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Another Electrical

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
Ok, now that I have a warm cozy garage, I realized [OK knew, but previously ignored] the wiring is wayyy out dated: a pair of 4s feeding a single 30A Edison fuse 120V to lights, outlets, attic light & 500W outside motion light.

Actually it does 99% of what I need it to do, but I'd like more lights and I'm bringing the drill press from the barn which probably puts a bit of a load on a 20A circuit; throw a couple amps to a fan to keep the air circulating, maybe a radio, trouble light, and a soldering iron - well I'd like the lights on their own circuit with a couple 20A outlet circuits. Of course, the old buzz box will take 40A of 240 on its own.

Soooo, I snagged a 100A SquareD [the cheapo version that includes the main and several 15s and 20s for $50, but looked good anyway] main box at Menards, buried (just last night in the snow storm and 4inchs of frozen ground :eek: ) 2-2-4 3ft deep, 25ft to a nearby grainbin box (which goes directly to the 'pole' ) and drove a new garage ground rod before the ground freezes harder (it's already grounded 25ft away to the bin's rod, but I couldn't remember the allowed run so I just put the new one in).

Now the question!

I got the cable up the conduit and realized: I hadn't thought out what to use for the splice! I didn't see any reason to make an underground splice with the box there, but don't recall seeing a splice that splits a 2-2-4 into two 2-2-4s. I'd like to use the main's lugs for the splice, but not sure if they have room, and if they do if there is a good reason not too?

Thanks!
 

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
Forgot to note: panel on the bin is at least 100A, but only used for lighting. The large draws were an auger motor and airaetor motor, but neither is in use [the former obsoleted by grain Vacs, the latter never was really effective compared to true dryers, so this bin was only intended for storage anyway].
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
if the bin panel is 200 amp, you can run a pair of 100 amp 240v breakers off of it as your split. (basic sub-panel wiring) If it's only 100 Amp, I wouldn't run more than 75 amps to each leg. Sandwiching wires on the main lugs is a bad idea - makes for a failure point, heat source, etc....
 

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
The main in that panel is 100A; the irony is that it will probably never again draw even 5A - I could downsize the main, but it would just be a warm fuzzy no practical reason. Essentially that box will behave as little more than a junction.

The garage I could have bought a 60A box for and been fine, but with the 100A cheaper and my own habit of always liking at least 100A, that seemed to make sense.

Thanks for confirming my suspictions about sandwiching on the mains Erik! Any ideas on a good splice for one cable to two?

I'll see if I can scrounge together some pictures later.
 

OhioTC18

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Nobody says that just because you have a 100A panel, that you have to supply 100A to it. If you're comfortable that 60A is enough put that size breaker in the panel in the bin. You can even put a 100A breaker in there. So you pull 100A once or twice? Guess what? Nothing happens unless you have a load in both buildings totaling over 100A.

But whatever you do, DON'T double up the wires in the existing 100A panel's main lugs. There's not enough room and you just end up with loose connections later on. And then comes the sparks along with the heat and add O2, such as air. Poof we have a fire.
 

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
Nobody says that just because you have a 100A panel, that you have to supply 100A to it. If you're comfortable that 60A is enough put that size breaker in the panel in the bin. You can even put a 100A breaker in there. So you pull 100A once or twice? Guess what? Nothing happens unless you have a load in both buildings totaling over 100A.

But whatever you do, DON'T double up the wires in the existing 100A panel's main lugs. There's not enough room and you just end up with loose connections later on. And then comes the sparks along with the heat and add O2, such as air. Poof we have a fire.

Thanks!

I'll have to see what I can find for a breaker to fit the bin's panel - plenty of spaces in there. You're right a 60A would be fine to feed the garage, though if I find both and the 100 is about the same price, I'll probably do that just for the odd chance I find a way to trip 60A in several years, then scratch my head as to why there is power everywhere but the garage, yet no breakers are tripped (I know even with 100A, any of the three: garage main, garage breaker from the bin, bin main, could tip and confuse me, but I can not imagine any combination - even with toys on my long term wish list - that would touch 100A) in the garage.
 
D

darroll

Guest
How ironic,
I have spent half the day in the attic over the garage. We went modern with a garage door opener. I would not let them run the wires on the ceiling.
Never splice any wires, this is just a problem later or even a possible fire.
 

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
How ironic,
I have spent half the day in the attic over the garage. We went modern with a garage door opener. I would not let them run the wires on the ceiling.
Never splice any wires, this is just a problem later or even a possible fire.

Hope you're enjoying your garage door! I still have to finish my box, but I had to get the wire in the ground before it froze like a rock the whole 3ft (instead of 4 inches).

Well it looks like the 60A is much cheaper than a 100; of course in the mannor of price creap, I realized every box [less than 30years old] around here is QO...... so I'm thinking about taking back the cheapo and splurging; I do like the red trip indicators. Of course, if I spend that kind of money, perhaps 100A breaker feeding a 60A panel (if I can find a configuation I like in a 60A QO) in the garage - then if it does trip, no guess-work.
 
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