Subpanel feedline question

I am installing a subpanel in my woodshop. I need at the minimum a 30 A circuit. The run from subpanel to shop is less than 50 feet so voltage drop is well within tolerance.

I was thinking of pulling either 6 or 8 gauge cable and I have two questions:

1) Would you use 6 or 8 gauge or stick with 10 gauge? 2) Is 6 or 8 gauge a pain in the butt to work with at the main panel?

Also, any war stories on your panel installs would be appreciated.

Keith

Reply to
Keith Bozek
Loading thread data ...

I'd pull the 6 since it'll give you room to upgrade the service later just by adding a new breaker in the main box. Use an appropriate sized subpanel and you'll be good to go. 6 is not at all hard to work with in the box, on either end.

Sorry, but war stories don't come until after you've started your project and hit your first big snag - them's the rules.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

Here's some advice from someone (a DIYer) who has done this before:

1) The nature of your questions tells me that you need way more knowlege than you currently posses if you want to do this job safely and 'up to code'. If you are willing to invest the time to learn about home wiring, the NEC, local codes, and whatnot, you can accomplish the task of adding a subpanel safely. All it takes is some time spent reading and learning, and you can save quite a bit of money. Most libraries have a copy of the NEC (1999 or 2002) and it's actually easy to read and understand. Be aware that connecting a subpanel that is installed in the same structure as your main panel is different than if the subpanel is to be installed in a seperate structure. 2) GET A PERMIT! If you perform any substantial electrical modifications to your home, and said modifications cause a fire, your insurance company will absolutely look into whether or not the modifications were done with the blessings of the local building code people. If not, you can bet your sweet bippy the insurance company will NOT honor your claim. Most jurisdictions allow you to perform your own work as long as it is 'up to code'. This they determine by inspecting your work. In my county, an electrical permit costs less than $40.00. Cheap insurance. 3) I recently finished adding a subpanel in a newly built wall that separates my three-car garage into a two-car garage and a workshop. That panel is protected by a 60A breaker in the main panel. It is fed by three 6ga wires (two hots and a neutral) and one 10ga equipment ground. This panel contains two 220VAC circuits (table saw and dust collector), one 15A lighting circuit, and one 20A outlet circuit. 4) If you want to learn how to do this stuff right, I'd suggest you obtain a copy of the following:

a. Black & Decker's "The Complete Guide to Home Wiring" - ISBN

086573429.

b. Practical Electrical Wiring, by Hartwell and Richter - ISBN

0960329498.

Lastly, seek out a retired electrician that you can hire to 'look over your sholder'. I found a guy that charged me $25.00 per hour for his advice. I only used three hours of his time, but it was invaluable in answering questions that came up.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask away.

rob

Reply to
Rob Jones

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.