2 hot, neutral and ground. Commonly available 60 amp panels are usually limited to 8 or more slots.100 amp 20 slot pannels are common and cheap.Now the feeder breaker can't be any larger than then SMALLEST of the ratings of the feeder wires or the sub-panel.So I would use a 60 amp breaker and feeders, but with the 100 amp sub-panel. Keep in mind that codes vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and these are minimums only. Underground feed from house main panel via a 30 amp 2 pole breaker at 120/240 volts 4. my question is do I need a disconnect (main breaker) in the sub-panel? Determine where you will mount the sub panel. No piping of any kind in the garage 3. Also, does the sub panel need a ground wire connected back to the main panel in the same building? Installing a Sub Panel for a Garage Electrical Question: I currently have power ran out to my garage, however it only runs 2 lights and the wiring is old. If you want to use your garage for a shop or plan to install air conditioning or other power-hungry appliances or tools, you'll have all the power you need. If the sub panel is in the same building then the sub panel doesn't need a main breaker but of course it need to be protected by a breaker just not at the panel. A neutral and hot on 110 you bring in always 220 in a garage or shed what happens if you need it. The electrician said that I would likely need a main cutoff breaker inside of the shop sub panel, not just in the house main panel. Improve this question . And it's more convenient to have the circuit breakers in the garage. The sub-panel will be fed by my main 150-amp service panel. Sub panels require a 4-wire feed. This line can be buried or overhead depending on personal preference and community rules. asked Nov 12 '14 at 13:54. henry jackson henry jackson. I have a 200amp main in my house and I plan on installing a 90 amp sub-panel in a detached garage approx. Lots of others said including a sub-panel was the best move they made. I want to install electrical wiring and a sub panel in the detached garage and would like to know how big (amps) I can go. He said, "no, you don't need to because you are replacing the overhead existing triplex with quadplex 4 wire. Bonding to ground is A separate detached guest house w attached garage has a sub panel located in the garage that is fed from the main panel in the main house. This may make it easier to understand… The PANEL does not require the disconnect, the BUILDING/STRUCTURE does. I would like to upgrade and put a breaker box in the garage so I can put in more lights, outlets and run a pool pump, etc. It is a lug panel with the main breaker in the residence at the main panel. That is, you need a grounding electrode conductor for your subpanel that is independent of the GEC for your main panel. I was planning on driving a ground rod when replacing overhead service to a detached garage. If the detached building has more than one circuit (in your case a panel that will feed more than one circuit) you will need a ground rod. Panels need 1 m clearance in front. I ran a sub-panel to a garage that is 25 feet from the main residence. Any advise would be appreciated. 1. You should be able to buy a second bar for the sub-panel if it really is meant to be used as a sub-panel. Buy 100, wire to 60.The sub-panel does … grounding electrode with ground conductor) Separate ground not allowed in Canada 4 wires are required . However, the code does set forth certain requirements for detached garages that are provided with electricity. But it wasn’t always this way. This panel is in a detached building. Residential detached garage 2. In order to save $ on multiple GFCI breakers and/or receptacles I want to feed a sub panel to a shop/garage with a 50A GFCI breaker but am not sure if it will nuisance trip because of multiple circuits. The reasons are pretty simple: more power and more convenience. If space is an issue, you don’t need to install it next to the main panel. Follow edited Nov 12 '14 at 14:54. gregmac. The other way is allowed because it is cheeper. I have a detached garage in the backyard. That keeps your voltage balanced the receptacle box on a shed or a garage dont need a grond wire unless you go over head. Thanks for your help. I want to add a sub panel to my attached garage. 100FT away from the main panel. The ground wire from the house must be connected to the sub-panel ground. (i.e. I am installing a ~100-amp sub-panel in my "attached-detached" garage (an "attached-detached" garage is a detached garage that shares a continuous roof with the home). The neutral bus is not bonded to the enclosure. Does a sub panel need a main breaker if there is one at the main? A breaker box in a detached garage is usually a sub-panel to the main circuit panel in the home. The branch circuits in the shop/garage are for an air compressor, lights, and receptacles (and a small beer refrigerator). @@@ OK, makes sense and I like space in a panel. Sub panel has 8 breakers. Share. Main panel on exterior house wall has six breakers (including one, 100 amp, for the shop) and there is a sub panel inside of the home. If your garage is a separate, detached structure, then you need