Most of the 50 year old plus houses I have bought have an outside main service panel (breaker box) where 120/220 power wires come down from the vertical Service Head. This breaker box is sometimes small and may only have 4 breakers in it. In addition, there may be a sub-panel box close to it or the sub-panel breaker box is located inside the house somewhere. Some of the older houses will have an ancient but still functioning screw-in 60 amp fuse box in addition to outside breaker box.

In other houses, you have one big modern breaker box outside with slots for 40 breakers but only 25 may be actually used. And then you may or may not have another sub-panel box inside the house also.

Does anyone here understand electicity enough to expalin why the above electrical breaker box configurations exist? I know that sub-panels boxes are installed when there is not enough "room" in the main service panel to accomodate more breakers. Instead of installing sub-panels, why don't electricians just install a big breaker box and put all breakers in one box? I have one house that 2 sub-panels outside and another one inside. All of the electricians I have hired seem to love to add sub-panel boxes,..why is this?

With rental houses, do you prefer the Main Service Panel (breaker box) to be located outside or inside the house,..assuming you have a choice here. I have seen it both ways.

I guess they dont want to pull the permit and do it right. With the larger panel, they would most likely need to replace the service cable back to the weather head so that the sizing is correct.

I doubt very much that they don't "do it right" because they don't want to get it inspected. It comes down to what the customer is willing to pay for. Do I just add a new sub panel for $800 or redo the entire service for $2,400 with the new additions? What do you think most answers are???

I've upgraded plenty of new electric services without permits, the service drops from the pole remain the same, the power company doesn't change them, and that's right from a lineman here. So it's not the fear of inspections, alot of their work isn't permitted / inspected anyway.

I have several houses that way. My house is that way. Has three electric meters actually.

One 200 amp runs part of the house

One 100 amp service runs to one box and then it has another 100 amp breaker going to another box in the house.

NEC has required for many years a main cut off. This is a big reason some older places have an added box outside, next to the meter. Any electrical upgrades that require you to pull a permit, and the main breaker is required.

Many people avoid this by adding boxes, sometimes without permits. Not necessarily unsafe, but may not meet code.

Gevans,

The house that I inspected yesterday had a 60 amp fuse box in the kitchen and a small breaker box under the outside meter which had 3 - 240 amp breakers in it and a 4th Main Shut Off breaker switch.