Is 60A enough

[mike93lx]

Here is the panel after moving some of the wires out of the way for clarity.

The copper ground is going to two ground rods spaced several feet apart, It is not going back to the main panel. It has (3) aluminum wires coming from the main panel at the house about 65'.

Bought a 100 Amp load center today.
Assuming i still need to run a ground from the main panel?

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View attachment 2232626

Yes, to make it a proper 4 wire feed, you need to add an insulated ground wire back to the main panel. The local ground rods are for a different purpose

I dont believe the panel swap is enough to trigger a requirement that you update to 4 wire, but it would be a good idea. Not a small project

 

[bronc076]

Are there any other metallic paths between this detached garage and the house where the main panel is located like a water line, gas line, CATV? When was this installed? 20 years ago a 3 wire feed to a detached garage was code compliant and you bonded neutral to ground. That changed somewhere around 2007.

60' isn't too bad, I just ran a new 200' feed to my house from a meter pedestal. The POCO moved my meter from the house to the pedestal and the pedestal has a disconnect, so my 3 wire feed was not compliant. I have a lot going on building a new shop so a day with a rented trencher and $1000 in wire and my house had a new 4 wire feed and I had wires from the pedestal to the shop location. You can do the old school three wire feed with neutral bonded and it's safe, or bring it up to modern code with a day of digging and some 2,2,2,4 MFH wire or whatever meets your current carrying requirement.

None of the pros here will give solutions that do not meet modern code because it would be irresponsible, they are pros after all, but if it was built in the 90s, and you are changing the panel and no permits are needed like where I live, 3 wire with the bonding screw in is safe. I suggest you follow the rules in your area. I'm about to get roasted for saying that but it's the truth.

250.32 (B) Exception No. 1

 

[jarhead]

it was built in 2003

No metallic pathway between buildings

I plan on trenching it and adding a #6 insulated ground wire back to the main panel as suggested.