What would you do?

[GarageEnvy]

In preparing for the new garage I have to demo my old one. As part of that deal I need to move my existing service panel and obviously set up temporary power. I have a couple of options. Option A involves simply swinging all circuits to a temporary location along the attached wall to the house and then moving them again to the permanent location along the rear wall of the garage. Advantage, fairly simple, least expensive and probably won't be w/o power for more than a day. Option 2 is to permanently mount a subpanel on the attached wall to the house and then run temporary power via a single feed line to temporary power meter box on same wall. Later service panel could be located further along the rear wall toward my shop. The advantage is that it chops about 30' off all the household circuits, positions the main service panel in the shop area, moves the overheard drop further out of sight and since there would only be the one line feeding the subpanel with all the circuits and a second feeding a subpanel for pool equipment the remainder of the box would be wide open for garage circuits. It also permanently gets the existing circuit wires out of the weather and harms way during construction. Downside is it costs a bit more and I might be out of power for two days.

 

[Falcon67]

Hard to say, but I usually err to the side of what reduces any later issues and solves the most problems, even if it's more $$$ and PITA. More PITA now, less PITA later.

 

[mrb]

if you plan it out right, you shouldnt be without power for more than a few hours even in doing option B. In moving the service twice, realize you are going to be paying the poco twice for the move. Sometimes the charge is less for a temp service.

 

[JBurgess]

If you have an electric range or dryer and they have 3 wire feeds then they have to be refed with a 4 wire feed if you use option 2. SER feeding these must originate from the service entrance equipment.

 

[JBurgess]

Depending on your type of construction, you may be able to mount your new service before the walls are built.

 

[GarageEnvy]

If you have an electric range or dryer and they have 3 wire feeds then they have to be refed with a 4 wire feed if you use option 2. SER feeding these must originate from the service entrance equipment.

We do have an electric oven and dryer (gas cooktop). It's your understanding that these must be fed from the service panel? I'm not an electrician but I've never heard anything like this before. Can you reference that code for me? I know these electrical topics seem to get ugly fast so before anyone gets anything in a bunch I'm not calling anyone a liar or questioning their knowledge. Just trying to find out where that came from since none of the electricians mentioned it to me.

 

[JBurgess]

We do have an electric oven and dryer (gas cooktop). It's your understanding that these must be fed from the service panel? I'm not an electrician but I've never heard anything like this before. Can you reference that code for me? I know these electrical topics seem to get ugly fast so before anyone gets anything in a bunch I'm not calling anyone a liar or questioning their knowledge. Just trying to find out where that came from since none of the electricians mentioned it to me.

see condition 3. Remember this for a three wire feed.

250.140 Frames of Ranges and Clothes Dryers. Frames
of electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted
cooking units, clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes
that are part of the circuit for these appliances shall be
connected to the equipment grounding conductor in the
manner specified by 250.134 or 250.138.
Exception: For existing branch-circuit installations only
where an equipment grounding conductor is not present in
the outlet or junction box, the frames of electric ranges,
wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units,
clothes dryers, and outlet or junction boxes that are part of
the circuit for these appliances shall be permitted to be
connected to the grounded circuit conductor if all the following
conditions are met.
(1) The supply circuit is 120/240-volt, single-phase,
3-wire; or 208Y/120-volt derived from a 3-phase,
4-wire, wye-connected system.
(2) The grounded conductor is not smaller than 10 AWG
copper or 8 AWG aluminum.
(3) The grounded conductor is insulated, or the grounded
conductor is uninsulated and part of a Type SE serviceentrance
cable and the branch circuit originates at the
service equipment.
(4) Grounding contacts of receptacles furnished as part of
the equipment are bonded to the equipment.

On edit:

This is SE cable.

 

[GarageEnvy]

Thanks. Here's what I know. The oven and dryer are fed by #10 wire. It is copper "Romex" type w/red, white, black + ground. As to how they are actually connected in the box I couldn't tell you right now. Here's what I have been told so far. It's OK to recess subpanel into firewall if surrounded by type X 5/8 sheet rock. I got conflicting info on this one so I called the county electrical inspector and got this one right from the "horse's mouth". Also told it is OK to run subpanel from a subpanel since that is how it would be if we went with option B. There is a 100amp subpanel for some light circuits and our A/C unit.

 

[JBurgess]

Thanks. Here's what I know. The oven and dryer are fed by #10 wire. It is copper "Romex" type w/red, white, black + ground. As to how they are actually connected in the box I couldn't tell you right now. Here's what I have been told so far. It's OK to recess subpanel into firewall if surrounded by type X 5/8 sheet rock. I got conflicting info on this one so I called the county electrical inspector and got this one right from the "horse's mouth". Also told it is OK to run subpanel from a subpanel since that is how it would be if we went with option B. There is a 100amp subpanel for some light circuits and our A/C unit.

That is a four wire feed, so no changes required.