Subpanels—a Real Convenience

Subpanels are smaller versions of your main service panel. They serve a couple of purposes:

• They provide proximity to circuit breakers, especially in large homes, so you don’t have to access the main panel some distance away.
• They can expedite the wiring of a large house because the electrician only has to run one feeder cable from the main panel to the subpanel instead of running cable for every circuit separately the same distance. A subpanel on the second floor of a large three-story house, for example, enables you to control the circuits on the second and third floors. Like your main panel, you have to follow a few rules regarding the location of a subpanel:
• It cannot be installed in a bathroom.
• It cannot be installed in a closet.
• The subpanel must be in an accessible, visible location.