garage subpanel sizing

[Vintage Veloce]

My house has a 200A panel.

I have two separate garages that are both separate buildings from the main house.

One of these buildings is new and the electrician just put in the panel, hence the questions:

The main panel at the house has a 100A 240V (2 pole) breakers for each garage. There is one for each garage.

In each garage, there is a 100A 240V (2 pole) "service disconnect"/main breaker.

Is that cool? For some reason I thought the total of the two subpanels (the garages) had to be less than the main?

C

 

[rlitman]

Sounds cool to me. The sum total of breaker currents in a panel can easily add up to WAY more than the main. Don't worry about that.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Yes, I know the breakers can add up to be more. But I thought there might be something about the number of separate "sub-panels" and how those add up.

 

[rlitman]

Nope. There's no difference whether the breakers supply a sub-panel or machine or outlets or lighting. All that matters is that the total expected load will not exceed the main.

 

[AZ Garage]

The main panel at the house has a 100A 240V (2 pole) breakers for each garage. There is one for each garage.

In each garage, there is a 100A 240V (2 pole) "service disconnect"/main breaker.

Is that cool? For some reason I thought the total of the two subpanels (the garages) had to be less than the main?

C

The total overall connected load has to be less than the Main.

Those sub-panels could both be 200A each, but as long as the total connected load on both those AND the main are less than 200A, than you're fine.

That's why load summaries on each panel are performed and submitted with electrical plans.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

That's why load summaries on each panel are performed and submitted with electrical plans.

Interestingly, they didn't require that. They do collect a circuit card on the rough inspection, but there is no actual load information on that, just a list of the circuits installed.

 

[justsam]

The real protection is being provided by the breakers in the main house panel. As you eluded to the pair at each sub panel is really a disconnect, which is not required at all unless there are more than 6 breakers at the sub panel.

Do you know what type and size of wire is being used to feed the sub panels, that are being fed by the 100 Amp breakers at the main panel?

Sounds like you may be an Alfa owner?

 

[Vintage Veloce]

There might be an Alfa in my life. ;-)
I don't remember the wire size, except that the electrician sized it right for the current. It was fat. There's a 50A 220 circuit out there for a potential electric car charger.

 

[rburke65]

Well fat wire is good.

 

[md21722]

This can happen all the time with mutually exclusive loads. For example, most people don't run A/C and heat at the same time. Cool on having two separate garages!