Detached Garage wiring from meter

[gamitch11]

I want to run electrical to my detached garage. I want to come off of the meter (not the service panel in the house) to a 125 amp breaker box in the garage with a 125 amp main breaker.

Can this be done by running 3 wires (all #2 copper)?
3 wires = two hots and a neutral from the meter. Then drive two grounding rods at the garage for the grounds at least 6 feet apart and connected with #6 copper wire.

Can I just run the 3 wires?

Thanks for the help.
gamitch

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I want to run electrical to my detached garage. I want to come off of the meter (not the service panel in the house) to a 125 amp breaker box in the garage with a 125 amp main breaker.

Can this be done by running 3 wires (all #2 copper)?
3 wires = two hots and a neutral from the meter. Then drive two grounding rods at the garage for the grounds at least 6 feet apart and connected with #6 copper wire.

Can I just run the 3 wires?

Thanks for the help.
gamitch

Does your meter have a disconnect or is it just a meter?

If so, it would need to have dual lugs.

What size service do u have?

What electric loads do u have?

 

[gamitch11]

Does your meter have a disconnect or is it just a meter?
No, no disconnect. I would have an electrician or OG&E to make the connection.

If so, it would need to have dual lugs.
If no lugs, what would be my options?

What size service do u have? 400 Amp

What electric loads do u have? Right now, for the garage, not much. A 220v compressor. I want to add a window air conditioner and would like to buy a welder. I think the 125 amp would be more than I will need for the garage.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Most 400amp meter pans have dual lugs.

Regardless i would not want that much unfused wire on my property.

And what i meant by what loads do u have is what loads do u have in the house? Range, heater, AC, dryer, etc etc...

How big is the house?

 

[MEngineer]

I think you will need at minimum 1/0 copper or 2/0 aluminum.

You can "tap" into your existing feeds that exit your meter and go to your main panel.

Use a fitting like the option below.

I am currently doing this myself. I have 4/0 aluminum supplying my 200 amp panel and then 2/0 aluminum supplying my 150 amp panel using the connectors below.
https://m.platt.com/platt-electric-...ng/Ilsco/IPC-4-0-2-0/Products.aspx?pid=708303

 

[gamitch11]

Most 400amp meter pans have dual lugs.

Regardless i would not want that much unfused wire on my property.

And what i meant by what loads do u have is what loads do u have in the house? Range, heater, AC, dryer, etc etc...

How big is the house?

By 'dual lugs' do you mean that there might be a place to attach wires or are they already used up by two sets of wires coming from the transformer to my meter?


The electrician could install a fused box (or breaker box) at the meter, then I could run my wires from that box to a garage sub panel?

House is 2600 sq.ft. Total Electric - 2 ac units, 2 heaters, 2 hot water heaters, range, oven, dryer, well pump. I don't know what load would come from the meter to the house. My OG&E bill shows a maximum usage of 14652 watts during a 15 minute interval. I know that won't accurately show an instant load.

 

[gamitch11]

I think you will need at minimum 1/0 copper or 2/0 aluminum.

You can "tap" into your existing feeds that exit your meter and go to your main panel.

Use a fitting like the option below.

I am currently doing this myself. I have 4/0 aluminum supplying my 200 amp panel and then 2/0 aluminum supplying my 150 amp panel using the connectors below.
https://m.platt.com/platt-electric-...ng/Ilsco/IPC-4-0-2-0/Products.aspx?pid=708303

Thanks MEngineer. Won't #2 copper handle the 125 amp?

I'll keep the taps in mind and suggest them to my electrician.

 

[Falcon67]

IMHO - You'd need to ask OG&E. I did it here with AEPs blessing and the co-op did it for my 100A shop panel. That is, stack the wire under a single lug - customer side of the meter base.

 

[pattenp]

Thanks MEngineer. Won't #2 copper handle the 125 amp?

I'll keep the taps in mind and suggest them to my electrician.

Need to size by 75 deg. C, so #2 Cu is 115A. #1Cu is 130A and is what you need for 125A.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Most 400amp meter pans have dual lugs.

400A is very unusual for residential. 200A is considered "large"

Regardless i would not want that much unfused wire on my property.

ABSOLUTELY ! If some one accidentally digs up or hits YOUR unfused line line they are pretty much dead, unless they are "blown off" the line !

Get an outdoor rated, 2 circuit, 400A rated fuse or breaker panel. 400A rating will cost you some serious $$$ so make sure that is what you need.


FYI, for the loads you listed in the garage, 60A should be adequate.

 

[theoldwizard1]

IMHO - You'd need to ask OG&E. I did it here with AEPs blessing and the co-op did it for my 100A shop panel. That is, stack the wire under a single lug - customer side of the meter base.

That is pretty unusual ! They do make single to dual lug adapters.

Glad to hear you went through the proper channels. Keep your paper work because some home inspector might cry "foul" when you sell the place.

 

[Dragfluid]

When I ran my 4/0 to the shed, I bought some dual lugs from the elec supply house for a few bucks each. Bolted them in the disconnect box and away we went.

 

[Gerald O]

Here's what I ended up doing: 320/400 amp dual lug meter base feeding two disconnect boxes each with 150 amp main disconnects. One feeds the house load center, and the other feeds the garage load center through 4/0-4/0-4/0-2/0 AL SER cable. There are two ground rods at the meter, and the garage has a UFER ground in the foundation.

 

[gamitch11]

Thanks everyone. I've got several ideas from this forum and everyone's replies.

 

[pattenp]

Here's what I ended up doing: 320/400 amp dual lug meter base feeding two disconnect boxes each with 150 amp main disconnects. One feeds the house load center, and the other feeds the garage load center through 4/0-4/0-4/0-2/0 AL SER cable. There are two ground rods at the meter, and the garage has a UFER ground in the foundation.

I hope I'm misunderstanding this, but you have SER serving a detached garage it better not be run underground, even if conduit?

 

[Gerald O]

I hope I'm misunderstanding this, but you have SER serving a detached garage it better not be run underground, even if conduit?

It's actually attached by a small 'mudroom' and the SER routes through the crawlspace. So that part would not apply to the OP's situation. He'd need a buryable cable for his detached building.