What kind of disconnect is this?

[BeezFun]

400A service coming into central location on a farm, aerial service branches out from there to 3 buildings and the house. Upper right is 200A breaker feeding house main panel, upper left is some kind of disconnect I've never seen before.



Here's the inside of the upper left disconnect box, what do you call this kind of disconnect? The lower pullout disconnect feeds 3 subpanels in different buildings.



I don't want to take the front panel off because this thing is so old and rusty I'm afraid pulling the disconnect might cause it to disintegrate. I'm guessing what I'll find is a set of lugs associated with each of the two pullout disconnects, not sure if there's a fuse or not.

What I want to know is what can I replace this disconnect with. Can I use a fused disconnect that either comes with multiple lugs to feed the 3 buildings, or can I add extra lugs on a 200A fused disconnect?

 

[ponytug]

Those are fuses, specifically fusible pull out fuses. They pull straight out, and most can be rotated 180 degrees and replaced, disconnecting the circuit, but protected the the logs from being exposed.

I would, of course double check the notation about which one is in service. In the second photo, the one marked out of service appears to have a broken edge that seems to show a conductor. If so, that's not exactly safe, and neither is the exposed fuse socket in the upper right.

What you are allowed to replace it with will depend upon how it is wired. If it is line side tapped at your meter, I suspect that you will need a service panel of some form. If it starts in the main panel adjacent to it, there are more options. You are going to need to look behind the curtain, and yes, the panels may dissolve / shower rust on high amperage conductors. It would be a good job for someone trained in avoiding arc flash injuries, and who has the equipment to do it safely. I wouldn't do it, if it were me.

Arc flash video, in case you are interested

All the best,

Peter

 

[BeezFun]

What you are allowed to replace it with will depend upon how it is wired. If it is line side tapped at your meter, I suspect that you will need a service panel of some form. If it starts in the main panel adjacent to it, there are more options.

It's on the line side. The meter enclosure has dual lugs, so the disconnect on the right that serves the house is connected to one lug, the disconnect I'm asking about is connected to the other lug.

I've seen pullout fuses but never a box that big with two pullouts and sockets for the old screw in fuses. It must have a lot of lugs behind there if it can handle the large wires that are going to those 3 buildings.

I'd like to get an electrician but can't get anyone to even call back around here everyone is so busy and charging such crazy prices. I'm trying to figure out what needs to be done first, get an estimate of what materials will cost, so I'll know how bad I'm getting ripped off. I can wait until next spring if I have to, maybe the world will settle down.

 

[ponytug]

It's on the line side. The meter enclosure has dual lugs, so the disconnect on the right that serves the house is connected to one lug, the disconnect I'm asking about is connected to the other lug.

I've seen pullout fuses but never a box that big with two pullouts and sockets for the old screw in fuses. It must have a lot of lugs behind there if it can handle the large wires that are going to those 3 buildings.

I'd like to get an electrician but can't get anyone to even call back around here everyone is so busy and charging such crazy prices. I'm trying to figure out what needs to be done first, get an estimate of what materials will cost, so I'll know how bad I'm getting ripped off. I can wait until next spring if I have to, maybe the world will settle down.

Sometimes I find it useful to be upfront that I don't need the project yesterday. That has a way of identifying to the contractor that you know that they are busy, and that you can be available when they have a lull in their work flow. We are out in the sticks, and I'm always having to search to find someone even willing to consider a job where we are, and I get it. Doing something here adds an hour or two a day on their vehicles, and it is time not spent doing what they like to do.

I have gotten almost everybody good by word of mouth.

We had our main service panel on the house replaced last year. That was not the cheapest time to be doing electrical work, but the contract had been signed fifteen months earlier. (A critical part wasn't available, so we had to wait. Even today, the supply chains are still not stable. That makes it hard for contractors to bid jobs, as they don't know if they can get the parts and if today's prices are going to be true in three months when the job is due. We ended up with a smaller satellite panels than I liked, but full size ones were basically unobtainable at the time.

Good luck!

All the best,

Peter

 

[Ken45101]

I could be wrong but it seems that sometime in my past I have seen a disconnect like that without fuses.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Why do you have to do anything to it? Just turn it on and see if it works. Make sure the load is off if you want to pull it. You can have voltage but it doesn't need to have a load on it because it will spark. Big load, big spark.

 

[Diggin It]

To me, it says 'Not In Service Not Con' which means it was never connected. But if it's on the Line side ahead of the meter, you may not be allowed to touch it by power company policy. I'd be calling the utility to have them look at it rather than an electrician.

I'd also be clearing that entire area of all vegetation, at least 2 feet out from the pole. There wouldn't be anything at all growing there if it were mine. Cut it, rake it, spray it, apply gravel a few inches thick.

 

[mrmikey]

What kind of disconnect is this?

Not sure of the technical term but my though for a term would be 'dangerous'. That looks really sketchy, Id be nervous as he77 going near it.

 

[civilian]

I agree with Diggin It, call the utility for their advice. Is the meter hot? Jon

 

[BeezFun]

Got some info on a different forum, it's a multi-lugged, fused, pull-out disconnect probably from the 50s or 60s. I'm going to replace it with an outdoor main panel that has through lugs and 8 spaces, so I can use breakers to protect each aerial line separately rather than ganging them all together on one disconnect the way they are now. I'll use a single fused disconnect with double lugs to replace that breaker that currently feeds the house and use that same disconnect to feed a new panel going into another building.