What size wire from garage to house?

[Garagetime]

I'm sure this has been answered before. I put a 200 amp panel in my garage. I'm going to have my service moved to garage. I will then run my house 100 amp off panel in garage. I'm doing this to avoid having a second meter. I would like to know. What size wire to run from garage to house about 100 to 110 feet.
Thanks

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Is this a detached garage?

Where is the service currently?

Why are you moving the service?

It will probably be cheaper to instead run a branch feeder out to the garage rather thn move the whole service and then backfeed the house.

For 100a u will need #1 al or #3 cu.

 

[mikegt4]

Check with your electrical AHJ. I was not allowed to have power run to the detached garage, then to the house. Your county may be different but it is worth checking before you commit to going that route.

 

[Garagetime]

Service is to house at this time. The garage is detached 100 to 110 feet from house. Reason for this is power company charges extra per month for second meter $25 + member fees about $30 + other fees then power cost. I know I can feed house from garage this is fine were I'm at. I forgot I want to run under ground in conduit to house.

 

[pattenp]

I'd do the reverse. Feed 100A to garage from house. Why do you want the main service at the garage?

 

[Garagetime]

Panel in house is new. I did not want to change panel again.

 

[mike93lx]

Why would you need a second meter and to change your existing panel?

 

[xjfish]

Install a new main panel near where your service currently comes in on your house and make the garage and your home meters both sub-panels? I just did this. (200A service upgrade basically, my power company didn't even want to do a separate service...)

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Panel in house is new. I did not want to change panel again.

do u have an interior main service panel with a divorced meter? or a combo meter main?

Install a new main panel near where your service currently comes in on your house and make the garage and your home meters both sub-panels? I just did this. (200A service upgrade basically, my power company didn't even want to do a separate service...)

 

[Garagetime]

Ok I should clarify were the house is what use to be a mobile home. Still uses the same line . The meter is separate out on a pole with a 100 amp disconnect. I dubbled the size of the house. I put the new panel in the house at that time. I plan on having some heaver machine s in garage. I might be wrong I felt the mobile home service might not be up for this.

 

[mike93lx]

contact your power company to see what the aerial will support. Typically, for a house, it will support up to 200A service, but your situation might be different.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Ok I should clarify were the house is what use to be a mobile home. Still uses the same line . The meter is separate out on a pole with a 100 amp disconnect. I dubbled the size of the house. I put the new panel in the house at that time. I plan on having some heaver machine s in garage. I might be wrong I felt the mobile home service might not be up for this.

In that case, i would install a meter main combo on the pole.

Is it just a meter on the pole or is there a disconnect there as well?

If just a meter then the feeder to the house is most likely 3-wire. U will need to change that no matter which route u go(new panel on pole or feeder from garage).

What is the size of the conduit from the meter to the house?

Check with your poco to see if the existing drop will support 200a service.

Keeping the service on the pole will probably be cheaper than having to pay the PoCo to move it to the garage.

 

[Garagetime]

Meter and shut off are at pole separate from each other. The garage already has 200 amp panel all wired. Conduit size I think is 1 1/2 maybe 2 inch. I would have to look to be sure.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Ok so it will be easier to do what i said earlier.

Replace meter pan and divorced disconnect with meter main combo that has space for at least 2 double pole breakers.

The feeder to the house SHOULD be 4-wire.

This will be the cheapest route VS replacing house feeder and moving main service to garage.

 

[ard]

Ok I should clarify were the house is what use to be a mobile home. Still uses the same line . The meter is separate out on a pole with a 100 amp disconnect. I dubbled the size of the house. I put the new panel in the house at that time. I plan on having some heaver machine s in garage. I might be wrong I felt the mobile home service might not be up for this.

I am sure you know what you are trying to say, but the brevity of your posts since #1 is resulting in way more effort than it should be...

What do YOU mean by "LINE".. as in "same line"?

Are you refering to the connection the poco has provided? If you install a 200A meter base and 200A disconnect, wouldnt they upgrade this 'line'?


As wylie suggested replace that single 100A disconnect on the pole with a two switch disconnect, the second one goes to the shop....

Sort of like this (this is a 320A unit):

You will find that unless you are running a 3 man production shop in 2500 sq feet, 90A will be plenty.

 

[Garagetime]

When I say line I'm referring to the line . That goes from bottom of 100 amp disconnect to house. Sorry for confusion. I think see what your saying. 1 line would go to house the other to garage. The only thing is. There is no direct route from pole to garage. I have included a drawing of lay out of building's .

 

[AntonLargiader]

Since you need to change what's on the pole anyway, and you need to change the feed cable to the house anyway, then as long as you are OK with whatever cost is involved in moving the service I think you have your answer at the top. #1 Al or #3 Cu. Mobile home feeder (MHF) is a popular way to do that but do I gather you already have some conduit installed somewhere?

