Detached shop power overhead or underground question
- Thread starter Wayne John
- Start date
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Others have alluded to it, but it's typical that electric utilities will only supply a single service to a residential property, so getting a second meter may not even be an option. It does vary by the utility so you'd have to check.
larry4406
Well-known member
If you have ever thought about a generator, now is the time.
nadogail
Well-known member
Only buy a generator if you have thought long and hard about it.
walta
Well-known member
Before we throw the electrician under the bus and that was my first reaction. Let’s make a list of the Amp rating for the current 240-volt breakers and what they run and a second list for proposed new loads.
Let’s guess the that the current 200-amp house panel is maxed out and cannot feed the new garage.
If the new 2500 sqf garage needs
30A Heat pump
50 A heat strips
30 A water heater
50 A air compressor
20 A lift
50 A RV outlet
60 A electric car charger maybe 2
Plus, some shop equipment and 120V loads.
Is a 200-amp panel really over the top for the garage?
If you are adding solar in the future now is the time to make room for it in the service.
Walta
Let’s guess the that the current 200-amp house panel is maxed out and cannot feed the new garage.
If the new 2500 sqf garage needs
30A Heat pump
50 A heat strips
30 A water heater
50 A air compressor
20 A lift
50 A RV outlet
60 A electric car charger maybe 2
Plus, some shop equipment and 120V loads.
Is a 200-amp panel really over the top for the garage?
If you are adding solar in the future now is the time to make room for it in the service.
Walta
That's not how a load calc works
walta
Well-known member
I agree that a 100 Amp panel will easily supply more than 100 amps of breakers. But without a list of the loads how will you decide what is needed?
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
If you go with underground, be there when they trench it and confirm it is at the expected depth. There is nothing like severing internet for the neighborhood because the installer felt like 4” deep was close enough.
Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
You have a lot to learn………. NOT even close to calculating loads.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
that is nowhere near how to do a load calc. youre doing exactly what the OPs electrician did. totally wrong.
txvwnut
Well-known member
I vote underground as that's what I did at my place. If you currently have 200amp service at the house then you could switch to a double lug meter base and then trench from the house to the shop and put in a 200amp panel at the shop and not have to treat it like a sub panel by tying off of the one on the house. Which is what it sounds like to me the electrician is doing. Easiest way to see what amp service you need is to do a proper load calc and then contact your POCO, most of the ones I've dealt with are more than happy to help you with figuring out what service rating you need. Plus with going with the double lug meter base and your current overhead supply lines you won't have to have them agree to an engineered trench for their service just have to meet the needs of the city/county buried service code requirements.
ericm
Well-known member
One of the electricians I'm talking to about wiring my to-be-built shop (500' from the pole) suggested that we combine the house and garage meters into one service and have the PoCo install a "ranch meter" somewhere between the pole and the shop. That way we're guaranteed to get full voltage at that meter that's hopefully significantly closer to the shop, and the PoCo will pay for trenching it to the meter. I think. It might help that it's a farm.
It may be worth asking your electrician if it's an option.
It may be worth asking your electrician if it's an option.
This was suggested above, the problem is it may require a new feed to the house.
walta
Well-known member
Without a list of the loads how will even begin to decide what is needed?
walta
Well-known member
Without a list of the loads how will even begin to decide what is needed?
ericm
Well-known member
The breaker size is not the load.
walta
Well-known member
Agreed the breaker going to at least 20% higher than the load but it is data that one can collect quickly and any data is better than guessing. How much time can one invest in a free estimate.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
thats up to the OP but simply adding up breaker ratings is definitely NOT the way to do a load calc.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
naw. you add up all the breakers in a panel youll be many times over the rating of the service. again, adding up breakers is completely pointless due to diversity of loads....
as far as the free estimates go, we as a trade need to stop giving out work for free however one can plug in the numbers for a load calc into a pre prgrammed spreadsheet in all of 10mins provided the OP gives the needed details.
and AFAI can tell, the OP didnt ask the electrician if his service was adequate or required an upgrade, which then would require a load calc. instead it seems to me the electrician tried to convince the OP one was needed just to squeeze more money out of the OP simply based on the added load of a vehicle lift... smh
Any update on this?