I am considering installing a Sub Panel in my garage and I have a few questions. I would like to run the wire myself and have an electrician hook it up at both ends to save some money.

I have 200 A service, but mostly gas appliances. The only major electrical appliance is a double 15 AC unit and a 30 A dryer.

In the garage I may want to eventually get an electric car years down the road which is 30A, I am thinking of buying a popup camper which needs up to 30A, I will have tools in there, plus I may add a small heat pump to the garage at some point in the future.

I was thinking 100A subpanel, but is that too big?

 

Welcome to the forums.

Nope, 100 amps does not sound too big but hang tight and the pros will chime in as well.

 

You may have a hard time finding an electrician to do that because of permits. He can't work on your homeowners permit and he wouldn't want to have you work on his permit because he would be liable for your mistakes. However connections aren't that difficult to learn.

 

I agree with Mitch, 100 amp sounds just fine. Pick up a value pack 100 panel with a main breaker and you will get some breakers included for around $55 at big orange.

As for the hook ups, this is a DIY site you know. We can lead you on the proper path to DIY the task. Just ask.

 

So if I did this myself I have some questions. I have done wireing before and I have added breakers to a panel but nothing beyond 110.

1. It will likly be a 60 - 80 ft run, lets say 100 ft to be safe. What gauge wire do I need.
2. When hooking up the panel is it as simply as getting a double 100 A breaker to place in my original panel and hooking up one hot to each of the double breakers?
3. With that high of a current are their codes about how I should run the wire in my house?

 

I have one other question as well. I found that I would need 2 gauge wire for the temp and curent load I am looking for, but its strainded wire. I had always thought you used solid core wire because it has better electical resistance properties.

 

Stranded or solid have the same proprieties but #2 solid would be a real beatch to work with.

 

Conductors #8 and larger will all be stranded.

 

It's been a long time, but I have seen solid #8 TW used a few times. Given the choice even back then, I don't know why anyone would have chosen solid over stranded unless maybe the job specs called for it.

Given your application, I would use #3 THHN/THWN.

 

I chose #2 since it did 95 amps at 60C figured it was better to be safe on the temps. I will likly still go with it unless there is some reason not to have too large of a wire. I perfer to over engineer my projects.

 

So here would be my setup
100 amp breaker in main box
#2 wire about 60 ft to garage. Part will go in an unheated crawl space will that be an issue?
100 amp sub panel in garage with a secondary main breaker (only because the box comes with one)

Anything special I need to know about wireing it through my basement? Its finished but I have no issues removing drywal.

 

The EGC (ground to sub) wire can be #8. In conduit or use cable through the walls.

Just to verify you bought and added a ground bar to the subpanel, unbounded the neutral bar, and have the #6 wire to your ground rod at the subpanel?

 

"Just to verify you bought and added a ground bar to the subpanel, unbounded the neutral bar, and have the #6 wire to your ground rod at the subpanel?"

I am still in the planning phase but yeah I have not done any of that.

The more I think about this the more I am just going to pay someone to run the sub panel to the garage becasue there is just too much I do not know, plus my main panel is new and I do not want to void anything.
Then I will wire the garage up myself becasue that I know how to do.