electrical/subpanel installation


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Old 12-15-01, 01:28 PM
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electrical/subpanel installation

My main panel is in the garage. In my basement I have a disconnected 10 awg wire from a hot tub no longer being used. the 30 amp breaker in the panel is being kept in the off position with tape over it. Can I put a subpanel in the basement and get two 15 amp circuits for use in the basement? If so how do I do this?
 
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Old 12-15-01, 01:53 PM
J
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Yes, if that 10-gauge cable has three insulated conductors and a ground, and assuming you're talking about copper wire.
 
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Old 12-16-01, 02:09 PM
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electric subpanel

In answer to John Nelson's question, the 10 gauge wire has two conductors (black,white) and a ground. Is there a way to set up the two 15 amp circuits from this wire. If so how do I do it?

Thanks
 
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Old 12-16-01, 02:29 PM
J
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We've discussed this here in the past, about the possibility of setting up a subpanel with only one of the two power buses live. Nobody said it wasn't legal at that time, so I'm going to assume that it is.

Buy a small subpanel and two 15-amp breakers of the same brand. Mount the subpanel in a space where you have at least 36" of clearance in front of it and in a space at least 30" wide.

Knock out one of the holes in the top or bottom of the subpanel and put in a Romex clamp of the right size.

In the main panel, you probably have the black and white connected both to the 30-amp double-pole breaker (you didn't say that it was double-pole, but I'm making that assumption). Shut off the main and carefully move the white wire to the neutral bar instead (tighten very securely). Be aware that working inside a panel is dangerous even with the main shut off.

At your subpanel, be sure to remove the green bonding screw that connects the neutral bar to the frame. Then attach the black of the 10/2 to one of the two power bars, the white to the neutral bar, and the bare to the grounding bar (tighten all connections very securely). Tighten the cable clamp and staple the cable outside the box to a stud.

Insert two 15-amp breakers on a lug served by the power bar you have connected the black wire to and wire up the circuits. Note that every other position of the subpanel is unusable because the power bar is not energized.

Please consider this description only a rough outline. I have surely not remembered to tell you everything you need to know.
 
  #5  
Old 12-17-01, 09:05 AM
Wgoodrich
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John as far as I can find there is no violation in what you advised. There is no manufacturer's instructions that I know of that forbids a 120/240 volt single phase panel to be wired 120 volt only. As I can research there is also no violation if you installed a jumper between the two main lugs making the entire panel 120 volt including both busses of the panel off the one hot line.

You looked good to me as to what you said.

Wg
 
 

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