Wiring from House to Garage?
- Thread starter locomike
- Start date
Mr_fixit
Well-known member
You need to install a new breaker in your breaker box. That would feed the garage. Then you would to install a sub panel in the garage.
O.K. it would be a double 100 correct? House has 200amp service so I can run 100 to the garage right? I was gonna have someone run the main feed and wire the garage myself but I figure I can do it all. Have to rent a trencher cuz it's a decent run. Nothing real difficult though am I correct?
ovilla
Well-known member
Don't mean to hijack the thread but I want to ask a question that I'm sure locomike might also be curious about.
Last year I wired a seperate dedicated 50amp sub panel for my hot tub and it did not need to be grounded (NOTE: We use conduit everywhere in my town). Anyway, I might go buy a 60amp sub panel for the garage and was just wondering if this type of subpanel would need to be set up any differently than my spa one. For my spa one it was grounded back to the main 200amp sub panel via conduit.
Do I (or even locomike) have to run a seperate ground for a garage sub panel? Or, is it as easy as putting a 60 amp breaker in my 200amp panel, running 4 AWG conductors through 1 1/2" conduit to my new 60amp garage panel? Thanks
P.S. My garage panel would just be used for a future (40-50amp) welder and numerous 15-20amp light/outlet circuits.
Last year I wired a seperate dedicated 50amp sub panel for my hot tub and it did not need to be grounded (NOTE: We use conduit everywhere in my town). Anyway, I might go buy a 60amp sub panel for the garage and was just wondering if this type of subpanel would need to be set up any differently than my spa one. For my spa one it was grounded back to the main 200amp sub panel via conduit.
Do I (or even locomike) have to run a seperate ground for a garage sub panel? Or, is it as easy as putting a 60 amp breaker in my 200amp panel, running 4 AWG conductors through 1 1/2" conduit to my new 60amp garage panel? Thanks
P.S. My garage panel would just be used for a future (40-50amp) welder and numerous 15-20amp light/outlet circuits.
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LoneGunman
Well-known member
I don't mean to sound like an *ss but if you need to ask if a "double" 100 is correct you are biting off more than you can chew.
Nothing real difficult? LOL famous last words, thank God, it keeps me busy. Seriously, do a search for "sub panel" on here, you'll learn a lot. Then come back and ask any questions you may have. Is this being inspected?
Nothing real difficult? LOL famous last words, thank God, it keeps me busy. Seriously, do a search for "sub panel" on here, you'll learn a lot. Then come back and ask any questions you may have. Is this being inspected?
LoneGunman
Well-known member
Conduit is considered an acceptable ground (unless somethings changed that I am not aware of" but why not run a ground? I cannot begin to count how many times I have seen couplings or connectors no longer connected, there goes the ground. For the small amount of money running a ground is going to cost, run the ground. I have not relied on a conduit as a ground since the early 90's.
No not biting off more than I can chew. Looking back at it was kind of a dumb redundant statement. I'm not a *****, LOL, I have messed with 3 phase electric in my shop in town by doing research and such. It has the "wild leg". I knew nothing about 3 phase before learning on here. I have never ran any line or installed any subpanels but knowing what I know and with help on here I figured it would be pretty easy is what I was meaning. Thanks
ddawg16
Well-known member
I would run the ground wire and not depend on conduit. If you are going underground, you want to use the gray PVC anyway.
May I suggest a ground rod at the garage? Nothing wrong with driving an 8' rod into the ground and connecting your box ground to it as well as the ground from the house.
You know that transformer out on the telephone pole that provides your power? Well, that neutral wire is not grounded out there. They ground it at your house. That way you are assured of good neutral to ground in your house....that is also why they want your ground to include your plumbing.
As for the box in the garage, what you put there will depend on what you pull from the house. If you have a 220Vac panel then I would run 220 to the garage, say 40 amps? At the house, you will have one double circuit breaker...it looks just like two circuit breakers tied together. In reality, they are 2 110Vac breakers giving you 2 110Vac lines. Connect between one of those lines and common and you have 110v....connect across both 110 lines and you have 220Vac.
