CL and NCL Panels and Circuit Breakers
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How to Select the Right Circuit Breaker for an Electrical Panel |
Current Limiting Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers
[ad#block]Electrical Question: I have a Murray LC2040L1125 main lug center as my main service panel in my house. Main line directly from meter comes in through two pole back fed 100A main. There are extra spaces in this load center, and it currently only has 19 circuits on it, far less than the 40 that are allowed.
- While I was at home depot yesterday, I noticed that there was a 15/15 tandem for $10 and a 15/15 tandem for $18. One was called “CL” ($10) and the other was “NCL” ($18).
- The person in the electrical department described the difference as the size of the socket that clicks in to the panel. She suggested that I simply buy both and return the one that doesn’t fit.
Does anybody have experience with this load center?
Can somebody suggest which breaker to buy?
- Should I get the “Main Breaker Kit” (MBK100M: $120) so that I could remove the back fed main and create an actual main for this load center?
- OR, is this back fed breaker alright? It DOES shut off all electric in the house with one hand motion.
Thanks!
Background: Patrick, a Homeowner from Patchogue, NY
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Patrick.
How to Select the Right Circuit Breaker for an Electrical Panel
CL – Current Limiting is a mechanical design that prevents the use of some tandem breakers which may lead to exceeding the number of circuits that can be connected to the panel which could lead to an over current condition.
NCL– Non-Current Limiting is where the design of the panel will allow the use of tandem circuit breakers however you may not exceed the maximum number of circuits as specified by the panel.
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I own a small burger place and need to reduce the incoming voltage on two 240 volt plugs to 220 volts for a Ice Cream machine, the manufacture says it will burn out with 240 volts. what can I put in the circuit to reduce the voltage, I can do wiring to hard wire it in place if needed.
Thanks!
Pat
Pat, I would check into this. In my experience anything labeled within the range from 220 to 240 volts would all work fine as long as the power is either single or three phase accordingly. Your electrical service would need to be tested to see exactly what system your electrical utility company is providing but understand that your primary voltage will fluctuate a small percentage depending on your location. If it is found that an absolute voltage is required then consider units such as the Tripp Lite and Sola Power conditioners, here is a link that lists a few found at Grainger.
These units are very dependable. But again, I would do some research about the acceptable voltage tolerance for your equipment.
Pat, be careful not to get confused about the power requirements. Be sure to identify exactly what your electrical service is and then compare this to what the manufacturer is requiring. If you will be required to install a voltage conditioner then make sure that it will also meet the required power specs for the machine. The concern here is to protect your investment so that if something should go wrong that you can refer back to the fact that you provided the specified power. You may have the manufacturer review and approve the power conditioner that you select. Another tip is that Grainger has a great support team available to help you select the right power conditioner for your application.