the isolated neutral, the bonded ground, and a driven ground rod bonded to the subpanel. I just can't be sure whether a ground rod is required at this detached garage or not. https://petersonelectricllc.com/ We wired up a garage that had a studio apartment above it. Height of the panelboard – maximum height of the panelboard is 1.7 m from finished floor to the highest breaker position. I do think this also a requirement in some USA places . I was surprised and asked him about that. I am new to this forum and need some expert advice. Up until the 2008 edition of the NEC (National Electrical Code), there were two exceptions allowed for the GFCI requirement at garage … A very common size sub-panel feeder circuit to a detached garage is typically 100 amps which requires larger feeder conductors as well as a larger conduit size. Sub-panel in detached garage supplied from a service panel in a house by way of a four-wire feeder: two hots (black), neutral (white) and a ground (bare copper or green). The International Residential Code, the most widely adopted building code in the U.S., does not require that detached garages be provided with electricity. At a detached structure you can have a main breaker, main disconnect or you can use the 6 handle rule. I am receiving conflicting interpretations of the code from one inspector to another for grounding sub panels in a detached garage. A sub-panel with no grounding electrode and a grounding conductor that connects to the service panel grounding bus bar offers a parallel path (parallel with the neutral conductor) for any current getting onto the sub-panel enclosure, increasing the chances of strong current flow and electrical shock to anyone touching the sub-panel. Lighting that is what a ground rod is for. Sub Panel in an Attached Garage Electrical Question: I want to add a panel to my attached garage, what size breaker do I need? Does the sub panel require a main disconnect? I understand that the NEC requires a separate ground rod for sub-panels in "detached structures," but I'm not clear if my application counts as attached, or detached. Please cite the specific article. The ground bar should be bonded to the case. For a detached garage sub panel does the panel need to be a main breaker or can it be a main lug? electrical subpanel. The panel has a GEC to a UFER ground. You'll have 4 wires." The garage does not need a separate ground rod or plate. However, Rule #5 is an exception. Seeking some advice on installing a sub panel in a detached garage. I was talking to the elec inspector at the jobsite. Researching here and what I was told by others was a main lug would be fine so I installed the box and ran all the wires. Can you feed a sub panel with a GFCI breaker? Thank you. He stated a detached garage. 27.4k 12 12 gold badges 76 76 silver badges 142 142 bronze badges. Yes, all 125-volt, single phase, 15- or 20-amp receptacles in a garage must be GFCI-protected, with only one esoteric exclusion that we will cover later. I have 200 amp service to my home at an outside panel that feeds into the home. The area 3 feet (0.9 m) in front of and above and below the the panel should be clear from the floor to the ceiling. I will be installing a sub panel in the garage rated at 60 amps 240v but cant seem to find in the CEC anywhere if there needs to be a main breaker in the garage panel. The main house foundation is isolated from the mudroom/breezeway/garage foundation only by a foam insulation joint and cold pour joint, but the wood framing of all structures ARE connected. If your home's electrical service panel (breaker box) is full and you need more room to add new circuits, installing a subpanel might be the way to go. My main electrical service panel is in the attached garage and is a 100 amp service. Electrical Question: How Can I Install Electrical Wiring and a Sub Panel in a Garage? I will be wiring a detached garage this weekend and was looking for answers on the garage panel. The advantage of installing a breaker panel in the garage is that it allows you to have multiple circuits available while only needing to run one line to the garage from the house. I am saying that you never need a main breaker in a sub panel, detached or not. It is a 100 amp sub-panel with 16 spaces. Rule #4: A terminal slot, no matter how large, can be assumed to be approved for one conductor only unless it is labeled otherwise. It has a 3-wire feed, and the neutrals and grounds are separated. is to provide a path to the service panel and the transformer in case of a ground fault to the subpanel enclosure. The safest installation is using a full size ground from the main building to the sub panel in the detached building. The panel looks very professional and tidy (except for the missing ground wire of course). 5. I already missed having a grounding rod for the sub and don't want to miss anything else. Four even size wires. The neutral bar will need to be isolated (it should have plastic insulator separating it from the case). However, you must be able run wire through to that area. Can some one tell me the correct installation, the code reference and reason. 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