Number of Subpanels

[oldcpecdr]

Hey All

I have a home that was originally wired for electric heat that was replaced about 15 years ago by a FWH boiler system. The main house has a 200 AMP service and a 60 amp subpanel in the original attached garage that has since been converted to an apt. When the apt was converted a 100 AMP subpanel was installed in the new garage/shop.

I would like to add a subpanel in the main house to feed my woodworking tools that are now going to find a new home in the basement. I will need two 220 30 amp circuits and a few 20 amp 110. Am I going to exceed any limits on how many subpanels can be installed ? Do I need a second feed into the house from the street. Have never had any electrical problems but also want to avoid any future ones.

Thanks for your input ... Mike B

 

[Aceman]

Am I going to exceed any limits on how many subpanels can be installed ?

There is no limit.

Do I need a second feed into the house from the street.

You can only have one set of wires feeding your home. If you added enough load to justify it, the power co. might upsize your wires for the additional load added. The usual upgrade would mean changing your meterbase out to a 400 amp and adding a second 200 amp panel to give you some more room.

Have never had any electrical problems but also want to avoid any future ones.

No way to know without doing a load calc on your home. The NEC has some examples in the back of the book you can look at for reference.

Without knowing much about your home, you are probably alright. Homes rarely use their full ampacity all at the same time. Unless you try really hard to run all your appliances at once, you probably won't have an issue.

With that said, I wouldn't try to run some high powered table saw in the middle of cooking Thanksgiving dinner though....

 

[sberry]

If he dropped off electric heat the demand from a wood working tool or 2 will be zip. Ace might see some but I have not seen an overloaded residential (that I can now recall) service that was not on 60A fuses.

 

[oldcpecdr]

Thanks for the info .... Sounds like an additional subpanel is no problem...

Mike B