Sub panel size, if I'm wiring a 50A range circuit to it?

[Craig Toth]

The wife wants the clean look of an electric range so I guess I'm not only going to have to run a 220v 50A circuit for the range, but also install a sub-panel because I was down to 2 open circuits in my present 100A service box.

My first inclination is to install a 60A sub panel because I will of course be installing at least one 50A circuit. Yet, a 60A panel with one 50A seems like I'm cutting it close.

Also my intension was to use 6/3 for the range circuit (about 25 feet long), what should I use to run to the sub panel. The run won't be more than 2 feet (I'll be mounting the sub panel about 8 inches from the main and connecting them with EMT). I would think it would also be 6/3 because that's rated for

65A.

[Ace]

Why don't you just put in a 200 amp service and get rid of the outdated 100 amp box?

[zxcvbob]

How about a 100A subpanel? You may need a feed-through lug kit for your old box, but they should be cheap. Use four #4 wires, although the ground and probably the neutral could be #6.

I would look into replacing the main panel with a 150A and not need a subpanel, but adding a subpanel might be adequate and would be a lot cheaper. You need to do a load analysis and see how much headroom your existing service has.

Bob

[Craig Toth]

Like you said, cost. Headroom should be fine. There was an electric range in the kitchen before remodeling back when I had a 60 amp service with no main breakers. I really don't think I'll need another 100A box. Another 8 circuits will probably last me.

[Eric Tonks]

Run a 60 amp sub-panel and transfer enough circuits into it to allow the breaker for the range to be installed in the main panel box. If you use a large enough sub-panel, you can make enough room for the sub-panel's 60 amp breaker plus the 50 amp breaker for the stove in the main panel then use the sub-panel for lower amp circuits plus have extra positions left for any future additional breakers.

[zxcvbob]

I meant another 100A box fed as a subpanel off the first box; it would give you 6 to 12 additional spaces, but no added capacity because it would be limited by the 100A main breaker in your main panel.

100A and 125A "main lug" load centers are *really* cheap. There's no reason you can't feed one from a 60A or 70A breaker in the first panel, or from the feed-thru lugs, and it would give you more spaces than a 60A subpanel.

Bob