 

[Garagetime]

The only conduit buried is is . The line from bottom of shut off on pole to house about 25 feet.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Looks like you have three options then:

1) Your initial proposal, which is basically new everything other than the two existing panels

2) running power from your existing pole to the garage along the road if that's allowed. However, the septic system may be lower than you need to disturb for burying a new cable. 240V in conduit, around here, only needs to be 18" deep and our septic is deeper than that.

3) running new power to the house and then splitting it there as xjfish suggested. That geographically avoids the water line and septic.

Maybe it's time to cost out those three options.

 

[Garagetime]

Along road too far. Septic line in front is not that deep. I know had to do some repairs. The tank is about 5 feet from deck.
Here are some pics.
1. Pole meter is on now
2. Meter and shut off
3. Looking from pole with meter to garage
4. Down driveway
5. Looking from deck
6. Looking from deck to garage driveway
7. Looking from deck to pole if ok with power company . I would like to mount new service on.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

When I say line I'm referring to the line . That goes from bottom of 100 amp disconnect to house. Sorry for confusion. I think see what your saying. 1 line would go to house the other to garage. The only thing is. There is no direct route from pole to garage. I have included a drawing of lay out of building's .

instead of burying line to shop your other option would be to do an overhead feed using quadruplex.

Since you need to change what's on the pole anyway, and you need to change the feed cable to the house anyway, then as long as you are OK with whatever cost is involved in moving the service I think you have your answer at the top. #1 Al or #3 Cu. Mobile home feeder (MHF) is a popular way to do that but do I gather you already have some conduit installed somewhere?

we havent established that the feed to the house needs to be changed.

The only conduit buried is is . The line from bottom of shut off on pole to house about 25 feet.

what is the diameter of the conduit?

How many wires and what gauge of wire do u have currently feeding your house?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Along road too far. Septic line in front is not that deep. I know had to do some repairs. The tank is about 5 feet from deck.
Here are some pics.
1. Pole meter is on now
2. Meter and shut off
3. Looking from pole with meter to garage
4. Down driveway
5. Looking from deck
6. Looking from deck to garage driveway
7. Looking from deck to pole if ok with power company. I would like to mount new service on.

First you should make sure that the feed to your house needs to be changed. If its 4-wire then its doesnt need to be changed and that will save you considerable cost and work.

U could very well just change the panel on the pole, hookup the existing house feeder then run new feeder to garage. this means less trenching less wire, less work for PoCo(whose drop can probably support 200a service already), and ultimately less money out of your pocket.

You are over thinking and overplanning this without the info needed to determine if exiting wire can be re-utilized.

 

[FMC1959]

OP, first thing, don't click quick reply, hit post reply and always preview post before submitting. You have double words and incorrect words that come across as broken English (spell check has a nasty habit of changing things), so less clear and takes many posts to explain things correctly.

Second thing, a couple of others sound like electricians and know their stuff. My suggestion, take the path of least resistance = less work, less cost. When you get the info Wylie was asking, if possible, just run a sub panel to your garage, and you should be good.

If if only a 100a to the garage, unless 3 or 4 machines are running at the same time, 100a should be plenty.

 

[Garagetime]

Thanks for all the replys. At this point I think I will get the power company out here. Then see what they want and have to say. Price out materials then go from there. I did get the answer on wire size from garage to house. If I still decide to go that route.
Thanks again

 

[Garagetime]

Ok I got most of what I need to get power to garage figured out. I'm not moving my service as I originally wanted to. I going to have my service upgraded to 200 amp were it is now. I will be using a meter pan with dual 100 amp breakers one to house. The other to the garage as suggested in a past post. Here is the question it is 175 feet from pole to garage give or take a foot. what size wire should be used. I know I asked size before,but now I have how many feet I need to go.
Thanks

 

[mike93lx]

Ok I got most of what I need to get power to garage figured out. I'm not moving my service as I originally wanted to. I going to have my service upgraded to 200 amp were it is now. I will be using a meter pan with dual 100 amp breakers one to house. The other to the garage as suggested in a past post. Here is the question it is 175 feet from pole to garage give or take a foot. what size wire should be used. I know I asked size before,but now I have how many feet I need to go.
Thanks

According to southwire's calculator, 2/0 alum is needed for <3% voltage drop at 100a. Decreasing that to 90a allows 1/0.

100a is a lot... You should do load calculations to see what is actually needed.

Mobile Home Feeder is probably the right wire to use:
https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/2-0-2-0-1-4-aluminum-mobile-home-feeder-cable.html

 

[spudley]

Great! Now how are you going to route the feed wire?

 

[pattenp]

Since Al 2/0 is a standard size in Mobile Home Feeder (MHF) I'd go that route. It can be direct bury, but I suggest it be placed in conduit, but it has to be in conduit where installed inside a structure.

 

[Garagetime]

Just thought I would give a update. I have power now after checking and pricing out materials. I had the power company run a arial to garage. Then I ran power back up to house under ground. It was less ditching and was cheeper of all options.
Thanks again for all input on this.