Junkman
Well-known member
I have a 100 amp sub panel in my garage that comes off the main panel, and would like to put an additional sub panel in the garage at another location. Can I add a sub panel to the existing sub panel?
Sub panel question
- Thread starter Junkman
- Start date
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
Certainly in Australia you can, provided you have the capacity and take into account the voltage drop.
It will be dependant on your codes and standards.
Regards
It will be dependant on your codes and standards.
Regards
PhantomEB
Well-known member
How big is this shop that you need a second panel in a different spot!
We need more specifics! Size of shop? Why? Finished walls?
We need more specifics! Size of shop? Why? Finished walls?
pattenp
Well-known member
The short answer is yes in most cases. You need to be mindful of the total load on the primary sub-panel.
astroracer
Well-known member
I have done that in my shop. As I have added equipment it was easier to pull wires for subpanels. My 2 stage compressor runs off one and the lift runs off another. I swapped out the main panel in the shop a couple of years ago for a 125 amp unit. The shop is fed 100 amps from the house and the two sub panels are each on 50 amp breakers.
Total amperage is not a problem as this is a one man shop and I can only use one large draw piece of equipment at a time. The compressor does come on at any time but I have never had a problem with popped breakers when running the welders or the hoist at the same time.
Mark
Total amperage is not a problem as this is a one man shop and I can only use one large draw piece of equipment at a time. The compressor does come on at any time but I have never had a problem with popped breakers when running the welders or the hoist at the same time.
Mark
Rock knocker
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
- Messages
- 704
Yes. Excepting load calc failures and breaker space, which would apply to all panels everywhere, there is no limit to how many sub panels can be connected to sub panels connected to sub panels.
myredracer
Well-known member
Done all the time and is fine providing everything is sized correctly, grounding/bonding is correct, bonding screw is removed, etc.
Would be preferable to feed off the main panel tho. because if the "main" breaker for the 1st downstream panel trips, you will lose power to everything from 1st sub-panel and beyond. Not really a concern for a home garage/shop. If the sub-sub-panel were for a self-contained suite, that would not be the best way to do it.
I like to have recepts. in a shop on separate circuit. Maybe 2 max. Eats up circuits in a panel really fast tho. Adding a sub to a sub-panel is a good way to handle this and the feeder to it doesn't necessarily need to be all that big due to diversity (perhaps 60 amps?). But if also supplying a larger compressor plus say a plasma cutter and/or welder you would want to go with a larger sub-feeder (perhaps 90 amps?).
Would be preferable to feed off the main panel tho. because if the "main" breaker for the 1st downstream panel trips, you will lose power to everything from 1st sub-panel and beyond. Not really a concern for a home garage/shop. If the sub-sub-panel were for a self-contained suite, that would not be the best way to do it.
I like to have recepts. in a shop on separate circuit. Maybe 2 max. Eats up circuits in a panel really fast tho. Adding a sub to a sub-panel is a good way to handle this and the feeder to it doesn't necessarily need to be all that big due to diversity (perhaps 60 amps?). But if also supplying a larger compressor plus say a plasma cutter and/or welder you would want to go with a larger sub-feeder (perhaps 90 amps?).
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It is not that the shop / garage is that big, but the fact that I added another garage onto the home, and when I did that, the electrical meter coming into the home had to be moved to the new outside wall. At that point, I put in a 200 amp disconnect on the other side of the wall, and then the automatic 200 amp switch for my diesel generator. From there, everything goes to what originally was a 200 amp main breaker in the cellar. This is where it got tricky, since the original main was now considered a sub panel, I had to separate the neutral and ground wires. I was able to get a new ground wire, uninterrupted to the grounding rods (The way that it was configured originally, there were 4 existing ground rods) all the way through to the well casing, as the electrical inspector wanted. At the same time, I pulled wire through plastic conduit to put a 100 amp sub panel in the new garage from the panel in the cellar.
Originally, the power came in overhead to the outside wall of the garage. and then there was a rain tight meter and 200 amp disconnect below that, and then it went under the garage floor into the basement. Since a disconnect was required before it went underground, it made sense to just leave this original disconnect in place, and to connect it to the new service. It is odd looking to anyone that sees how it, however, the electrical inspector went over every detail (I had to have the covers off of everything for inspection), and said that it was all OK. Since I had done all the work my self, the utility company also did a quick inspection, and said that it was all very neatly done, and correct.
Now, I want to put a sub panel into the original garage, and add some circuits to that, since that garage is wired to the original panel in the cellar. As the home grew, so did the wiring, and that is where all the sub panels come into play. Originally, as built, we used up 40 of the 42 spaces, since every room has multiple circuits supplying them.
Thanks for the replies. I just need to decide what I am going to do and where to place it.
sberry
Banned
I have 5 additional panels in mine, saved a lot of wiring.