New garage, getting power to it

[bradpac]

So researching it seems I can use a 320/400 amp dual lug meter to replace my current 200 amp meter and run to my current house 200 amp main breaker ~3ft away. For the garage it will be about a 30ft run, what size wire should I run to the 200 amp main there. Also, it appears if I put a breaker below the meter on the feed to the garage, that makes the garage a sub panel and it has to be 4 wires with ground instead of 3 wires. A breaker at the house for the garage sounds like a good idea, but does that change my wire sizing? The service to the garage will be ran underground in conduit and inspected per code.

Can anyone post links to the best components to buy for this setup or just grab a meter base from HD?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

If you want the full 200a you will need 4/0 AL.

If you put a disconnect at the meter then yes you will need 4-wire feeder. you could use 4/0 AL MHF. I'd prefer a breaker at the meter so there isnt unfused wire on the property

As to the meter pan, you will need to ask your PoCo which ones they approve of.

 

[brewchief]

If your current house panel is inside then you will also need a breaker for that outside if you have a breaker at the meter feeding the garage so the disconnects are grouped, this will then make the house panel a sub panel and it will need to be converted to a 4 wire feed.

Power company may need to upgrade feed to your meter, that may be at your cost.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

 

[Bert_]

I really doubt you need 400A. 200 will run a lot of stuff

 

[robertstevenbk]

If you want the full 200a you will need 4/0 AL.

 

[Sumboodie]

I really doubt you need 400A. 200 will run a lot of stuff

Exactly. My house, garage and shed are on a 100 amp service. I've never felt it wasn't enough.

Unless you are running LARGE industrial equipment, but even then, will you be running several at once?

 

[dcg9381]

How big is your shop / house? Like others, I REALLY doubt you need 320A service...
Exceptions would be if you've got an all electric house with really high draw - pool pumps, 3+ HVACs, EV charger, electric dryer, 60-80A of electric heat...
How big is your shop?

 

[jeepxj]

How big is your shop / house? Like others, I REALLY doubt you need 320A service...
Exceptions would be if you've got an all electric house with really high draw - pool pumps, 3+ HVACs, EV charger, electric dryer, 60-80A of electric heat...
How big is your shop?

I have about that setup.

3 AC units
1 pool pump
1 EV charger
electric stove
electric dryer.
a wife who thinks light switches only work in one direction.

200a. plenty. hardly ever go over 20kw draw.

 

[bradpac]

My house does not use that much electricity. We have gas water heater, range, and heater. Biggest electric draws are AC and a double oven. But I do want to future proof for the eventual electric cars (ugh)

The garage will have a 7.5hp air compressor, plasma cutter, multiple welders, metal bending tools, eventually a mill and other machine tools. It will pull more amps than the house if I'm going with a couple of buddies out there.

Will all this total pull more than 200 amps, I don't know. That being said, the electric service company has told me my service line is sized for more than double my current 200 amp meter. It will only be $250 disconnect/reconnect charge from them. My main/only breaker panel for the house is located on the exterior wall right next to the meter. That box is already almost full and I would rather not take up the remaining spots for the garage. All this in consideration, running a bigger meter with a separate feed to the garage sounded like the best approach since I was going to have to run cable anyway, I would rather mess with the meter than redoing the breaker box on the house.

Does my reasoning seem sound, even if it's overkill?

Here's a link to the build thread, if you want to check out the progress thus far.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466215

 

[jeepxj]

you dont need more than 200a given what you've said. you're not running a production shop. you need to do a single feed to the garage, so 2 breaker slots. then subpanel in the garage.

 

[bradpac]

you dont need more than 200a given what you've said. you're not running a production shop. you need to do a single feed to the garage, so 2 breaker slots. then subpanel in the garage.

Maybe so... 100 amps to the garage? I forgot to mention putting a mini split in there as well, but I don't think that pulls too many amps.

I guess with a breaker setup if I run 100 amps to the garage now then if it needs an upgrade later it wouldn't be out too much $ to switch it.

