electrical
#1
I have a 100 amp breaker panel on my house.
I am remodeling my garage (detached) and want to put a sub panel out there.
I do not run any major electrical appliances other than refrig and 2 computers and a tv currently. Range, clothes dryer are gas.
What do i need to do?
I am remodeling my garage (detached) and want to put a sub panel out there.
I do not run any major electrical appliances other than refrig and 2 computers and a tv currently. Range, clothes dryer are gas.
What do i need to do?
#2
You have two or more choices the way that I would advise.
I would install a 100 amp breaker in the house panel. Look where you can pass through the back of the house panel and miss your meterbase, if your house panel is on an outside wall. Poke a hole through the back of the panel and through the outside wall about an 1 1/4" diameter. Intall a nipple through the back of the panel, through the outside wall, and screw on a LB condulet. Install a Sch 80 pvc down the wall from the LB into the ground about 18". Dig a trench 18" deep from that downpipe to the garage. Come out of the trench with another 1 1/4" sch 80 PVC up to another LB. Enter the garage wall and connect a nipple from the LB to the garage panel. Now install a feeder 100 amp rated. Either #2 URD Al. three wire, two blacks, black with yellow stripe, or #4 USE Cu. three wire red, black, white, without ground. Connect the blacks or red to the breaker in both panels. Connect the white or black with yellow stripe to the neutral bar in each panel. Now drive a ground rod outside the garage 1/2 x 8' and connect a #8 cu. with an acorn clamp to the ground rod, run it into the garage panel and also connect this grounding service conductor to the neutral bar of the garage panel.
I know that installing a 100 amp breaker to feed a 100 amp sub panel is confusing. But I am trying to set up a future for you. Sometime you will upgrade you house panel. This wiring method will give you the option to come out of the new larger meterbase with double lugs, one to feed the dwelling and one to feed the garage from this meterbased. setting the load of the garage not coming from the dwelling load, or reinstalling the 100 amp breaker in a new larger house panel that can give you more power to your gargae in the future if you needed it.
The difference in cost between a 100 amp going to the garage and a 50 amp going to the garage is so small of a difference, it seems illogical to go to all that work and not wire for future obsorbing the miner extra cost between the 50 and 100 amp feeders. You most likely will not use anywhere near 100 amp in your detached garage at this time, but it gives you flexibility for future and more selling value if you sell you home.
Now you have minimum branch circuit wiring required in the garage. You must have two switches at the service door. One switch must control a light inside the garage. The other switch must control a light at the stoop outside at the service door. Vehicular doors are exempt. You must have at least one receptacle in the detached garage and it must be GFI protected. If you have more receptacles they all must be GFI protected except if they are in a ceiling, or behind a large appliance on a single receptacle on a single circuit.
Said a lot but now is the time to think ahead.
Good luck
Wg
I would install a 100 amp breaker in the house panel. Look where you can pass through the back of the house panel and miss your meterbase, if your house panel is on an outside wall. Poke a hole through the back of the panel and through the outside wall about an 1 1/4" diameter. Intall a nipple through the back of the panel, through the outside wall, and screw on a LB condulet. Install a Sch 80 pvc down the wall from the LB into the ground about 18". Dig a trench 18" deep from that downpipe to the garage. Come out of the trench with another 1 1/4" sch 80 PVC up to another LB. Enter the garage wall and connect a nipple from the LB to the garage panel. Now install a feeder 100 amp rated. Either #2 URD Al. three wire, two blacks, black with yellow stripe, or #4 USE Cu. three wire red, black, white, without ground. Connect the blacks or red to the breaker in both panels. Connect the white or black with yellow stripe to the neutral bar in each panel. Now drive a ground rod outside the garage 1/2 x 8' and connect a #8 cu. with an acorn clamp to the ground rod, run it into the garage panel and also connect this grounding service conductor to the neutral bar of the garage panel.
I know that installing a 100 amp breaker to feed a 100 amp sub panel is confusing. But I am trying to set up a future for you. Sometime you will upgrade you house panel. This wiring method will give you the option to come out of the new larger meterbase with double lugs, one to feed the dwelling and one to feed the garage from this meterbased. setting the load of the garage not coming from the dwelling load, or reinstalling the 100 amp breaker in a new larger house panel that can give you more power to your gargae in the future if you needed it.
The difference in cost between a 100 amp going to the garage and a 50 amp going to the garage is so small of a difference, it seems illogical to go to all that work and not wire for future obsorbing the miner extra cost between the 50 and 100 amp feeders. You most likely will not use anywhere near 100 amp in your detached garage at this time, but it gives you flexibility for future and more selling value if you sell you home.
Now you have minimum branch circuit wiring required in the garage. You must have two switches at the service door. One switch must control a light inside the garage. The other switch must control a light at the stoop outside at the service door. Vehicular doors are exempt. You must have at least one receptacle in the detached garage and it must be GFI protected. If you have more receptacles they all must be GFI protected except if they are in a ceiling, or behind a large appliance on a single receptacle on a single circuit.
Said a lot but now is the time to think ahead.
Good luck
Wg