TOPIC: Junction box or sub panel

This house had more sub panels then the average.

In this case there was a box near the main and it seemed they were using as a junction box. When I opened the cover it appeared to be more of a sub panel configuration.

The main was not labeled and as a generalist I am not tracing wires.

Seemed like some of these wires/circuits may not even be protected. The water line ground terminated in this box, seems like a amateurish job. I advise a sparky to look at this along with the other 4 sub panels. (these had issues as well) (One was missing the entire side of the panel box)

Just wondering on your thoughts on the pictured sub panel, junction box.

There are wire nuts under those wads of electrical tape aren't there?

Almost looks like they either upgraded the service or installed a new, bigger panel.  The smaller box being used as a junction box could have been the location of the earlier panel and. the conductors are terminated at that point.  In order to reach the new panel, they needed to extend the conductors the additional distance to the new panel. 

I helped a fellow inspector change out an FP panel and that is what we did.  Installed the new panel and meter can, installed new breakers and lengths of wire able to reach the old panel location about 2 feet away.  When the power company came to move the overhead and install the new meter, they pulled the current meter and we went on battery work lights.  Had almost the whole thing hooked back up by the time they were done and we went live.

I agree with Stephen.  I see old panel boxes all the time which have been closed down in favor of the newer, upgraded, larger panels.

That, or it's a rest area on the super highway of the electrical map of that house!

I cannot say whether the service was moved or the wires were too short when they were originally run. But as the others stated, it is simply a junction box.

If I had to guess, I would think that the original wires were too short. Only because the majority of the other lines that run to the panel are longer than they would have been if they were originally tied into a panel at the "junction box" location.

Hey Steven! Glad to see you around again