What breaker/wire to buy.

[Yasmar]

New garage construction, time for the wiring. Have an electrician (friend) doing the wiring.

He thinks I'll be safe with 6/3 wire (60amps) for what I'm using out there.

Here's the breakdown on what will be used (30x36x12-6" high)

Welder (220)
2post lift
2 (10x8 garage doors)
12 recepticals
15 shop lights

(heating with wood so no electric heat at all)

would I be limiting myself too much going with 60amps? should I upgrade the wire to 4/3 and run 80? I have no experience with electrical but wanted to know from others if they regretted not having enough amperage and always tripping the breaker.

First time poster, go easy on me <couldn't find any info using the search >

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

New garage construction, time for the wiring. Have an electrician (friend) doing the wiring.

He thinks I'll be safe with 6/3 wire (60amps) for what I'm using out there.

Here's the breakdown on what will be used (30x36x12-6" high)

Welder (220)
2post lift
2 (10x8 garage doors)
12 recepticals
15 shop lights

(heating with wood so no electric heat at all)

would I be limiting myself too much going with 60amps? should I upgrade the wire to 4/3 and run 80? I have no experience with electrical but wanted to know from others if they regretted not having enough amperage and always tripping the breaker.

First time poster, go easy on me <couldn't find any info using the search >

Thanks for any help you can provide.

My dads shop has 6-3 and 60A service...he never has had a problem. That being said, I'd probably suggest doing what a wise member here did. Run 2-2-2-4 (probably cheaper then CU 6-3) and just use a 60A breaker. IF you ever find its not big enough, you could get a 75 or 90a breaker and upgrade yourself for 30 bucks and 15 mins of time.
When I did mine I went with the 2-2-2-4 AL wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

That's a good suggestion Dave!

 

[Falcon67]

X2 on the 2-2-2-4 feed. Runs $1.70~1.80ish a foot last I looked.

 

[Yasmar]

it looks like we're going to run 3/3 aluminium (not sure if that's the way you write it or not, but I'm pretty sure it's 3 gauge) wire through a conduit and use a 100amp breaker and 100amp panel (which are pretty cheap).

100 amp will be over kill for what I'll need but at least I can remain pretty confident that i'll never trip the breaker.


Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[ishiboo]

X2 on the 2-2-2-4 feed. Runs $1.70~1.80ish a foot last I looked.

x3. 2-2-2-4 SER is cheap, fast and easy. You could also safely run a 100A breaker on it (not to code) if it's not a long run and it is not all constant loads.

 

[ishiboo]

it looks like we're going to run 3/3 aluminium (not sure if that's the way you write it or not, but I'm pretty sure it's 3 gauge) wire through a conduit and use a 100amp breaker and 100amp panel (which are pretty cheap).

100 amp will be over kill for what I'll need but at least I can remain pretty confident that i'll never trip the breaker.


Thanks for your suggestions!

#3 aluminum will not be good for 100 amps, #2 is only good for 90 amps on a subpanel feed. #3 is uncommon so I don't even know what it's rated for.

A subpanel needs four wires, hot/hot/neutral/ground, and the ground is usually undersized. So you may be running four #3, three #3 and a smaller ground, etc. Pre-bundled feeder is described with the ground last, ie 2-2-2-4 al is three #2 wires and one #4.