Garage panel hookup

[sublime68charger]

Thanks for your response and looking,

Been a long time since I ran power to a electric panel,

I have mhf wire trenched in from another building and for hooking up power to my garage sub panel I have a question. Pic is where I'm at, right now I'm missing the neutral bar attaching lug but once I get that wire attached to the neutral bar on the left side of the box is this set up correct?

I'm thinking I need to take the bar off the bottom that ties the neutral bar to the ground bar?

I have a ground wire that goes out to 2 ground rods spaced apart and pounded into the ground.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Both bars are meant to be neutral bars.

The small bonding strip above the green EGC needs to be removed from the bar and a new ground bar needs to be installed.

Ground bar kits can be purchased at the box stores.

Move the EGC/green ground and the GEC/grounding electrode conductor over to the new bar.

What brand of panel is that?

What brand of breaker did u use? Pic is too blurry to tell

 

[FordTruckWench]

Pic is where I'm at

I notice that the conduit doesn't go all the way to the panel, i.e. the MHF exits the top of the conduit and I assume loops around to enter the panel from above.

Can you tilt the conduit to the left and enter the panel directly from below? Or maybe tilt the conduit and flip the panel top for bottom? Either way, you'll also need to mechanically attach the conduit to the panel - probably with a male threaded adapter, a lock nut, and a protective bushing.

 

[sublime68charger]

Both bars are meant to be neutral bars.

The small bonding strip above the green EGC needs to be removed from the bar and a new ground bar needs to be installed.

Ground bar kits can be purchased at the box stores.

Move the EGC/green ground and the GEC/grounding electrode conductor over to the new bar.

What brand of panel is that?

What brand of breaker did u use? Pic is too blurry to tell

It's is a Siemens panel,

I got it used came out my uncles old house, he torn house down and built a new one.

Can I just take out the cross tie bar and use the rights for ground and then the lefts for neutrals?

I'll only have maybe 5 breakers in there so I won't run out of space on the neutral bar at all?

 

[Norcal]

I am not a fan of modifying panels, a ground bar kit is cheap, & a split neutral is handy when doing panel make up.

 

[sublime68charger]

I notice that the conduit doesn't go all the way to the panel, i.e. the MHF exits the top of the conduit and I assume loops around to enter the panel from above.

Can you tilt the conduit to the left and enter the panel directly from below? Or maybe tilt the conduit and flip the panel top for bottom? Either way, you'll also need to mechanically attach the conduit to the panel - probably with a male threaded adapter, a lock nut, and a protective bushing.

The mhf exits the conduit and makes a couple of loops above the panel and then feeds in the top.
I know it's not ideal but next summer I plan to have a outdoor wood boiler installed.
the trench I hand dug for the mhf wire will be dug deeper " power excavator" for the boiler lines and the mhf put in this trench deeper as well so I need to take up some mhf slack as well. so as next summer Im not short on my mhf wire when I have this trench redone and set deeper.
This is a get me power in the garage for this winter hookup setup.

I want to work on the inside finish of the garage walls and I need power to run a blower fan on the wood stove to help keep me warm and plug in a work light or 2

 

[wyliesdiesels]

MHF needs to be in conduit when indoors!

I dont like modifying panels either. Plus it violates the listing.

Buy 1 or 2 ground bar kits(one for each side?) and be done with it.

BTW what size breaker do u have in your main panel that feeds the MHF?

 

[sublime68charger]

Okay will get a ground bar kit and put that in the box.

Is there anything I can due about the mhf loops I have above the panel?
I don't want to cut it down to size and just run straight in as next summer this line is going to be redone and set deeper and I'll need the extra length then.

The other end of this is all in conduit.

Pic is of the panel that feeds to my garage it has a 100 amp main and its a 1300 sq building of 3 rooms that was a photo stuido in a previous life. Now it is just extra storage space.
Has 2 rooms with electric baseboard heat that is the only draw other then lights and some outlets as well

Breaker that will run to the garage will be a 60 amp in this box,

 

[sublime68charger]

If I pull out the cross tie bar is that against code?

I know it makes the wiring more difficult as you have only neutral on 1 side and ground on the other.
But other than being a pain to work with is there any law saying that it can't be done?


I want this to be done safe and correct, but I'm on a budget on this as well

 

[Beemer533]

$7 for a ground bar at HD http://www.homedepot.com/p/Siemens-Ground-Bar-Kit-15-Terminal-Position-ECLX072M/202315499

I would leave the neutral bars alone and just add the ground bar..

