OK, quick setup: I have a meter housing that feeds out to an outdoor panel mounted to the side of the house. This panel has feed through lugs which feed a 40/40 panel in the house (mounted back to back with the outdoor panel using a 2 1/2 inch by 4 inch long nipple.)

This is a new installation

What I am looking to do is to run wires back through the same nipple, into the outdoor panel and out to the shed to run the well pump. So I have the 3/0 wire running through there already to feed the inside panel, but is it acceptable to run wires back through there from a breaker in the inside panel and then exit the outdoor panel through my conduit?

If it is not allowable, can you give me the NEC article that covers this? (I am under 2005 if it matters.)


The reason I want to do this this versus just putting the breaker in the outdoor panel is that eventually I am going to put an auto-transfer switch between the outdoor panel and the indoor panel. I would like the well to work while on generator power.

(Let me know if I left out any important info.) And thank you in advance.

Yes, if the conductors from the meter to the subpanel are feeders. No if they are service entrance conductors. See 230.7

That is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. (I hate when people spew info and don't back it up. I am not here just for an answer, rather I wanted a little education too.)

To clarify this is the way I now understand it to be.

Meter Can >>> Outdoor Panel >>> Indoor Panel

>>> = nipple or conduit

No additional conductors may share the nipple between the Meter Can and Outdoor Panel (because of those conductors being non-over current protected.) However, the second nipple, between the Outdoor Panel and Indoor Panel, can contain multiple circuits.

Hope this is correct.

Thank you so much for your reply and the article number. :)

No additional conductors may share the nipple between the Meter Can and Outdoor Panel (because of those conductors being non-over current protected.) However, the second nipple, between the Outdoor Panel and Indoor Panel, can contain multiple circuits.

Hope this is correct. Yes, if the main is located in the meter.

To be honest, the rule is stupid (230.7)--seeing that we share branch circuit conductors with Service entrance conductors all the time!