Need your help. Here's my setup

[thouk]

Hello Fellows and Fellowettes,
I need your advise to help me to get power to my shed. Here is a picture of the relationship to my casa on wheels.

The distance from the end of my house to the corner of the shed is less than three feet. I can almost touch my elbow to my house and my fingertips to the shed. The subpanel is on the wall that is 90 degrees to the window., meaning straight inline with my house. The main panel in my house is on the opposite wall. There is nothing under the housing inside the skirting, concrete under there. The total one way distance from the shed subpanel to the house main panel is about 50 feet total.
Menards has the Al 2-2-2-4 feeder wire. Here is the link for it:
2-2-2-4 Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder, Per Foot
Model Number: SKU_3692059 | Menards® SKU: 3692059

http://www.menards.com/main/electri...ile-home-feeder-per-foot/p-1469808-c-6441.htm

For the short distance between the house and the shed I was going to run some type of conduit and then no conduit to the panel. What would the max amps the wire I linked to be able to handle? Can I run the cable through that short bit of conduit, to protect it from outside hazards? Please help me? I want power to my shed. Thanks, Tony

 

[pattenp]

90 amps is max for that wire.

Edit: That wire needs to in conduit where above ground.

 

[thouk]

Menards also has this cable:
1/0-1/0-1/0 Aluminum URD, Per Foot
Model Number: SKU_3692046 | Menards® SKU: 3692046

http://www.menards.com/main/electri...-0-aluminum-urd-per-foot/p-1469807-c-6441.htm

I would need another wire for the ground to go back to the main panel. The subpanel has a 100 amp circuit breaker. I will never have that many amps running at once. High amp draw items are my inverter welder, plasma cutter, and compressor. The plasma cutter and the compressor would be on at the same time with my lights. I have a 60 amp cirrcuit breaker for the main panel but I was thinking of getting a 100 amp breaker to match the subpanel. Help me please??? Thanks, Tony

 

[pattenp]

URD cable is to be used outside only. If you have a 60 amp main panel you can't replace the 60A main breaker with a 100A main breaker.

Edit: I may have misunderstood what you're saying about the 60A breaker.

 

[thouk]

Thanks for your help so far PattenP. I have a sixty amp breaker now. I realize the hundred amp breaker on the subpanel would be trumped by the sixty amp breaker I have now.

Would the best option right now be for me to buy the 2-2-2-4 wire and run it to the main panel with the sixty amp breaker??? Can I just use the 2-2-2-4 wire from the subpanel in the shed to the main panel in the house, running it through a short length of "protection" conduit?

 

[pattenp]

If the short run of conduit is above ground then you can use 2-2-2-4 SER cable from panel to panel. If the conduit is buried then you have to use a wire that is rated for indoor and outdoor use such as THHN/THWN-2 or Mobile Home Feeder or XHHW-2 which being individual wires needs to be in conduit from panel to panel.

Edit: The 2-2-2-4 will fit a 60A breaker, so no problem with the 60A feeding the #2.

 

[thouk]

Thanks again PattenP. I'm going to Menards tomorrow to order the wire in my first post. Yes the wire will be above ground. With Menards giving me the ability to order the 2-2-2-4 wire I'm going to use that. Thanks again, Tony

 

[pattenp]

If the wire will be above ground why are you using Mobile Home Feeder (MHF)? The MHF will need to be in conduit the whole run from panel to panel. If you use SER cable then you only need to put it in conduit for the short run between your house and shed.

This is SER cable...
http://www.menards.com/main/electri...4-aluminum-se-r-per-foot/p-1469722-c-6441.htm

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I am a little confused by the description of breakers. If the OP is thinking he will use the 60a breaker thats currently feeding the subpanel, to also feed the shed panel, this should NOT be done as most breakers are only rated for 1 wire under each lug. Either way, make sure u use a separate breaker to feed the new wire going to your shed!

 

[pattenp]

I think the subpanel is the panel that's in the shed. And he he wants to feed the shed subpanel with a 60A breaker that he bought to put in the main panel. I don't think the subpanel is being currently fed at all. But I could be in left field on this.

 

[40cpe]

I am a little confused by the description of breakers. If the OP is thinking he will use the 60a breaker thats currently feeding the subpanel, to also feed the shed panel, this should NOT be done as most breakers are only rated for 1 wire under each lug. Either way, make sure u use a separate breaker to feed the new wire going to your shed!

I understood the OP to say that the main panel has a 60 amp breaker that he will use to power the 100 amp sub panel in his shed. His question was can he upgrade the 60 amp in his main panel.

 

[thouk]

PattenP has it right. I have the main panel in my house. There is a 240 volt 60 amp circuit breaker that I will use as the source for the subpanel that is in the shed. I went to Menards today. The wire that I have listed in the original post is not sold by the foot. Well if you consider 500 ft as by the foot then I'm wrong. I will have to go see if some of the electric supply houses will sell feeder wire to me by the foot.

My next question. In the 2-2-2-4 feeder wire configuration, does the neutral get the 4 gauge wire or is it the ground? Thanks again, Tony

 

[pattenp]

The #4 is the ground and should be green. The neutral should have a white stripe on it.

 

[thouk]

Thanks again PattenP. Now just to find some wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I think i read through the posts TOO fast and it bit me in the ****! :/