Sub feed lugs or breakers? Or....

[tinysparky]

Utility is droping a 320amp service to our house being built. From our contractor....yet to be installed meter and panel...i will be running a 2-2-2-4 to a well house for a 60 amp sub. Pretty straight forward, and overkill.

Question is for the sub panel going to the workshop. I am wanting to put in a 200amp sub on 4/0 alu due to an apartment, 90 amp requirement for solar, and then for the running of the workshop.

Should I use a pass thru lug for the 200amp Subor is there a better option? I assume I was going to use a 60 amp breaker for the well house. Main panel is siemens.

Gjsparkys are the best!

using Tapatalk....In Renton wa, and i can't change my location from the app......

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Not quite sure what youre asking.

Are you asking whether you should use a main breaker or feed thru lugs on the main service panel for the workshop feeder?

 

[tinysparky]

Not quite sure what youre asking.

Are you asking whether you should use a main breaker or feed thru lugs on the main service panel for the workshop feeder?

Yep, that is what i am asking.

using Tapatalk....In Renton wa, and i can't change my location from the app......

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Using a breaker will give you a means of disconnect for each sub without affecting the others. Feedthrough will mean shutting off main to service sub. I also believe wire to sub will have to be sized the same as main feed since you will be using main to protect sub wire. Might be cheaper to go with breaker and downsized wire.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Using a breaker will give you a means of disconnect for each sub without affecting the others. Feedthrough will mean shutting off main to service sub. I also believe wire to sub will have to be sized the same as main feed since you will be using main to protect sub wire. Might be cheaper to go with breaker and downsized wire.

I would go with breakers to save on wire size, and the convenience of a disconnect for each sub.

 

[Bert_]

I also believe wire to sub will have to be sized the same as main feed since you will be using main to protect sub wire. Might be cheaper to go with breaker and downsized wire.

Look at the tap rules.

A 200A or even smaller rated wire CAN be fed from a 400a over-current device. There are some extra rules that go with doing this, must terminate to a single over-current device (panel with main breaker), Limited distance if you run it inside a building, unlimited distance outside.

If the meter main has a 400a breaker/fuses, I would absolutely tap off that with #2 and 4/0 going to their own panels with main breakers. If necessary you can get terminal boxes that make it easy tap multiple wires off the main feed. If it has spaces then I might be tempted to install a smaller breaker to use for the small feeders.

I almost always use taps on larger services like this. Simple, less to go wrong, cheap to build, easy to add on to.

 

[jim111]

Make sure that your panel's bus stabs are rated to accept that large of a breaker, some will some won't