I have a Pacific garbage box, 100A service. My attached garage is closer to the pole. Just thinking out loud.... If I were to have a 200A service installed, but the drop and meter put on my garage wall, main panel in the attached garage, and run the residential house panel as a subpanel, would that be feasible? All of the above would not be done by myself, I was just thinking outloud, so by all means call me bat sh*t retarded if that's the case. The only extent I trust myself with AC current is replacing small fixtures, switches and outlets. I was just thinking if I got the permit and installed the weatherhead and drop, added the service, I could break up what was necessary for the work, and kill the sub panel and replace the pacific box at a later time and still have max jam in my garage. House doesn't need much... Think my garbage disposal is the largest draw.
Service panel question
- Thread starter Spam16v
- Start date
Gary S
Well-known member
It will definitely work if you replace everything that needs to be replaced for the upgrade.
But, first you should ask yourself the important question. Do you need more than 100 amps?. Are you running a business in there, or are you a basic home user?
You could replace your old 100 amp panel with a new 100 amp panel for probably $100 or less, or you can do the upgrade you suggested for 20-50x that.
Figure out your needs and go with that rather than some pie-in-the-sky plan you don't need.
But, first you should ask yourself the important question. Do you need more than 100 amps?. Are you running a business in there, or are you a basic home user?
You could replace your old 100 amp panel with a new 100 amp panel for probably $100 or less, or you can do the upgrade you suggested for 20-50x that.
Figure out your needs and go with that rather than some pie-in-the-sky plan you don't need.
tfi racing
Well-known member
I have done this job probably a hundred times,in certain situations it makes a lot of sense and can clean up your backyard of those ugly O/H wires.However it can be pricey,that is usually the deciding factor.
VHF
Well-known member
Sounds like a good option for your situation, as long as it wouldn't be too difficult to run a conduit from your new 200A panel in the garage to your existing 100A panel in the house.
Well, as far as 100a vs 200a, getting a big Mig welder, small tig welder, 2 lifts, 3hp compressor , lathe, mill and some other stuff. Rather not come up short...
As far as swapping out the current panel, other than doing it live, getting a permit and paying a lic'd contractor seems to be my only option to get the power cut. I'll swap out a breaker or something small live, but dropping a main wire and having something bad happen is way way out of my comfort zone.
As far as swapping out the current panel, other than doing it live, getting a permit and paying a lic'd contractor seems to be my only option to get the power cut. I'll swap out a breaker or something small live, but dropping a main wire and having something bad happen is way way out of my comfort zone.
gumbudah
Well-known member
Im replacing my service right now. In my area a homeowner can do their own electrical. I wouldnt be afraid of it. Just do some homework ask a lot of questions.
Aceman
Well-known member
Sounds like a good plan to me.
Call your building dept., I think most, if not all, places allow homeowners to do their own wiring. Oregon certainly does.
Call your building dept., I think most, if not all, places allow homeowners to do their own wiring. Oregon certainly does.
I have a small sub panel next to the Bulldog, it has wires off the buss bars and not off a breaker feeding it, has a short run of a few inches flex conduit and a few breakers. I've since emptied 50% of my main b/c I don't have an electrical wall oven, electric cook top, and welding cable to a 220v outlet for a freezer, or the welding cable to the other outlet for an electric dryer. ALL of this mind you was in a 100a panel. The question is, shouldn't a sub panel be on a breaker vs. hard wired off the buss bars w/only the main disconnect/breaker protecting the circuit?
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
That's called a feeder tap, it's allowed under certain conditions. It's difficult to tell for sure over the Internet, but since your subpanel is right next to the main panel, and the conductors are in conduit, it's probably okay. This link explains things: http://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/NEC-HTML/HTML/FeederSecondaryTapRules~20020326.htm
theoretically could I run a feeder tap in that secondary enclosure to my garage with a 60a breaker and 6-3 with a 100a service and main breaker in my main panel? Like I said, I'm not about to attempt anything, I'm just brain storming and trying to get an understanding before I have an electrician quote me on something I completely do not need. Over building vs. OVERKILL are two different things. I come from the automotive field where an uneducated customer can be abused easily by an untrustworthy shop, so at least understanding WTF a contractor has to say would make me more comfortable separating myself from my funds.
Aceman
Well-known member
It would probably cost us more to install a 150A...
Meterbases are all 200A anyways. If overhead, mast would still be a 2" rigid. A 200A panel, I'm almost positive is cheaper because they are everywhere. We'd use a smaller aluminum wire for 150 amp, but aluminum wire is so cheap, you would save just a few dollars. Which would probably be a wash since the panel was more....
125A and 150A are an in-between oddball size IMO for a single family service(I'm not talking apartments, condo's, etc with multiple services), I wouldn't put one on a house. It's either getting a 100A, 200A or bigger.
If you're feeding it underground a long ways, that'd be a different story. But overhead, 200A is the way to go.
Falcon67
Well-known member
Agree with that. 200A ought to not up the bill by very much. I put a 100 on our old house, but only because I found a name brand panel 20 slot with breaker in the closeout pile at McCoy's for about $20. Small house - hind sight says I shoulda popped for a 200A. It still has breaker spaces, but larger panels with more slots leaves more room for unexpected needs. Why my shop is getting a 100A 20 slot.
Aceman
Well-known member
Installer has a hard on for copper, so he grabbed this for me which was part of the reason for the 150A.
I use Siemens almost exclusively too, so I know the 200A panels are copper bussed as well. I like to use 40 space panels also, unless you have very few circuits in your home.
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1500sq ft 3bdrm, gas stove, no A/C, gas boiler. I don't have many consumers, and even if I did add on there's still lots of room. The garage which includes the wife's music studio will be on a 100A sub panel w/~16 slots.