In the garage you want another box with 2 or more breakers in it. If you are going to run anthing 220, then you want a 220 breaker (double) for that circuit and everything else single breakers. I prefer to have seperate circuits for lights and outlets. I like to be able to kill the power to the outlets so I don't have to worry about little ones turning on the table saw when I'm not around....but then again, I know my oldest will never do that again.
May I suggest a ground rod at the garage? Nothing wrong with driving an 8' rod into the ground and connecting your box ground to it as well as the ground from the house.
You know that transformer out on the telephone pole that provides your power? Well, that neutral wire is not grounded out there. They ground it at your house. That way you are assured of good neutral to ground in your house....that is also why they want your ground to include your plumbing.
As for the box in the garage, what you put there will depend on what you pull from the house. If you have a 220Vac panel then I would run 220 to the garage, say 40 amps? At the house, you will have one double circuit breaker...it looks just like two circuit breakers tied together. In reality, they are 2 110Vac breakers giving you 2 110Vac lines. Connect between one of those lines and common and you have 110v....connect across both 110 lines and you have 220Vac.
In the garage you want another box with 2 or more breakers in it. If you are going to run anthing 220, then you want a 220 breaker (double) for that circuit and everything else single breakers. I prefer to have seperate circuits for lights and outlets. I like to be able to kill the power to the outlets so I don't have to worry about little ones turning on the table saw when I'm not around....but then again, I know my oldest will never do that again.
Yeah I am gonna be running some welders out in the garage. I am gonna do what you said and run receptacles off one breaker and lights off another. Only thing I have to read more on because I just skimmed over is the issue with the main box and subpanel box in reference to the neutral and ground buss and bonding them and such. Got to do some more homework on that.
The run is probably 125' -150'. I will run it in the schedule 80 like you said. It won't have a bathroom or anything and the only water will probably be a frostfree spicket I put outside. Not sure of what i'm gonna do for heat yet. What's the trick for pulling the wires through that far? Thx again, great info and people.
The run is probably 125' -150'. I will run it in the schedule 80 like you said. It won't have a bathroom or anything and the only water will probably be a frostfree spicket I put outside. Not sure of what i'm gonna do for heat yet. What's the trick for pulling the wires through that far? Thx again, great info and people.
I am laying out 196 feet of underground service. I dont plan on pulling wire
I will prep the trench ,all dirt to one side. lay out my electric cable along
the side of the trench. Then I will slide each section of PVC pipe along the cable. Start at each end and work to the middle. Glue it up and slide it in the trench. I prefer to cover the pipe with 6 inch of dirt then lay yellow caution tape down anf fill in the rest .
I will prep the trench ,all dirt to one side. lay out my electric cable along
the side of the trench. Then I will slide each section of PVC pipe along the cable. Start at each end and work to the middle. Glue it up and slide it in the trench. I prefer to cover the pipe with 6 inch of dirt then lay yellow caution tape down anf fill in the rest .
jimvannoy
Well-known member
I am laying out 196 feet of underground service. I dont plan on pulling wire
I will prep the trench ,all dirt to one side. lay out my electric cable along
the side of the trench. Then I will slide each section of PVC pipe along the cable. Start at each end and work to the middle. Glue it up and slide it in the trench. I prefer to cover the pipe with 6 inch of dirt then lay yellow caution tape down anf fill in the rest .
That's what I did. Trenched from house to shop with a plow blade on my tractor, slid each piece of PVC onto the cable, drove a ground rod in next to the shop/new box and hooked everything up.
FunfDreisig
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2008
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That's a good idea....I prefer to cover the pipe with 6 inch of dirt then lay yellow caution tape down and fill in the rest.
Next time I'm on the backhoe and see a little yellow plastic tape in the hole, I'll stop and think 
Funf Dreisig
bochnak
Well-known member
My city, much like ovilla's, probably have the same codes. Mine goes by NEC 02'.
I plan on trenching new service this fall, and will run a ground regardless. I hope I can run gray PVC. The local home improvement stores usually carry rigid or EMT, haven't seen much of PVC.
pattenp
Well-known member
Check this link for good info on installing a subpanel.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/wiring/2005015726007600.html
http://ths.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/wiring/2005015726007600.html