Adding a 2 car garage/work shop.


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Old 01-12-08, 07:50 AM
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Adding a 2 car garage/work shop.

I am adding a 2 26' X 30' 2 car garage 15 feet from my house, I have a 200 amp breaker box in my house on the closest wall to the shop, I would lik to run 100amp panel in shop. What is the best direction to go for power to the new shop? (I have 4 slots open on my house panel.)
 
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Old 01-12-08, 08:00 AM
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I built a 2 story garage workshop a couple of years ago. I installed a 60Amp subpanel in the garage fed from a breaker in my SEP. I used 8ga UF cable buried in conduit. I have most woodshop stationary tools and the 60A service has been more than adequate. Probably because I never run more than one staionary tool at a time.

You will have to float the neutral in the subpanel and add a couple of ground rods at the garage.
 
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Old 01-12-08, 08:45 AM
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Thanks I think that is the direction I will go.
 
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Old 01-12-08, 02:35 PM
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What will you be using the shop for? Are you going to be using electric heat or a welder?
 
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Old 01-12-08, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by cwbuff
I installed a 60Amp subpanel in the garage fed from a breaker in my SEP. I used 8ga UF cable buried in conduit.
You have a fire hazard. 8 gage UF cable is not suitable for 60 amps.
 
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Old 01-12-08, 08:41 PM
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cwbuff, please change your 60-amp breaker to a 40-amp breaker. Since you don't really need the whole 60 amps, you can achieve code compliance and safety through this one simple step, with no real downside.
 
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Old 01-14-08, 02:11 AM
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Wood shop there will be no 220 circuit, if I put air or heat it will be 110; I do not use a welder.
 
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Old 01-14-08, 06:10 AM
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Well that prompted a trip to the basement. The garage feed is AWG - 6 with a 10 Ga ground.
 
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Old 01-14-08, 07:44 AM
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Now I feel better.
 
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Old 01-17-08, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by jlf2103
Wood shop there will be no 220 circuit, if I put air or heat it will be 110; I do not use a welder.
I recommend that you run 4-wire so that you can opt to have 240 in the future. Woodworking machines run better on 240v and many can be converted to use it (by design). If you will put in a dust collector or a heavy duty table saw, you will want that 240 and it is almost free to do it now. Also, there is less voltage drop going to the subpanel (although if the distance from the service entrance is only 15' it won't matter).
 
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Old 01-17-08, 11:10 AM
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I installed a 60 amp for my wood shop also. The only problem I had was the DC was on the same circuit as the TS. Moved the TS to another circuit and all is fine.
 
 

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