Detached garage - Electrical questions

[4 Ever-Fish N]

I have a couple of questions about the installation of a subpanel in my detached garage. The wire I used is #6, 4 wires including the bare ground. The distance is only 30'. Conduit was used from the main panel to subpanel. I'm not an electrician so some of my terminology will be incorrect to say the least.

Question 1. The subpanel is a 100 amp indoor Square D, mounted inside the garage. It has two hot bus bars with lugs and a neutral bus bar with lug. It does not have a separate grounding bus bar. Should there be or do I just install the ground wires to the neutral bus bar?

Question 2. I have a ground rod in the ground at the garage. Should the bare ground wire be run from the panel's (neutral bar) through the metal siding to the ground rod (with or without) something insulating the bare wire from the siding?

I appreciate any information or comments. Thanks.

 

[chickenhauler]

#6 is good for 60 amps. You're fine using the 100 panel in the garage, just make sure the breaker feeding it is 60 amp.

1 - You need a separate unbonded ground buss. They are bonded at your main panel, but the sub panel's must be separate. Make sure the common (white) bar is not grounded to the panel.

2 - You *should* have two ground rods at the garage, with the bare ground wire going from the rods to your ground buss bar in the panel.

 

[Aceman]

Question 1. The subpanel is a 100 amp indoor Square D, mounted inside the garage. It has two hot bus bars with lugs and a neutral bus bar with lug.

Does this panel have a main breaker?

 

[ddawg16]

Does this panel have a main breaker?

And the reason for that question is because...if no main breaker, you can't have more than 6 breakers. AMHIK

If you do have a main breaker in your sub panel...then you can use all the breakers you want.

Aceman....on that rule...does it matter is the sub panel is in a detached building or not? I read somewhere that the rule does not apply if the sub panel is in the same building.

 

[Aceman]

Aceman....on that rule...does it matter is the sub panel is in a detached building or not? I read somewhere that the rule does not apply if the sub panel is in the same building.

You need a means of disconnect at seperate structures.

If this is an attached garage, then it doesn't matter, you can use a main lug panel if you like.

 

[pattenp]

The disconnect means is per building. NEC 230 VI, so a sub in a building with a main does not need its own disconnect.

 

[pattenp]

You need a means of disconnect at seperate structures.

If this is an attached garage, then it doesn't matter, you can use a main lug panel if you like.

You're up early this morning.

 

[Aceman]

It's a routine, can't help but wake up early even on my days off!

 

[matt151617]

Lowes/Home Depot (or wherever you bought the subpanel) sell the grounding bar kit seperate for about $4.50. The part number needed is printed on the box and on the directions for the subpanel. Basically, you're wiring the grounds to the case of the subpanel itself. You can run the ground wire to the rod through conduit if you prefer but it doesn't really matter.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Wouldn't the easy option be to add a 60 amp disconnect before the main lug panel? My buddy is planning to do that on his detached garage with a GE main lug panel.

You need a means of disconnect at seperate structures.

If this is an attached garage, then it doesn't matter, you can use a main lug panel if you like.

 

[4 Ever-Fish N]

This panel does not have a main breaker. It has only 6 spaces for breakers.