 

[jeepxj]

i'd do mobile home feeder at 90a to the garage. that will cover a home guy doing basic **** with an air comp, mini split, led lights, and another large tool like a welder/mill running all at same time.
mini split 2kw
air comp 6kw?
welder 5kw?
well under the 21kw that 90a gets you.



if you start popping the 200a main worry about upgrading the main. but for a house to pull 48kw is just a **** ton of power for a basic house/shop.

In my house I have:

3 full AC units
1 large window unit for garage.
1 tesla charger
1 air compressor
1 pool pump
lights galore.
a KW of IT stuff running at all times.
electric stove
electric dryer

breaking it down:
3 ac units is 9 kw running together. garage AC is maybe 2. tesla is 11kw. air comp is 2kw. pool pump is 1kw. dryer is 5kw iirc. oven is 5kw i believe.

i rarely see above 25kw draw. above 20kw is here and there. you'd have to time it perfectly to hit more than 35kw. still not even to 75% of the panel load.

 

[bradpac]

i'd do mobile home feeder at 90a

Does a Mobile home feeder pass code? I guess if properly placed in conduit at the proper depth?

 

[jeepxj]

yea.

 

[dcg9381]

Maybe so... 100 amps to the garage? I forgot to mention putting a mini split in there as well, but I don't think that pulls too many amps.

My 24k btu Daikins pull under 12A continuous.

90A for a shop is good enough for most of us..

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Does a Mobile home feeder pass code? I guess if properly placed in conduit at the proper depth?

why wouldnt it? its an NEC recognized cable type. URD on the other hand is not.

 

[andyvh1959]

I'm ready to install a duplex 100amp breaker in the main panel in the attached garage to feed my new detached garage sub panel. The main panel is early 70s vintage Cutler Hammer 200 amp. There are a few spaces available, so I got a new Eaton CH style 100 amp breaker, hoping it would snap in place, and good to go! Nope, the CH style breaker from Eaton will not clip into the hot side, with the plastic clip end on the mount bar. There was a duplex 30 amp breaker snapped in that is not connected to any circuit. I pulled it out to compare with the new Eaton CH breaker, and it looks like the Eaton CH would fit. But it will not snap onto the hot studs no matter how hard I push. The old CH breaker clips in place easily.

So now I have to shop ebay, or maybe someone on this forum that has some old metal clip Cutler Hammer 100 amp single breakers or a 100 amp duplex breaker to fit my old main panel.

 

[jeepxj]

I'm ready to install a duplex 100amp breaker in the main panel in the attached garage to feed my new detached garage sub panel. The main panel is early 70s vintage Cutler Hammer 200 amp. There are a few spaces available, so I got a new Eaton CH style 100 amp breaker, hoping it would snap in place, and good to go! Nope, the CH style breaker from Eaton will not clip into the hot side, with the plastic clip end on the mount bar. There was a duplex 30 amp breaker snapped in that is not connected to any circuit. I pulled it out to compare with the new Eaton CH breaker, and it looks like the Eaton CH would fit. But it will not snap onto the hot studs no matter how hard I push. The old CH breaker clips in place easily.

So now I have to shop ebay, or maybe someone on this forum that has some old metal clip Cutler Hammer 100 amp single breakers or a 100 amp duplex breaker to fit my old main panel.

https://www.breakerking.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_280_281

 

[andyvh1959]

Thanks, I will definitely check that out.

I went through five pages of 200 items per page on ebay, searching for a CH 100 amp breaker, and did not find one direct match. Found a bunch that look close but I don't know old breakers well enough to know if type CH3 will work on a type CH breaker panel. Unless someone can tell me for sure what CH breaker fits what CH panel I'm hesitant to buy.

 

[jeepxj]

Do you have a model number of your panel?

https://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@electrical/documents/content/rp01400003e.pdf

 

[andyvh1959]

Its a Cutler hammer SafetyBreaker Load Center, #CH24MB200