 

[FordTruckWench]

$7 for a ground bar at HD http://www.homedepot.com/p/Siemens-Ground-Bar-Kit-15-Terminal-Position-ECLX072M/202315499

Minus the cost of a neutral lug kit ($6 to $7) that won't be needed means the correct way is about the same price as the wrong way.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Okay will get a ground bar kit and put that in the box.

Is there anything I can due about the mhf loops I have above the panel?
I don't want to cut it down to size and just run straight in as next summer this line is going to be redone and set deeper and I'll need the extra length then.

The other end of this is all in conduit.

Pic is of the panel that feeds to my garage it has a 100 amp main and its a 1300 sq building of 3 rooms that was a photo stuido in a previous life. Now it is just extra storage space.
Has 2 rooms with electric baseboard heat that is the only draw other then lights and some outlets as well

Breaker that will run to the garage will be a 60 amp in this box,

So the breaker feeding the MHF is 100a? If so it needs to be changed to a 90a breaker.

U could put the slack in a junction box such as this one made by cantex. They are pricey though:

If I pull out the cross tie bar is that against code?

I know it makes the wiring more difficult as you have only neutral on 1 side and ground on the other.
But other than being a pain to work with is there any law saying that it can't be done?


I want this to be done safe and correct, but I'm on a budget on this as well

It could violate the listing if u use the neutral bar as a ground bar.

 

[sublime68charger]

The panel I'm pulling power from has a 100amp main as the shut off.
the breaker that the mhf will be on will be a 60 amp in this same box " the feeding box"
My terms might be off sorry

In the garage box I have a 50 amp as What the mhf plugs into.
This acts as the main shut off in the garage box.
Is that okay to have it that way?

 

[sublime68charger]

I have another old breaker box that I can put the slack mhf wire in so that all the mhf is either in conduit or breaker box.

Thanks again for your help on this!

I also got a ground bar that I'll put into my breaker box and leave the netural cross bar intact!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Sorry I can't help you on this Sub, you guys do electrics way different to what we do out here.

All the best with it, sound like you are getting some great advise from the locals so to speak.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The panel I'm pulling power from has a 100amp main as the shut off.
the breaker that the mhf will be on will be a 60 amp in this same box " the feeding box"
My terms might be off sorry

In the garage box I have a 50 amp as What the mhf plugs into.
This acts as the main shut off in the garage box.
Is that okay to have it that way?

Well u can do it like that but it doesnt make sense as u will be limited to 50a NOT 60a. And youre limiting the potential of the MHF

Why not use 90a breakers in both panels?

 

[sublime68charger]

1/2 cup thank for stopping and posting!

As of 5 minutes ago I'm hooked up and I have power in the garage!

Super excited to have actual electricity up then now!

Will make some things a lot easier to get done!

 

[sublime68charger]

Well u can do it like that but it doesnt make sense as u will be limited to 50a NOT 60a. And youre limiting the potential of the MHF

Why not use 90a breakers in both panels?

The 90amp beakers cost a lot more, at the moment all I needed is to have electricity up in the garage to have a outlet and a few lights. When this trench is redone next summer I'll probaly bump up to the 90amp breakers then,

Thanks for all your help!
I've learned a lot by doing this part of the electric install!

Final pic of the garage electric box with ground bar installed!

 

[drivesitfar]

Sub: i was just about to log off GJ and head to my garage and noticed your thread. I've yet to make a thread or post in this section and probably should stop in now and then, but wanted to make my first post congratulating you on your success so far. nice work.

i'm not an electrician, but i've done more than a few small jobs so email or PM me if one of the other members can't answer your questions quickly and i'll try to help if I can.

good luck

 

[theoldwizard1]

The "pros" here what people to "do it right the first time" so that it will pass inspection and they don't have to come out and fix someones cobbled up mess.

I am not a pro, so I would leave that loop above the box until you re-trench AND I would probably just remove that crossover bar.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The "pros" here what people to "do it right the first time" so that it will pass inspection and they don't have to come out and fix someones cobbled up mess.

I am not a pro, so I would leave that loop above the box until you re-trench AND I would probably just remove that crossover bar.

why would u remove that? It ties the neutral bars together and helps to keep the panel neat and tidy!