that make up an entire electrical panel. There are lugs, ground & neutral busses, dead fronts, and panel covers to name a few, but the buss is what gives a panel is ampere rating. We hope that this has helped you to better understand panelboard composition and ampere ratings.